IDS and Ed M sing from the same hymn sheet



As the fallout from last week’s riots continues, much of the attention has rightly been focused on the head-to-head between David Cameron and Ed Miliband today.

But before the party leaders set out their explanations of what went wrong and how to put it right, Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith was touring the media studios. And while he did so, I was struck by how close his words were to Ed Miliband’s.

For much of last week the Labour leader linked the riots to bank bonuses, phone hacking and MPs’ expenses. And today, IDS was at it.

Here’s what he said on the Today programme:

“We all have to recognise, I have to say, we all have to put our hands in the air, those of us who are in leadership positions, and recognise what has happened in the last 15-20 years what has happened to us is that many of us have just decided that life is about what you take out of it, not what you put back into it.
“And you know, stiffing someone on a debt in the city or you know, raiding someone’s telephone for messages or claiming expenses that you shouldn’t have claimed. These are issues that all of us have to recognise you have to put your own house in order at the same time and try and change that.”

And compare it with what Ed said, just hours later:

“It’s not the first time we’ve seen this kind of me-first, take what you can culture.
The bankers who took millions while destroying people’s savings: greedy, selfish, and immoral. The MPs who fiddled their expenses: greedy, selfish, and immoral. The people who hacked phones to get stories to make money for themselves: greedy, selfish and immoral.
“People who talk about the sick behaviour of those without power, should talk equally about the sick behaviour of those with power. Let’s not pretend that the crisis of values in our society is confined to a minority only at the bottom when we see the morality of millions of hardworking, decent people under siege from the top as well.”

Maybe there’s some consensus out there after all.

Craig Woodhouse
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Comments

[Pete]

I listened to IDS in the Today Programme. Whilst he acknowledged that there is an element of truth about bankers and MPs, he would say that the discipline at home was the key. Ed Milli wants to disassociate himself with Gordo Brown, and I do not seem to recollect him saying anything about bankers when Gordo did nothing until it was too late. The culture of benefits under Labour where one gets something for not putting anything in and the Labour's excuse in trying to find reason etc.. when it is was clear that the police acted as spectators the first date lead to what followed later are simply sickening. There are lefty journalits who would do anything to see Labour in power.