Not all conservatives are Thatcherite. Not all conservatives support a strongly neoliberal stance. That is the point I am trying to make here. It is not necessarily a paradox to be conservative and to support social justice.

I freely admit that since Thatcher the emphasis within the Conservative party has been one of small government, low taxes and the free market. But that is not the be all and end all of conservative thought. It is actually a very recent phenomenon.

The rise of neoliberalism coincided with the rise of Reagon in the US and Thatcher here. Before that, though, British Tories were far less supportive of small government and low taxes. The Butskellite consensus after World War Two meant that, despite rhetorical differences, both parties were committed to the welfare state, government intervention in the economy and co-operation/conciliation of the trade unions.

Neoliberalism changed this dramatically and it was not a change, I think, for the better. I am a One Nation conservative. I believe that equality of opportunity and social justice are the most important political issues.

Yes, I do support capitalism. But I do not support it with a great deal of enthusiasm. The businesses that I respect the most are those which have a social conscience, such as M&S, or which give their employees a stake in their success, such as the John Lewis Group. I abhor city pay and the private equity companies who make huge profits with no regard for the livelihoods of many hard-working people.

I put it to you like this: I support social justice. I support political action to help those who are most disadvantaged in society. I strongly believe in the welfare state. But I am a Tory just the same.