LONDON, Dec. 7 (UPI) -- Newly-elected Conservative Party Leader David Cameron began his first day on the job Wednesday by announcing the creation of the Social Justice Policy Group, designed to address issues such as poverty, family breakdown and drug and alcohol abuse.
The group is the first manifestation of his mission to bring "compassionate Conservatism" to Britain and break Labor's monopoly as the party of social conscience.
Speaking at a community center in east London, Cameron said the Conservative Party had to show "a real, serious program of hard work to get to grips with the problems the country faces."
Pledging "social action to get social justice, particularly in our inner city communities," he said the policy group would look at the causes and consequences of poverty, family breakdown, crime, alcohol and drug abuse and deprivation in old age.
Chaired by former Conservative Leader Ian Duncan Smith, the group would report back in 18 months on ways to "help communities turn themselves around," he said.
Cameron criticized the Labor government for "handing down solutions" rather than listening to and helping the voluntary sector and community groups.
The government did not understand that community groups could often deliver more effective solutions than the organs of the state, he said.
He wanted to draw in people from all sections of society to help in this project: from those with community experience to business people, politicians and academics, he said, stressing: "We're all in it together."
Being a "social entrepreneur" should carry as much meaning as a "business entrepreneur," he added.
Signaling his intention to turn the Conservative Party into a defender of the underprivileged, Cameron said "I think the test of all our policies should be: what does it do for the people who have the least, the people on the bottom rung of the ladder?"
The social justice group is the first of six to be set up to determine the Conservatives' future policy.
Cameron said he wanted the party's policy development to be "open, transparent and challenging."
He added: "These challenges are complex and interconnected. They don't sit inside simple boxes. They need serious, long-term thinking.
"So that's exactly what we will do -- and the hard work starts today."
Ian Duncan-Smith told the BBC that some within the Conservative Party would find Cameron's social agenda challenging. However, if the party was not able to deliver on these issues, it would be unfit for government, he said.
In his first parliamentary clash with Prime Minister Tony Blair earlier, Cameron expressed support for the government's proposed education reforms.
The education white paper, to be considered by Parliament in spring 2006, has drawn widespread criticism from within the Labor Party itself, and is unlikely to be passed into law without Conservative support.
Cameron assured Blair that the Conservatives would vote for the reforms, a move which not only drives a wedge between the prime minister and his party but underscores his determination to rid his party of political opportunism.
The 39-year-old leader, who says he wants to move away from "Punch and Judy politics," then accused the Labor chief whip of "shouting like a child."
He also called on Blair to confirm his commitment to a climate change treaty based on binding emissions targets after the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.
Such priorities are likely to impress the British electorate, provided Cameron is able to back up his rhetoric with concrete and precise policies.
The Conservatives have long been perceived as a party for the privileged, neglecting the poorer sections of society while helping the rich get richer.
However, the gulf between rich and poor has widened since Labor took office in 1997, and Labor's monopoly on being the bastion of social justice appears to be slipping away. Many floating voters supported Labor in the last election simply for want of a better alternative rather than any real sense of conviction.
Cameron has his work cut out for him to convince the electorate the Tories can be trusted. A BBC/Populus poll of 1,014 voters published Wednesday found that less than half of all voters trusted the Conservatives on the economy (49 percent) and Europe (43 percent.) And a majority of those surveyed who did not vote Conservative said the party could not be trusted on immigration, health, the family or the environment.
But the party scored highly on the issue of crime and education: 59 percent of non-Tory voters and 63 percent overall said they trusted the party on crime and 55 percent of non-Tories and 59 percent overall thought the party could be trusted on education.
And the mood among the British electorate is one of wanting to be convinced.
The Labor Party have failed to deliver in many key areas, particularly public service reforms, where large cash injections have done little to improve the quality of provisions. Enthusiasm for Blair's anointed successor, Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown, is waning, due in part to the poor performance of the economy in recent times and also to his sometimes abrasive public persona. His pledges to continue with Blairite policies have disappointed the left-wing while much of the country appears to be simply bored with his long-awaited future premiership before it has even begun.
By contrast, Cameron -- often compared with Blair in his heyday -- is youthful, energetic, stylish and new. He brings with him an impressive front bench team, including 33-year-old George Osborne as shadow chancellor, former party leader William Hague as shadow foreign secretary and former chairman Liam Fox as shadow defense secretary. Defeated leadership rival David Davis is to stay as shadow home secretary, while former shadow chancellor Oliver Letwin will become Conservative director of policy.
Labor has dismissed suggestions that it is nervous about Cameron's election.
Alistair Campbell, Blair's former communications adviser, said Cameron would probably "give the Tories a lift" but would have to work hard to compete with Labor on the "big serious questions."
"The jury is still out on whether Cameron has the depth that Tony's got," he said. Cameron could "talk the talk" but it remained to be seen whether he could deliver on policy.
Obfuscating over suggestions of Labor nervousness, Campbell concluded: "He may find it's a lot harder to change a party than to say you're going to change a party."
Cameron must now focus on delivering detailed policy if he is to convince the electorate that he can back up his words with action. But the atmosphere is one of excitement, and if he can live up to his promises, the country may be ripe for a change.
