Cameron wake-up call for workshy

DAVID Cameron today makes clear his uncompromising determination to end Britain’s something-for-nothing benefits bonanza for the workshy.

David Cameron makes clear his determination to end Britain s benefits bonanza for the workshy David Cameron makes clear his determination to end Britain’s benefits bonanza for the workshy

Speaking exclusively to the Daily Express, the Tory leader warns serial welfare claimants who refuse to get jobs to fear the prospect of a Conservative election victory.

“If you are on benefits but could work, and you’re not working, then this is time for a wake-up call,” he said. For the first time, he demanded a massive overhaul of the scandalous Housing Benefits system.

And he said the Tories wanted to repair the Government’s shattered finances to halt Labour’s vindictive tax squeeze on middle-income earners.

“Middle Britain has had a wretched time under Labour. This Government has taxed mortgages, marriages, pensions, petrol and travel and raised national insurance and the top rate of income tax. We cannot keep squeezing hard-working families,” he said.

In a wide-ranging interview, Mr Cameron signalled a return to traditional Tory values of backing self-reliance and hard work. Brushing aside criticism of the party’s stuttering start to the election year and dip in opinion poll lead, Mr Cameron also promised that Britain would never join the euro under his watch if he becomes Prime Minister.

He spoke of his desire to return income tax to the levels of the 1980s boom under Margaret Thatcher and confirmed that a Tory government would immediately freeze council tax and hike the inheritance tax threshold to £1million as soon as possible.

He also called for convicted burglars to face the threat of automatic jail. In a withering condemnation of Labour’s record under Gordon Brown, he said: “The country is in a terrible, shocking state. We’ve got this appalling deficit, big social problems and a political system that’s bust."

“This is roll up your sleeves time, time to look the British people in the eye, say we’ve got to do some difficult things to get the country back on its feet again.”

On Housing Benefits, he recognised that the sight of some claimants living in vast mansions with their six-figure rents funded by the taxpayer made many hard-working families’ “blood boil”.

“They must say, hold on, that family is living for free and I am working my butt off to try to put food on the family’s table. I do think our welfare system has got out of control and it does need serious reform.”

He made clear that jobless claimants who refused to take up offers of work must be banned from getting handouts. “If you are offered a job and you don’t take that job, you should not be able to continue getting benefits,” Mr Cameron said.

“We are going to go through everyone that’s on Incapacity Benefit to make sure they have a proper medical check and those that can work, should work.” Mr Cameron also said he recognised the punitive tax burden that Gordon Brown had left on Middle Britain.

And he admitted Labour’s disastrous budget deficit meant the Tories could not promise voters immediate tax cuts. But he made clear his admiration for the tax-cutting zeal of the Tories in the 1980s and said cuts could boost Britain’s economy.

“Look at the evidence of the 1980s. The way we got the rich to pay more taxes is we cut the top rate of tax.” Mr Cameron also spoke forcefully of his fury at soft sentencing for burglars, who frequently escape jail terms.

And repeating his promise that a Tory government will change the law to back householders who tackle burglars, he said: “People need to have the certainty that, unless it’s grossly disproportionate, the police and the courts are not going to come anywhere near them.”

On the euro he said: “I would never take Britain into the euro – full stop, end of story..”

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