Family Values

Dan Bloom writes:

An ex- Archbishop of Canterbury has told the Tories to halt their tax credit cuts - because without welfare he couldn't have raised his family.

George Carey was born to a working-class hospital porter in London's East End before rising to the Church of England's most powerful post.

Now the dad-of-four has called on George Osborne to  stay his welfare axe to save families which were once just like his.

Lord Carey, 79, told the Mirror: "I well remember as a young and poorly paid clergyman needing the help of the state in the form of family income support.

"My wife and I would have struggled to provide for our family without it.

"So there is nothing new about government support for low-paid families. We must continue to support struggling families who try to do their best through hard work."

Lord Carey, who was Archbishop for 11 years until 2002, failed his 11-plus and left school at 15 to work as an office boy at the London Electricity Board.

Aged 20 he decided he wanted to be a Church of England minister and enrolled on a course at King's College London.

His early years were spent as a curate in Islington, North London, and he married his wife Eileen in his mid-20s.

In 1987 he was named Bishop of Bath before rising to the Church of England's most senior post four years later. Lord Carey added:

"I support the aim of the government to make work pay and put in place a reasonable cap on welfare payments.

"But I urge the government to reconsider these particular cuts to working tax credits that will hit many hardworking families very hard indeed."

His call was joined by fellow ex-Archbishop Lord Williams, who told the Sun on Sunday the decision 'ought to be common sense'.

David Cameron and George Osborne have refused to back down over tax credit cuts despite warnings from Tory backbenchers including Boris Johnson.

A study by the House of Commons Library said minimum-wage families could end up £2,000 a year worse off - even once the Chancellor's 'national living wage' is included. Tory grandee Ken Clarke today urged Mr Osborne to hold firm despite fears of a backlash.

The former Cabinet minister admitted the cuts would be 'unpopular' but told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show:

"My advice to George is put your tin hat on, get on with it. Don’t put it off because in the short term it is going to be unpopular."

Causing his newspaper to editorialise:

Long gone are the days when the Church of England was the Tory Party at prayer. However, the criticism of social security cuts from a former Archbishop of Canterbury will sting David Cameron and George Osborne.

Because George Carey is a figure who backs welfare reform and is often feted by Conservative supporters.

But when it comes to wage packet-filling tax credits, he recognises the unjust pain to millions of low-earning strivers of the scandalous Tory £4.4billion raid on Britain’s living standards.

Carey, son of a hospital porter, worked for the electricity board and relied on the welfare state when he was as poor as a church mouse

It’s always refreshing when somebody in public life doesn’t forget where they came from.

If the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer had an ounce of decency in their Bullingdon bodies they would scrap the tax credit cuts now.

The bill will fall anyway if wages rise, and claims would reduce the more was earned.

If they want to know where to find the money they need, the pair could always scrap an ­inheritance tax cut for the wealthiest something-for-nothing households.

The richest standing on the shoulders of the poorest is not a good Tory look.

Mr Cameron will be judged by his actions, not his words. His conference speech sounds more hollow than ever.