The battle for ‘fairness’ continues
James Forsyth 11:38am
Today’s PMQs will be another skirmish in the battle for fairness. All three
parties know that there is no more potent word in British politics at the moment than fairness and they all want to be its champion.
But what will make PMQs interesting today is that Cameron and Miliband each have a powerful weapon in the fairness debate, but also a vulnerability. Miliband’s weapon is bankers’ bonuses – the government’s inaction over Stephen Hester’s bonus has given him plenty of material. But he’s acutely vulnerable over the benefits cap.
Cameron will be desperate to move the debate onto this territory. All the polling shows that Labour’s desire to have a cap higher than £26,000 in London plays, unsurprisingly, badly with the voters who can’t understand why a household where no one works should receive more in benefit than the average worker earns in wages.
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Axstane
February 1st, 2012 11:47am Report this commentIt was Labour who set up Stephen Hester's contract, not Cameron. You talk of Cameron's inaction on ths - was he supposed to cancel the Hester contract by fiat?
For Miliband even to mention it is a brass nerve. It was Brown, Darling and Lord Myners who handled it all, or didn't handle it as the case may be.
lescam
February 1st, 2012 12:06pm Report this commentHow I hate that word "fairness". It's usually just a smoke screen to cover the removal of cash from those who have worked hard for it, to hand over to those who don't know or understand the concept of work. Life is NOT fair. If everyone in the world had exactly the same amount of money, by a week later some would have more than others.
Fairness. Bah, humbug!
Heartless C.
February 1st, 2012 12:06pm Report this comment'Fairness' is another bastardised and discredited LieBOre word taken from the LieBOre Compendium and Lexicon of PC bull****.
IF there was any fairness, many members of the previous administration and their followers and lackeys would be facing severe censure, - as would some members of this.
Although a slave to his Hero, the H2B need not follow every slithery footstep.
Steve Tierney
February 1st, 2012 12:14pm Report this commentFairness is one of the most abused words in the English language. Since its all entirely a matter of opinion, what real use is the term?
Austin Barry
February 1st, 2012 12:52pm Report this commentThe new Religion of Fairness will be as fair as the old Religion of Peace is peaceful.
Publius
February 1st, 2012 1:01pm Report this comment"Fairness" is merely a leftist codeword, as is "diversity".
Paul Danon
February 1st, 2012 1:02pm Report this commentWhat a silly, futile thing to pursue. All that's needed is a safety-net and the unfettered opportunity to progress.
Halcyondaze
February 1st, 2012 2:04pm Report this comment"Fairness" - Leftie speak for the forced fleecing of money from those of us who bust a gut earning it to those who contribute nothing but demand everything. Fairness seldom impinges on rich politicians you'll notice.
If ever there was a word to rival "diversity" in its sheer hood-winking duplicity, this is it. ("Diversity" being a code-word for the displacement of our culture and the ruination of our cities).
That the Conservative Party are obsessing about this says it all: NEW New Labour - led by the new Blair.
Sod the hard-working, law-abiding, indigenous population. We're not interested in you - and you should feel thoroughly ashamed of yourselves anyway for being so...well, conservative, middle-earning and British. We're way more interested in all you sexy minority groups who've had such a tough time of it. Now THAT's the way to make a country great!
Kittler
February 1st, 2012 2:15pm Report this commentJust remind me who got rid of cheap council housing and introduced Housing Benefit. If anyone is pocketing over £26,000 it will be a landlord.
Cynic
February 1st, 2012 2:51pm Report this comment"All three parties know that there is no more potent word in British politics at the moment than fairness and they all want to be its champion." The problem is, politicians' ideas of "fairness" (particularly of the Labour variety) are generally at variance with those belonging to the grass-roots taxpayer who foots the bill.
Mac
February 1st, 2012 3:51pm Report this commentFairness without equality is like a bacon sandwich without bacon.
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