Family at heart of Conservative policy, says Cameron

David Cameron conducts interviews prior to his keynote today
David Cameron conducts interviews prior to his keynote today. Photograph: Mark Pinder/PA

David Cameron today put the family at the centre of Conservative party policy as he set out his vision for solving the nation's social problems for the long term.

In a passionate and at times highly personal speech at the Conservative spring forum in Newcastle, the Tory chief argued that the only way to reduce demand on the state was through "social responsibility, not state control".

"My ambition is to make Britain more family-friendly," he said. "To make our country a better place to bring up children. Not just because it's the right thing to do; not just because my family is the most important thing in my life; but because families should be the most important thing in our country's life."

However, party chiefs today appeared to row back from plans to provide dedicated maternity nurses for every new mother in their home in the "vital first few days".

An aide to Cameron said proposals to put in place an extra 2,700 health visitors would go ahead while the plan for maternity nurses was "being considered", but this was not yet a confirmed policy.

Rallying the party faithful ahead of crunch local government elections in May, Cameron said the party was finally losing its out-of-date image that made it hard for some people to support the Conservatives.

"What we've done – what you've done – these last two years is simple but profound," he told delegates. "We've made people feel good about our party again, and that's something that everyone in this hall should be incredibly proud of."

Setting out his plan to put family at the centre of Conservative thinking, the Tory chief said everyone knew what was wrong with "those kids at the end of the street, causing mayhem".

"It goes back to the home, the way they were brought up," he said. "The lack of a strong family to teach them that you just don't behave like that".

Cameron insisted the modern Conservative party was the party of all families – single parents, divorced parents, widows – and it would be supporting all of them.

Cameron argued that British politics had "got families wrong for decades". Being a parent was the most difficult job there is, he said.

"The worry, the anxiety, the feeling that you're not a good parent – it never goes away … Everyone feels they can't cope any more with getting up at 4am and then having to somehow get enough sleep so you can function at work.

"Everyone runs around in a panic in the morning getting the kids ready while making breakfast and ironing a shirt."

Cameron said governments can't "feed the kids or iron your shirt", but a Tory administration would support couples with children who want to live together and would reward marriage in the tax system.

He also highlighted proposals, set out by Theresa May yesterday, to offer all parents 12 months parental leave, to be shared by mother and father as they choose.

And he vowed to make the case to the country's business leaders.

"Here is the argument I will make," he said. "You in business – you want the same things I want: less tax, less red tape. I want to help you cut your costs, the costs imposed by government. But to do that, you're going to have to help me cut my costs – the costs on society imposed by some of the things that business does.

"That's why this family-friendly stuff is Conservative – seriously Conservative. It's about solving our social problems for the long term. Reducing demands on the state, and showing that the way to do it is through social responsibility, not state control."