Compassionate conservatives welcome these historical reforms but they want their party to go further. They want the same energy invested in welfare, schools, philanthropy and international development as conservative think tanks have traditionally given to the study of defence, regulation, Euroscepticism and penal policy.

They also urge conservatives to stop hiding their light under a bushel. It may be uncomfortable for people who've been taught that good deeds should be done privately, but this is politics. It's hearts-on-sleeves time. George W. Bush attempted to shift the rhetoric of his party, adopting terms like "social justice". He talked about the "soft bigotry of low expectations" that faced children from poorer backgrounds in education. He identified literacy as a new civil right. He warned Republicans not to balance the budget "on the backs of the poor". 

Bush spent too much taxpayers' money as president but he was right to attack "the idea that if government would only get out of the way, all our problems would be solved" as a "destructive mindset". Conservatives cannot prosper if they travel carelessly down the laissez-faire road. Most voters aren't anti-government libertarians. They don't want to be left alone. They want government to care for the weak. They want government to be there when adversity strikes. They want government to work better, not to disappear.

The great insight of compassionate conservatives to understand is that hacking the supply of government is unsustainable. For lasting reductions in the size of the state it is best to approach the problem from the demand side of the equation. Reduce the demand for government services and the supply problem takes care of itself. The road to social justice and a smaller state are the same if conservatives, move more people into work, reduce family breakdown, tackle drug addiction and reduce rates of reoffending.