Bernard Ingham: At last, a politician demands something from voters instead of just bribing them

I refer to the interview Margaret Thatcher gave to Woman's Own on October 31, 1987, when she said "there is no such thing as society".

Sitting in on the interview, it then sounded as commonsensical and as far from being harshly unsympathetic as it does now when I read the full quote: "I think we have been through a period where too many people have been given to understand that, if they have a problem, it is the Government's job to cope with it…They are casting their problem on society and, you know, there is no such thing as 'society'. There are individual men and women, and there are families, and no government can do anything except through people. And people must look to themselves first. It's our duty to look after ourselves and then to look after our neighbour."

The malignant forces of the Left, including Labour Party propagandists, have never allowed context to ruin a smear. Nor has the Tory Party exhibited much skill since 1992 in defending its position. So Thatcher's "there is no such thing as society" has gone down in history as that of an uncaring, anti-social bitch.

Yet reading the full quote shows she did, in fact, say there is such a thing as society, but that it is not an abstract thing represented by the State. Instead, it is made up of you, me and millions of others, and its condition is the sum total of our attitudes and actions.

In other words, we are responsible for the state of the nation and in the end only we can change it.

No wonder the Left seized on "there is no such thing as society". They are besotted with the power of the State, however spendthrift,

oppressive and incompetent it has become under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. This is why they regularly pour scorn in the columns of the "progressive" broadsheets on those who argue the State has become too big and should be cut down to size.

Ironically, Margaret Thatcher also believed the State should be strong – very strong – in those areas where only it can do what is necessary – protecting the realm, the currency, the weak and law and order.

Unfortunately, this does not coincide with the Left's concept of State strength. It has very little interest in the realm, the currency or law and order – as its record shows on defence spending, debt and criminal justice – or even in the weak unless it is to keep them under the thumb and in hock to the State.

And that is where things stood until last week when Cameron began to talk about "the Big Society". He did not exactly make a splash with his ideas for repairing "broken Britain" from the bottom up instead of from the top down. They were largely ignored by the popular tabloids.

The Guardian even saw the remarks as a rebuke for Thatcher. Yet what Cameron is actually doing is fashioning out of Thatcher's view of society a remedial strategy, through community action helped by an enabling state.

His ambition of every adult working to improve their community with the help of 5,000 leaders trained by Government is a translation of the Thatcher text into political action. As an idea, he says, it is "about as big as it gets". It is indeed, though there are the makings of such a movement in the 1,001 voluntary bodies without which British life would be poorer.

But what excites me, even recognising what a challenge it presents to society – yes, you and me – is the way he would expect those already nominally in the public service to do their bit and judge them by it.

After 60 years of the welfare state, most of us leave it to the government. That suits the Left mightily. But what is clear is that it does not improve our quality of life. No-one can now argue Cameron does not have a big idea. They truly don't come much bigger than awakening individuals to their responsibilities. At last a politician is

demanding something of the people instead of bribing them. I walk with a new spring in my step.