Power to the people - bold and risky for Cameron

Ask not what a Tory government could do for you. David Cameron has been bold and risky, says political editor Chris Fisher, in offering to transfer power to the people.

David Cameron yesterday launched the Tory manifesto in the empty shell of a great edifice that once throbbed with power. No, not Conservative HQ. It was Battersea power station.

The once mighty building does not even have a roof. Maybe, as the Conservatives are wont to say, Labour should have repaired it while the sun was shining. Ho, ho.

Mr Cameron was clearly a little troubled by the symbolism of the venue and joked Gene Hunt-style (as in Life on Mars) 'Fire up the power station, it's time for change'. But appropriateness actually lay in a message of power to the people - albeit in a very different way from traditional electricity generation. The key message was: 'We'll give you the power, so you can take control.'

An incoming Conservative government would give new rights to 'be your own boss', 'sack your MP', 'run your own school', 'own your own home', 'veto council tax rises', 'vote for your police', 'save your local pub or post office' and 'see how government spends your money'.

Run your own school? What does that mean? The manifesto says: 'The Conservatives will create a new generation of independently-run state schools. We will make it much easier for educational charities, groups of parents and teachers, co-operatives and others to start new academies (independent, non-selective state schools).'

Vote for your police? The proposal here is to replace 'invisible and unaccountable police authorities' with directly elected police commissioners who will 'set policing priorities for local communities'.

Save your local pub or post office? A 'community right to buy' scheme would give people the power to protect community assets threatened with closure.

In support of this 'over to you' programme, Mr Cameron quoted Jack Kennedy: 'Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country.'

It's certainly bold. Much of the nation may have become used to expecting politicians to sort out everything - and to blaming them when they fail, yet again, to do so. And the idea of getting involved in the local community and contributing to the solving of problems may strike many people these days as quite alien. A question that may be widely asked is this: What are we paying our taxes for?

In the boldness lies risk, and Labour sniffed an opportunity. In no time at all, the prime minister and Lord Mandelson were trying to turn the Cameron message to their advantage. 'When the Tories say 'we're all in this together', what they really mean is 'you're on your own'. This is not an agenda for empowerment - it's an agenda for abandonment' was their response.

Rather unexpectedly, the Conservatives have established a clear dividing line. In their words, its Big Government v the Big Society. In the latter, the state will have more of a hands-off, and generally smaller, role; and in the former there will be more 'nanny state knows best' Brownite management of society and people's lives.

Put in those terms, it sounds good for the Conservatives. But as has already been shown, Labour can present it as a turn towards a 'survival of the fittest' economic and social culture.

The supposedly key issue of the economy was overshadowed at the manifesto launch.

The document emphasises that a Conservative government would eliminate 'the bulk' of the fiscal deficit over a (five-year) parliament, but doesn't spell out what this means in terms of the overall cut or the specific spending restraints that would be imposed to achieve it.

The pledge to stop much of the government's 1pc national insurance rise next year (aka 'Labour's jobs tax') is emphasised. So is the commitment to 'recognise marriage in the tax system' with an income tax allowance transfer worth up to �150 a year. The 50pc top tax rate would not be quickly removed; it is not regarded as 'a permanent feature of the tax system', but 'we will not abolish it for the rich while at the same time asking many of our public sector workers to accept a pay freeze'.

Key points in the Tory manifesto, 'Invitation to join the Government of Britain'.

Safeguard Britain's credit rating with a credible plan to eliminate the bulk of the structural deficit over a parliament set out in an emergency budget within 50 days of taking office.

Create the conditions for higher exports, business investment and savings, while cutting youth unemployment.

Raise productivity growth in the public sector.

Reform the regulation and structure of the banking system.

Reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase the UK's share of global markets for low carbon technologies.

Cut a net �6bn of waste in departmental spending in 2010-11.

Freeze public sector pay for one year in 2011.

Cut ministers' pay by 5pc, followed by a five-year freeze.

Reduce the number of MPs by 10pc and cap public sector pensions above �50,000.

Reverse Labour's planned national insurance hike for anyone earning under �35,000 next year.

Create a single work programme for everyone who is unemployed.

Boost small businesses with automatic rate relief.

Cut the headline rate of corporation tax to 25p and the small companies' rate to 20p.

Set an annual limit on the number of non-EU economic migrants admitted into the UK.

Stop the proposed third runway at Heathrow. Block plans for second runways at Stansted and Gatwick, while starting work on new high speed rail network.

Freeze council tax for two years and scrap plans for a revaluation.

Re-link the basic state pension to earnings and protect the winter fuel payment.

Give every patient the power to choose any healthcare provider which meets NHS standards within NHS prices.

Stop the 'forced' closure of accident and emergency wards, and commission a 24/7 urgent care service in every area of England.

Raise standards in schools by enhancing the status of teachers and allowing state schools the freedom to offer same high quality international exams that private schools offer.

Give parents the power to save local schools threatened by closure.

Crack down on drink and drug-fuelled violence.

Cut police paperwork to get more officers on the beat.

Give voters the right to kick out MPs found guilty of serious wrongdoing.

Publish more data so the public can hold government to account.

Permanently raise the stamp duty threshold to �250,000 for first-time buyers.

Scrap ID cards, cut back surveillance powers and 'intrusive' powers of entry into people's homes.

Give parliament a vote on repeal of the Hunting Act.

Create a new national security adviser and develop a national security strategy.

Double the operational allowance for members of Armed Forces serving abroad.

Introduce a referendum 'lock' ensuring a vote on the transfer of any more powers to the EU.