David Cameron has set out Conservative plans to take on vested interests in the country.
"Change isn’t easy", he said. "It's hard, because there will always be people who want to preserve the status quo even when it isn’t working in everyone’s interests."
He described vested interests as "the enemies of change" that will "use any means to block progress" in order to maintain their privileges and power.
"Any politician who thinks they can just sweep in and implement their plans is sorely mistaken. You can't bring about political change unless you confront those who want to protect the status quo come what may."
"You can’t change Britain unless you take on vested interests.
He said that political leadership means "standing up for the people – and standing up to those who act against their interests", and referenced several historical moments of progress in this country where political leaders did exactly that.
In more modern times, he said Margaret Thatcher’s government was defined by "taking the side of the people against the powerful, the vested interest, those whose survival depended on keeping things as they were". Her union reforms, council house policy and denationalisation of industry were all examples of this, he said.
Cameron went on to compare this record to that to Gordon Brown who in the face of vested interests has failed to reform public services, failed to ensure there was fair and effective regulation of the City, failed to stop the third runway in Heathrow, and failed to support people crossing the picket lines in the British Airways strike.
"Gordon Brown has consistently given in to special interest groups and shown that he is unable to deliver the change that the country needs", he said.
In contrast, as leader of the Conservatives, Cameron said he has rolled up his sleeves and "argued for what is right, not what is convenient". He cited examples such as his response to the MPs' expenses scandal, pledging to put government spending online.
And in the corporate sector he as called for a halt to Heathrow's third runway, a right for every parent to request flexible working, advertising rules to be changed to stop the premature sexualisation of children, and a tax on banks to fund free financial advice.
"It’s the Conservative Party that has the leadership, the energy, the strength of character to stand up to vested interests and make change happen", he said, as he cited the vested interests a Conservative Government will have to take on.
Speaking specifically about the banks, Cameron said that with the Budget this week this is "no time to shy away from confronting some of the biggest vested interests in our country".
"We had the biggest bank bail-out in the world, we can’t just carry on as if nothing happened. I can announce today that a Conservative government will introduce a new bank levy to pay back tax payers for the support they gave and to protect them in the future", he said.
Read the speech in full