Tag Archives: Philpott case

Danny Alexander rejects George Osborne’s comments on the Philpott case

Danny AlexanderI told you the other night that Sarah Teather had condemned George Osborne’s comments connecting the Philpott case to the welfare system. Some people made comments along the lines that it was only a backbencher, and no Liberal Democrat minister had said such a thing. Well, yesterday, Danny Alexander did. The BBC has the story. Danny said:

George Osborne is clearly right that there needs to be a full debate about the future of our welfare system but the Philpott case is an individual tragedy. Children have died in

Posted in News | Also tagged , and | 24 Comments

Sarah Teather blasts George Osborne’s “irresponsible” comments on Philpott case

George Osborne has said some crass things in his time, but his comments today, as reported by the BBC, that there should be a debate on whether “the state should subsidise lifestyles like that” were awful, giving a whiff of credibility to the demonising headlines in the Daily Mail that my co-editor Stephen Tall wrote about earlier. Does this make Osborne a “trollemicist?”

Stephen sensibly said:

The welfare state was no more to blame for their deaths than capitalism would be to blame if they’d done it to claim on insurance. The motive was greed; the result a tragedy.

I think, though, …

Posted in News | Also tagged and | 21 Comments
Advert

Recent Comments

  • Meg Thomas
    This is an excellent article. Thanks. 'Men held more power a century ago.' Sorry, men still hold more power. This can still be the case whilst we also see ...
  • GWYN WILLIAMS
    Excellent thought provoking article...
  • Simon Robinson
    @Chloe. I think you're right to say that the state doesn't owe anyone a living. However, if society is to function effectively, then we do need to make sure tha...
  • Simon Robinson
    Excellent article. Totally captures how Reform have been winning because progressives haven't been listening to ordinary people. One point; @Michal you say,...
  • Michal Simon
    @Chloe I absolutely love agreeing with you on this. And this is explicitly part of the argument in my first article. The education system has failed a huge...