Audio: Ed Balls peddles myths. Again

Poor old Ed Balls. His economic policy seems to be imploding, and he was reduced this morning to concocting stories about the Wicked Tories. He revived his favourite theme: that ‘welfare’ includes people who are working and claim tax credits. So in reforming welfare the Wicked Tories are attacking the working poor, whom they portray as shirkers living behind closed net curtains. On the Today Programme this morning, he said this:-

I remember very well in 2008 – do you remember the tragedy of Shannon Matthews – the girl who was kidnapped by her parents? There was an article that day or a few days later by David Cameron in the Mail on Sunday which said ‘there are five million other families on tax credits. How many more Karen Matthews are there out there?’.  I looked at that and thought: this is possibly the most depressing and shameful moment of all my time in politics, to see the Prime Minister peddle those myths.