H-t Christian Concern for our Nation: from www.publicservice.co.uk: Calling himself a pragmatic politician who believes in free market economics with a social conscience – or "enlightened social reform" – Clarke said: "I got rid of the married couples allowance [when I was Chancellor]… I really don't think it's anything to do with politicians whether you [get married] and most of the younger people I know don't seem very keen on it. My view of Conservatism is that it's not for us to tell you [what to do through] the tax system – my wife didn't put up with me because I was getting £150 by way of tax allowance. This is social engineering for God's sake and when I joined the party we weren't in favour of it."
He went on: "But what I am in favour of is David [Cameron] setting an agenda pointing out all the social problems, the broken parts of cities, the level of family breakdown, poverty, social disorder and crime. I'm glad to see us getting into all that but the stuff I associate with the religious right in America, I think, is having too much influence on where we are."
He went on: "But what I am in favour of is David [Cameron] setting an agenda pointing out all the social problems, the broken parts of cities, the level of family breakdown, poverty, social disorder and crime. I'm glad to see us getting into all that but the stuff I associate with the religious right in America, I think, is having too much influence on where we are."
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1 comment:
Interesting that Clarke describes himself as 'pragmatic'. My MP used exactly the same word - 'pragmatic', when asked for his views on legalised abortion prior to the recent 'human tissue and embryo Bill'. When considering moral issues, to be a 'pragmatist' seems to me basically a person -'reneging on responsibility and duty to examine the facts and reach a reasoned decision' - in common parlance -a 'cop-out'; but 'pragmatist/pragmatic' sounds good, rather like a hollow drum!
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