Now David Cameron has put the broken society and the public services in the vanguard of his agenda. These are not new preoccupations. I have heard him be eloquent on both subjects over many years. Just after he became Tory leader, Cameron had a meeting with Nicolas Sarkozy. The Frenchman told him how much he admired the Tory economic reforms of the 1980s. Afterwards, Cameron's comment was instructive: "I hope that in the 2030s a French presidential candidate will tell a Tory leader how much he admires the social reforms of the 2010s and the 2020s."

Cameron faces a formidable challenge. In one respect, Thatcher had an easier task. It is relatively easy to draw up legislation to bring the trade unions within the law. It is much harder to draft a broken society bill. Acts of Parliament can help. Cameron has already made clear that he proposes radical reforms in both welfare and education. It is unacceptable that up to 5m people live off the state and shun work. It is also unacceptable that so many parents have to send their children to schools that offer as much hope of a decent education as Soviet food shops did of a decent meal.

Cameron's welfare reforms draw heavily on the Wisconsin model. His school proposals are based on American charter schools and on the Swedish system, in which teachers can set up new schools so that the state loses its monopoly over state education. On welfare, Cameron also believes that the role of charities, churches and voluntary organisations should be vastly increased. He wants to replace the current, failing, top-down system, in which the clunking fist imposes regulations and targets, with much more flexible arrangements.