Has Howard Flight just done a Keith Joseph? The latter’s run for Tory leader ended
when he made a speech about poor people breeding. As David said earlier, plain speaking can have its problems. But
Flight’s danger is in being mistranslated. He sought to make a simple point: that many working families can’t afford to expand their families, while the state provides a substantial cash
incentive for those on benefits to do so. But his use of the word “breeding” sounds like he’s into eugenics, and the language – talking about the poor – sounds dodgier
still. Given his struggle with foot-in-mouth disease, it’s surprising that Cameron ennobled him. But still, his quote is a far cry from what Joseph said in Edgbaston. Which was:
“The balance of our population, our human stock is threatened. A recent article in Poverty, published by the Child Poverty Action Group, showed that a high and rising proportion of children are being born to mothers least fitted to bring children into the world and bring them up.

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