DAVID CAMERON drew the battle-lines for the election when he vowed to tear down the "big government" he blamed for recession, bad schools and a broken society.

The Conservative leader vowed to replace Gordon Brown's big spending with a "responsible society" that would allow people to make their own choices and end their reliance on the state.

Ahead of the general election, Mr Cameron said he was "ready to be tested" – referring to the death of his disabled son Ivan, the terrible moment when the "clocks stopped ticking".

It had made him question whether to carry on in politics, he revealed: "You ask yourself all over again – do I really want to do this?"

And he summed up what his government would stand for, telling voters still reluctant to swing back to the Tories: "If you take responsibility, we will reward you. If you cannot, we will look after you."

Mr Cameron also appeared to commit to stepping up the war in Afghanistan, saying: "Our method should be clear – send more soldiers to train more Afghans, to deliver the security we need. Then we can bring our troops home."

And he delivered a surprise conference coup, when rock singer Bono heaped praise on the Conservative commitment to overseas aid by video link.

The sombre speech lacked detailed policy announcements, but the theme was clear. There were no fewer than 15 attacks on the "big government" that had dragged Britain down.