- guardian.co.uk,
- Tuesday October 02 2007 16:14 BST
Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith won a standing ovation at the party conference today as he urged activists to help him mend Britain's "broken society".
In an emotional unscripted speech, which was given a rousing reception by Tory supporters, Mr Duncan Smith told the prime minister: "British society is broken and it's time you admitted it.
"As much as Mrs Thatcher changed the economy, our duty now is to change society for the better."
Mr Duncan Smith, chairman of the Tories' social justice policy group, pointed to rising violent crime, drug and gang culture and family breakdown as evidence of a broken society.
Presenting his policy group's findings, he called for tax breaks to bolster marriage, reform of welfare benefits and an expansion of credit unions.
Labour, he said, wanted a general election to try and "destroy the Tory party once and for all".
This was the difference between the Conservatives and Labour parties. "They want power to destroy us. We must want power to rebuild Britain and care for British people."
