Let us face down the enemies of social reform Progressives in the Labour Party such as Lord Adonis and other Blairites know this. They made real moves to try to pull public services out of monopoly state control when last in government. But with others around them linked too strongly to the unions, they couldn't finish the job. This Government must. Jeremy Hunt, the new Health Secretary, will soon discover just how powerful and reactionary the medical unions can be. But he should take heart from the example set by Michael Gove at Education, who has shown that the ideologues can be beaten back. Fighting vested interests who oppose people's needs and ambitions cuts through to something very powerful in politics. Our polling shows that the people who most desire public service reform are in the crucial lower middle and skilled working classes - the "C1s and C2s" in the pollsters" jargon. The support of these key swing voters is crucial to the fortunes of the Coalition. However, it is precisely the nature of being in coalition that makes the job tricky. Greater radicalism on public service reform means more noise from the unions. It is an easier job to focus instead on policy areas that are relatively less controversial, such as welfare and immigration. The Tories need to reboot a narrative about a social mission, as well as remaining trusted on the economy - while at the same time showing they will stand up to the enemies of public ambition in the unions, Civil Service, and yes, their Lib Dem coalition partners, if need be. Past elections fought in difficult financial or political times have shown overwhelming electoral support for a real vision of social hope, best articulated by Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair. Some reforms, such as welfare and immigration, are important but not defining. There's no public crusade to win and Labour's pollsters won't let their party oppose them. There's no producer interest to wage war against. There is no sense of being in a fight for the aspirations of ordinary people as there was when Blair and Thatcher took on their militant opponents. As both those prime ministers discovered, to be credited with standing for something meaningful in politics, and to have a lasting legacy, means saying to hell with vested interests who oppose the change that people want. What we need now are tough new powers to prevent the state blocking businesses and charities from giving people a new choice of alternative free public services. This would be backed by clear safeguards against profiteering to reassure people that private firms can't just come in to make a quick buck in a market free-for-all. In addition, simple league tables, such as those we have for schools, should be published for every key public service area. This would unmask poor quality and show people which services are best. Policies like this help demonstrate a real sense of social purpose. I am convinced this is central to keeping the Tories on the winnable centre ground - and Labour, too, should it stop drifting over to the unions" position and gets behind the change people need. At the half-way point in this parliament, fighting for better public services on behalf of ordinary families is a political crusade our country desperately needs. Sean Worth leads the Better Public Services project at Policy Exchange and is a former adviser to David Cameron.