Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the
good of its victims may be the most oppressive.

Via The Conservative Party | Policy | The Conservative Manifesto 2010, an invitation from David Cameron to join the government of Britain:

The Conservative Manifesto 2010

A country is at its best when the bonds between people are strong and when the sense of national purpose is clear. Today the challenges facing Britain are immense. Our economy is overwhelmed by debt, our social fabric is frayed and our political system has betrayed the people. But these problems can be overcome if we pull together and work together. If we remember that we are all in this together.

Some politicians say: ‘give us your vote and we will sort out all your problems’. We say: real change comes not from government alone. Real change comes when the people are inspired and mobilised, when millions of us are fired up to play a part in the nation’s future.

Yes this is ambitious. Yes it is optimistic. But in the end all the Acts of Parliament, all the new measures, all the new policy initiatives, are just politicians’ words without you and your involvement.

How will we deal with the debt crisis unless we understand that we are all in this together? How will we raise responsible children unless every adult plays their part? How will we revitalise communities unless people stop asking ‘who will fix this?’ and start asking ‘what can I do?’ Britain will change for the better when we all elect to take part, to take responsibility – if we all come together. Collective strength will overpower our problems.

Only together can we can get rid of this government and, eventually, its debt. Only together can we get the economy moving. Only together can we protect the NHS. Improve our schools. Mend our broken society. Together we can even make politics and politicians work better. And if we can do that, we can do anything. Yes, together we can do anything.

So my invitation today is this: join us, to form a new kind of government for Britain.

Unashamedly inspired by John Redwood’s “12 things I would like the government to cancel for christmas”.

1. Begin fundamental reform of the EU: ensure our self-determination, liberty and competitiveness. That beginning is a failure to ratify the Lisbon Treaty.
2. Develop a sustainable energy policy: protect the environment and safeguard society from shortages of fossil fuels.
3. Scrap ID cards: protect the public by collecting less data and correctly implementing the basics of information security.
4. Restore the public finances to a sustainable state.
5. Simplify the tax code.
6. Accept variation in outcomes: decentralise.
7. Stop paying consultants to do the work of civil servants.
8. Scrap regional government: assemblies and development agencies.
9. Determinedly eliminate QUANGOs.
10. Develop a formal Constitution for the United Kingdom which restores our protections from the state, which will reveal future constitutional changes and which introduces a limited system of direct democracy to boost democratic engagement.

I’d love to propose banning ketchup sachets but we are beyond frivolity.