Though he had a reasonably good Prime Minister’s Questions for someone who hasn’t done much of it, George Osborne did stumble quite badly on one question. He ended up telling SNP MP Alison Thewliss about the importance of welfare reform – in response to a question about women who had given birth to a third child conceived as a result of rape. She was complaining about the way the government was requiring women in this situation to prove that they had been raped in order to qualify for tax credits once the two-child limit has been imposed. The Chancellor replied:
‘It is perfectly reasonable to have a welfare system that is fair not just for those who need it but for those who pay for it. We have identified the specific cases that the hon. Lady refers to in her question, in which women have been victims of domestic abuse—or, indeed, rape—and that is why we are consulting and discussing changes to protect vulnerable women.’
This response sums up Osborne’s greatest weakness, and one he will need to address as he limbers up to run for the Tory leadership.
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