Radiohead are one of my favourite bands. But it's more than their music that I've found inspiring. In October last year, Radiohead released their latest album, In Rainbows, online - but that wasn't the only innovation. They invited their fans to download the album for whatever price they wanted to pay. Many people thought they were mad. But Thom Yorke, the band's lead singer, has since revealed that the digital income from In Rainbows has surpassed that of all their previous albums put together.

A few months after the launch, he said: “It's not supposed to be a model for anything else... we're out of contract, we have our own studio, we have this new server - what the hell else would we do?” Well, he may not appreciate me for saying this, but I'm afraid that Radiohead's innovation has become a model for something else: for the Conservative Party's new effort, launched today, to reform the funding of political parties and engage more people - particularly young people - in politics.

The centrepiece is our new Friends programme. People hate being labelled: they love to create their own identity from different influences. So for many the idea of signing up to a party as a full “member” doesn't fit with what they want. You might support a party on some issues but not others. You may not have the time or inclination to stuff envelopes and knock on doors. Of course, that kind of grassroots activity, carried out by the loyal members of parties, is vital. But it's not for everyone.

That's why we've created our Friends programme. We want to reinvigorate politics by giving people new ways of supporting our party. And, vitally, I see this as a way of broadening our funding base. That's where Radiohead come in. Like them, we're not specifying how much people need to donate to become a Friend of the Conservatives: you can donate as much or little as you like.

My aim is to move away from the “big donor culture” that has helped to undermine people's trust in politics and raised questions about the integrity and independence of all parties. I understand why people are concerned that influence can be bought by big donations - whether from trade unions, businesses or individuals. That's why I want to see the system change radically.

My generation instinctively understands the need to change the way we do things. Frankly, I don't think Gordon Brown does. His response to my call yesterday for live TV debates at the next election was a missed opportunity that shows how deeply stuck he is in the old politics.

We badly need change in this country: change in politics as well as policy. I hope people will respond positively to this new campaign - but above all, I hope Thom Yorke will forgive me for ripping off his idea.

David Cameron is leader of the Conservative Party

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