Cameron accuses Labour of “betraying” the poor
Tory leadership hopeful David Cameron claimed yesterday that Labour has let down Britain’s poorest people by delivering shoddy public services since 1997.
In a speech in Portsmouth on Friday night, the Eton and Oxford educated MP said it was time the Tories won back the debate on the radical reform of public services, arguing it was “truly sickening” that under Labour those at the bottom of the income scale were suffering the most.
“How cruelly Labour have betrayed the hopes of the poorest, weakest and most vulnerable citizens. Our public services are supposed to help them. But under Labour, they’ve got a cold shoulder instead of a helping hand,” said the 38-year old.
He said the Tories must “unambiguously” improve services for all, not just as an escape route for the privileged few.
Outlining his vision of a modern compassionate Conservatism, he said: “Our proposals for reform have sometimes given the impression that we want to help those who already have advantages escape from public services.”
The shadow education secretary called on colleagues to work tirelessly until Britain was the most civilised place in the world in which to live, with more bobbies on the beat, “rigour” in education, and shorter hospital waiting times.
“As long as the vulnerable face the streets with fear, as long as the weak are made weaker by inadequate healthcare and as long as the poor are denied access to the ladder of opportunity that a decent education provides, this will not be the most civilised place in the world to live – not by a long way. We should not rest until we make it so,” he concluded.
