Are we going to decide our lives or is it government's job?
The answer is that government should take as small a role in our lives as is possible - but this means we need to do more - whether it is to battle climate change, rekindle communities and help narrow the gap between rich and poor.
Government should be a stimulus and a safety net, not a panacea; it is a sad indictment of this government that despite many of its best intentions child poverty, literacy, social mobility and a host of other yardsticks have got worse in the last 12 years.
Better education, more focus on early years, [and early intervention in particular], and aggressive welfare reform are vital
But most of all government must become a trusting enabler - allowing the police chief, teacher, doctor and community to take control of their lives and helping those who need a helping hand a way upwards not a way out
