Leading article: A Tory dog whistle on welfare

 

Share
+More
Related Topics

The Prime Minister's proposals on the future of the benefits system are certainly eye-catching. The heart of the plan is to strip housing benefits from those under 25, forcing them either to find work or to remain living with their parents. It is easy to see why David Cameron likes the idea: the move would not only save the Exchequer an annual £1.8bn, it is also a sure-fire winner with traditional Tories.

Taken in isolation, Mr Cameron's basic premise is a sound one. The benefits system should indeed encourage work, rather than stack the incentives against it. And the current arrangements are both expensive and badly designed, too often entrenching social divisions rather than relieving them. But welfare reforms do not exist in isolation, and the Prime Minister's latest batch of ideas are rather more about politics than reality.

In practical terms, the most immediate obstacle is the economy. Although the latest unemployment numbers show a slight dip, more than a million young people are still unable to find work. Mr Cameron's proposals would only be viable at a time of sufficient economic growth to offer realistic opportunities of employment. That time is not now, nor is it fast approaching.

More importantly, it is simply not politically – or, arguably, morally – reasonable to squeeze the benefits of those at the lower end of the social scale while still handing out support to pensioners at the top. While the £5bn price tag associated with universal benefits such as free bus passes for the elderly is but a fraction of the overall pension bill, it dwarfs the money to be raised from tinkering with housing benefits for the young. That is the place to start.

The Prime Minister himself admits his ideas are, at best, an indication of Tory policy beyond the next general election. Of particular interest, then, is his timing. Mr Cameron's remarks, offering red meat to the party faithful, come just days before the publication of Liberal Democrat-backed constitutional reforms that he has pledged to support but are anathema to many Conservatives. It is in this context that the Prime Minister's speech today is best understood.

React Now

iJobs Job Widget
iJobs General

Senior Employment Solicitor - Birmingham

Excellent Package: Austen Lloyd: This is a senior appointment with huge potent...

Teaching Programme Officer with Qualified Teacher Status

£28000 - £31500 per annum + benefits: Randstad Education Newcastle: Permanent ...

SAP FI-CA Consultant - up to £58k

£50000 - £58000 per annum + Benefits and Bonus: Progressive Recruitment: SAP F...

PHP/ Drupal Developer - £35k - WC

£30000 - £40000 per annum + BENS: Progressive Recruitment: Drupal Developer A ...

Day In a Page

Read Next
 

Austerity has hardened the nation's heart

Yasmin Alibhai Brown
Questions: Eric Schmidt is lying low after the PAC branded his firm 'devious'  

The moral case on tax avoidance is overwhelming - and we all know Google wants to do the right thing

Owen Jones
The price of pacifism: Refusing to go to war is finally being recognised as a brave act

The price of pacifism

From the Second World War refusenik to the 19-year-old Israeli, Holly Williams talks to five people who risked shame and suffering to take a stand as conscientious objector.
'It was mass hysteria': Jason Isaacs on groupies, theatre bores and snogging James Bond

Jason Isaacs: Groupies, theatre bores and James Bond

To millions, Jason Isaacs is one of Harry Potter's arch enemies – but his wife prefers him as a Scottish TV detective.
Notes from a small island: Is Sealand an independent 'micronation' or an illegal fortress?

Sealand: 'Micronation' or illegal fortress?

Thomas Hodgkinson spent a week at the tiny platform off the Suffolk coast to find out.
Not a bad bone: Mark Hix cooks with cutlets and ribs

Mark Hix cooks with cutlets and ribs

If you ignore cutlets and ribs, you'll risk missing out on some delicious and easy meals, says our chef.
The experts' guide to summer: From getting fit for the beach to recreating that Olympic buzz

The experts' guide to summer

From getting fit for the beach to recreating that Olympic buzz
Sex, drugs and fast cars: The legend of James Hunt has set Hollywood hearts racing

Legend of James Hunt has set Hollywood hearts racing

Early glimpses of Ron Howard's film Rush suggest it will portray Hunt as a high-living lothario, with an insatiable appetite for partying.
Macklemore: 'I don't have moderation when using drugs and alcohol. It was hurting my life'

Macklemore: 'I don't have moderation'

The next Vanilla Ice or the next Eminem? Macklemore doesn't have a record contract – but he does have the UK's biggest-selling single of the year.
Don't be shy: Bill Granger's Sri Lankan recipes

Don't be shy: Bill Granger's Sri Lankan recipes

Sri Lankan cuisine is light, sunny, wonderfully spiced – and so easy to cook from scratch. Just as soon as you've broken into the coconut, that is.
Sir James Dyson’s latest project: Cleaning up hospitals

Sir James Dyson’s latest project: Cleaning up hospitals

Doctors are hailing the revamp of a Bath neonatal unit, where babies sleep more and feed better, as the model for patient care
One man returns to Argentina's town that drowned

One man returns to Argentina's town that drowned

Epecuen was submerged under 10 metres of water in 1985. Now the floods have gone – and 83-year-old Pablo Novak has moved back in
The real thing? Historian publishes Coca Cola's 'secret formula'

The real thing?

Historian publishes Coca Cola's 'secret formula'
Gordon Ramsey's worst nightmare: A restaurant he cannot save

Gordon Ramsay's worst nightmare: A restaurant he cannot save

The pugnacious chef finally met a shambolic restaurant he couldn't save. John Walsh on when TV makover refuseniks fight back
Join Ryanair! See the world! But we're only paying you for nine months a year

Join Ryanair! See the world! But we're only paying you for nine months a year

Glamorous myth of the flight attendant lifestyle undermined by angry employee's claims of 'exploitation'
Braising saddles: Did the recent furore scupper sales of horse meat? Neigh, far from it!

Braising saddles: How to cook horse meat

Did the recent furore scupper sales of horse meat? Neigh, far from it! Will Coldwell hoofs it to the kitchen.
Why bitters are back on the bar: A few little drops pack a big punch in cocktails

Why bitters are back on the bar

A few little drops pack a big punch in cocktails. No wonder we're learning to love them again...