WHEN the unsubtle Norman Tebbit issued his famous 'On yer bike!' advice to the unemployed to go out and find work in the 1980s, there were howls of protest. But in echoing him today, Chancellor Gordon Brown will only draw applause.
For the big difference is that, then, there were no jobs to be found; today, there are more than there are people out-of-work.
In an age of employment abundance why, therefore, should the state subsidise those who refuse to work? Mr Brown is quite right to launch a crackdown today on the feckless by stopping the benefits of those can work but won't.
The choice is theirs.
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article