What is David Cameron’s big idea?

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[/audioplayer]In almost a decade as Conservative leader, David Cameron has tended to avoid talking about his political philosophy. He has presented himself as a pragmatist, suspicious of anything ending in ‘-ism’ — and the very opposite of a swivel-eyed ideologue. There is something to be said for this, but it raises the great question: what is a Conservative government for? There was no clear answer at the last election and so no clear result from that election. Voters had turned away from Labour, but were not quite sure how their lives would be better under the Conservatives.

No one can be in any doubt what Ed Miliband is offering in 2015. He comes out with policy after policy — each one easy to understand. Bills too high? Red Ed will tell companies to freeze them. Rent too high? Labour will call landlords to heel. He promises to tear up the old script which says that governments dare not interfere with the market. He’ll issue edicts to high street banks, money lenders and much more. You can argue (as we do) that this would lead to calamity, but at least Miliband can pose as an idealist in a parliament of cynics. He offers new thinking at a time when Britain is midway through a lost decade.

The next election should present the unhappy voter with a choice between two new ways of seeing Britain, but at present there’s only one radical vision — Labour’s. All the Conservatives have to offer a voter is some muttering about deficit reduction and a little managerial mumbo-jumbo. George Osborne, the Chancellor, tells James Forsyth on page 12 that elections are won from the centre.