Quote

Welfare's purpose should be to eliminate, as far as possible, the need for its own existence.

The real purpose of welfare is to get rid of poor people entirely. Everybody knows welfare has bad effects; that's the point.

I'm not saying that people on welfare don't contribute in their own way, but as many as possible should be encouraged to be economically active as well as socially and culturally active.

We spend billions of pounds on welfare, yet millions are trapped on welfare. It's not worth their while going into work.

But we will say something else. That for far too long in this country, people who can work, people who are able to work, and people who choose not to work: you cannot go on claiming welfare like you are now.

The conventional viewpoint says we need a jobs program and we need to cut welfare. Just the opposite! We need more welfare and fewer jobs.

If the people cannot trust their government to do the job for which it exists - to protect them and to promote their common welfare - all else is lost.

I don't believe in welfare.

If women have young children, they are one man away from welfare.