IDS pushes compassionate conservatism theme
-16/9/03
Iain Duncan Smith accused Tony Blair yesterday of neglecting the poor and creating a more “uneq
IDS pushes compassionate conservatism theme
-16/9/03
Iain Duncan Smith accused Tony Blair yesterday of neglecting the poor and creating a more “unequal” society than under Margaret Thatcher or John Major.
The leader of the Conservative Party spoke of shattering Labour’s “monopoly on compassion” and used New Labour rhetoric to illustrate his point.
He was speaking at a two-day conference in Millbank Tower, the site of Labour’s old headquarters in Westminster.
The Conservative leader, who wants to wrest the “party of the poor” image from Labour, returned to the “helping the vulnerable” theme he has made a hallmark of his leadership.
The idea has been driven forward by Christians within the Conservative party, including the Conservative Christian Fellowship (CCF) whose former director Tim Montgomerie has now taken up a key role as Duncan Smith’s aide.
Iain Duncan Smith announced plans to move in on Labour’s territory in low-income areas and said Labour was failing to help the one million children living in “severe and persistent poverty. They’re the challenges of the many, not the few,” he said.
“We live in a world where poverty challenges our moral conscience and our security.”
He added: “Britain’s left-behind communities are often thought of as Labour’s … heartlands. But there’s little heart in the way Labour neglects and forgets these communities.”
“Poverty is too important an issue to leave to Labour. It’s too important to leave to any one political party.î
His attempt to reposition the Conservatives as the party concerned for low-income families and ethnic minorities is expected to receive a setback this week in the Brent East by-election – an area in London where 50 per cent of people are from the ethnic minorities and have low incomes.
The Tories are likely to be driven into third place by the Liberal Democrats, who may win the seat from Labour.
IDS pushes compassionate conservatism theme
-16/9/03
Iain Duncan Smith accused Tony Blair yesterday of neglecting the poor and creating a more “unequal” society than under Margaret Thatcher or John Major.
The leader of the Conservative Party spoke of shattering Labour’s “monopoly on compassion” and used New Labour rhetoric to illustrate his point.
He was speaking at a two-day conference in Millbank Tower, the site of Labour’s old headquarters in Westminster.
The Conservative leader, who wants to wrest the “party of the poor” image from Labour, returned to the “helping the vulnerable” theme he has made a hallmark of his leadership.
The idea has been driven forward by Christians within the Conservative party, including the Conservative Christian Fellowship (CCF) whose former director Tim Montgomerie has now taken up a key role as Duncan Smith’s aide.
Iain Duncan Smith announced plans to move in on Labour’s territory in low-income areas and said Labour was failing to help the one million children living in “severe and persistent poverty. They’re the challenges of the many, not the few,” he said.
“We live in a world where poverty challenges our moral conscience and our security.”
He added: “Britain’s left-behind communities are often thought of as Labour’s … heartlands. But there’s little heart in the way Labour neglects and forgets these communities.”
“Poverty is too important an issue to leave to Labour. It’s too important to leave to any one political party.î
His attempt to reposition the Conservatives as the party concerned for low-income families and ethnic minorities is expected to receive a setback this week in the Brent East by-election – an area in London where 50 per cent of people are from the ethnic minorities and have low incomes.
The Tories are likely to be driven into third place by the Liberal Democrats, who may win the seat from Labour.