Iain Duncan Smith has incurred the wrath of union leaders over recent comments about getting work. Not that that is difficult, mind, union leaders have remarkably sensitive dispositions and seem ever ready to take offence about something or other on behalf of people they don’t necessarily represent. So what, exactly did IDS say that was so dreadful?
He said people had to be ready to move out of struggling areas because there were jobs available.
“The truth is there are jobs. They may not be absolutely in the town you are living in. They may be in a neighbouring town.”
He said Merthyr Tydfil, in Wales, was an example of a place where people had become “static” and “didn’t know if they got on the bus an hour’s journey they’d be in Cardiff and they could look for the job there”.
He said: “We need to recognise the jobs often don’t come to you. Sometimes you need to go to the jobs.”
What’s to get upset about? That is a realistic and rational observation. Since my own business has declined during the past year, I’m looking at salaried roles as well as self-employed work. Whichever comes up first is what I’ll go for. Very little of it is in Bristol. I’ve been actively looking for work pretty much across England and Wales. I might have to move (which, given having had to move back from France will be a pain in the arse). If I cannot find work locally, I’ll have to go to where the work is. That or starve and I don’t fancy the starving option much. IDS is merely pointing out the obvious, something any reasonable person would acknowledge. In what way does this demonstrate that the “nasty party has never gone away”?
Shadow work and pensions secretary Douglas Alexander also reached for the Norman Tebbit comparison, accusing the former Conservative leader of retreating into the party’s “comfort zone of blame and disdain”.
“Iain Duncan Smith still doesn’t seem to understand that to move people from welfare into work requires there to be work available.”
He understands perfectly from what I can tell. If you Live in Merthyr Tydfil and the available work is in Cardiff, you must get on the bus, train, car or bike and go to Cardiff. It’s precisely what I’ll be doing.
Classic statism v Individualism.
Statism equals, everything must be handed to me on a plate, Im entitled.
Individualism equals, I will make my own lot in life by whatever means are necessary.
I find it very hard to beleive that people still subscribe to statist theories when then have never worked in any situation.