David Cameron yesterday became the first serving leader of a British Political Party to visit Birmingham Central Mosque.

All of us who attended the series of meetings yesterday agreed that the content of the discussions would remain under the Chatham House Rule. And rightly so. Knowing that our meetings would not be reported encouraged a sense of trust and enabled a truly free exchange of views.

But what was most important was that Mr Cameron was there.

Last week Tony Blair came the the West Midlands but chose not to come to hear the concerns of a community that feels vulnerable and under suspicion. Showing a profound lack of understanding and a total lack of leadership, Mr Blair preferred to kick a football about at a sports academy in Telford.

By coming to the largest Mosque in England, David Cameron heard at first hand the concerns of Muslim leaders in Birmingham about the rising tide of suspicion towards their community, and the fairness with which they are treated under the law. And he heard from a younger group whose aspirations to succeed in a British pluralist society that protects and encourages tolerance and freedom were profound.

The challenge for the Muslim community in cities like Birmingham is to be more engaged in the political and economic life of the whole city. I've been to the Central Mosque on many occasions over the past two years. It is a liberal Mosque at which more than 6,000 attend Friday prayers. The heartbeat of its community, the Mosque provides education, care, family advice, a community centre, and a real pride in Birmingham. And its leaders call for toleration and respect under the rule of law, a rule of law that mirrors their Sharia customs.

The leaders of the Central Mosque recognise that they have a duty to engage with and be an accepted part of modern British society. So much that they achieve is a great example of civilised, tolerant, community spirited excellence.

But what is reported in the Press tends to be the occasional rather ill-conceived headline grabbing comment that sounds extreme. Those comments do not reflect the great leadership that these good people provide for a cohesive community in Birmingham. And for that they deserve great respect.

Free trade and toleration have always been at the heart of One Nation Conservative principles. It is those principles that brought so many immigrants to these shores over the past fifty years. But, one of the principal strengths that they bring this island trading nation is a resource that remains largely unfulfilled.

For Britain to remain a global trading power we must develop new markets in a world of increasing globalisation. And we have one great competitive advantage in winning new markets in India, Pakistan, and China. That advantage is language. The immigrant communities in British cities have a language resource that gives us a tremendous opportunity to build on our trading heritage. And through trade we will build greater wealth, security, and happiness.

Neither David Cameron nor the Muslim leaders that he met yesterday will have agreed on all of the opinions that they shared in private. But dialogue is a great healer, and it builds that community cohesion that British cities cry out for.

From the perspective of both the Conservative leader and the community of the Birmingham Central Mosque, it was vital that those views were heard. That he was invited and that Cameron chose to attend shows great leadership from both sides.