Conservative party leader David Cameron said he wanted to restore a sense of "social responsibility" which had been undermined by an over- regulating center-left government led by Prime Minister Gordon Brown who had wasted public money.

Cameron told delegates at his party's annual convention, "We will need to confront Britain's culture of irresponsibility and that will be hard to take for many people. And we will have to tear down Labour's big government bureaucracy, ripping up its time-wasting, money- draining, responsibility-sapping nonsense."

"None of this will be easy. We will be tested. I will be tested. I'm ready for that and, so I believe, are the British people. So yes, there is a steep climb ahead. But I tell you this. The view from the summit will be worth it," he said.

Cameron criticized Brown for "doubling" the national debt and reiterated his party's pledge to tackle Britain's growing deficit in order to ensure interest rates do not have to rise too much and dampen any economic recovery.

The Conservatives have announced that, if elected, they will freeze public sector pay, raise the retirement age and also cut back on bureaucracy.

"We must pay down this deficit. The longer we leave it, the worse it will be for all of us," he said.

Cameron said the solution to growing concerns about poverty, crime and "broken society" is not to create a "bigger government."

"We are going to solve our problems with a stronger society. Stronger families. Stronger communities. A stronger country. All by rebuilding responsibility," he told the packed conference hall.

Cameron's speech was short on specifics and, according to aides, it was intended to show more of his own personal beliefs to the electorate.

The address did not touch very much on foreign policy, but he did say "more soldiers" will be sent to Afghanistan if his party becomes the next government.

Responding to concerns over the government's policy in Afghanistan, he said Britain is not there "to deliver the perfect society" and is there to "stop the re-establishment of terrorist training camps."

Cameron also said he will set up a war cabinet to coordinate operations in Afghanistan.

On climate change, Cameron called on world leaders to "act now, and act quickly."

The Conservative leader said the European Union needed to be reformed and he repeated the party's pledge to hold a referendum on the proposed Lisbon Treaty which will see the creation of a new president and foreign affairs chief.

"Let's work together on the things where the EU can really help, like combating climate change, fighting global poverty and spreading free and fair trade," he said. "But let's return to democratic and accountable politics the powers the EU shouldn't have."

Cameron said he will be honest with the public unlike former Prime Minister Tony Blair who "ducked" the important issues and the current premier Gordon Brown who "turned every decision into a political calculation."

Summarizing his pitch to delegates, he said, "If we pull together, come together, work together -- we will get through this together."

Britain's center-right Conservatives are currently ahead of the ruling Labour government in the opinion polls and their double-digit lead indicates that they will probably win the next general election which is due to be held in May or June. The party has been in opposition since 1997.