This morning’s welfare
event was one of the great “Who’da thunk it?” moments of this government so far. Here we had the Lib Dem leader providing backing vocals for a former Tory leader who has not only
become a minister, but who is implementing an agenda that only a few months ago was little more than an idea in a think-tank report. Reviewing that Centre for Social Justice report for Coffee House at the time, I said it deserved to influence welfare policy
for years to come. Now, it looks as though it will do just that. The immensity of Iain Duncan Smith’s achievement should not be underestimated.
No doubt, the path to a Universal Credit and a more robust version of workfare will be one that meanders into controversy. The tougher penalties for claimants who shirk opportunities to work will, like the housing and child benefit cuts, come up against opposition from a varied cast of players.
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