Amen to that. While our country has never been so prosperous, nor have corrosive social problems like drug and alcohol addiction, personal debt, welfare dependency, school failure by poor children and family breakdown ever been worse. And while Labour does not bear all of the blame, its casual indifference to marriage, its cynical manipulation of the poverty figures and its misguided "harm reduction" policy for drug addicts represent serious and costly blunders.
Take just a few figures from the report. The number of people who die each year from a drug overdose is 100 times higher than in 1968 and rates of family break-up among cohabiting couples with children are about six times higher than among married couples.
The report also shows that children from broken homes are far more likely to fail at school, turn to drink and drugs, break the law and fail to find work.
This report is not about wagging the finger at lone parents, many of whom do a splendid job . But it is about helping us all understand the causes of crime that Tony Blair promised, but failed, to tackle.
I am backing local initiatives, such as the project for probationers to work with Ludlow's Town Council to undertake their community service helping improve their local town. BBC's documentary about Monty Don's project nearby to rehabilitate drug users is showing some of the challenges but also what can be achieved in turning the tide of deprivation.
