It’s time for Britain to go cold turkey

There’s a simple truth underlying opposition to spending cuts: the country is drugged up to the eyeballs in entitlements. Today, IDS, Nick Clegg and David Cameron renewed their assault on welfare dependency – the most obvious and damaging of Britain’s addictions.

The Labour party is broadly supportive, but the coalition’s plans were still be met by the predictable criticism that they are regressive. These arguments miss the point. Work is of value; even in good times it must be made to pay. Even if the public finances were in order, reform would be necessary; now that they have collapsed, reform is imperative. Britain cannot afford all those expensive welfare schemes, the purpose of which is to avoid uncomfortable reforms.

The welfare battle ground encapsulates the national cuts debate. We must steal from future generations or borrow from abroad in order to continue as we have been. The country has to come off the drug.