Tory Politician Chris Philp Faces Backlash Over Comments on Britain’s Work Ethic, Suggesting the Country Needs to ‘Lift Its Game’ and Compete with Nations Like South Korea and China.
Senior Tory MP Accused of ‘Brass Neck’ After Saying Britain Needs Better Work Ethic
Chris Philp, the Shadow Home Secretary, has been accused of having a ‘real brass neck’ after stating that Britain needs a better work ethic to compete with countries such as South Korea, China, and India.
Chris Philp is a British politician serving as the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Technology, Innovation and Life Sciences in the UK Government.
He has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Croydon South since 2015.
Prior to his political career, Philp worked as a lawyer and was involved in various charitable organizations.
He holds a degree in law from the University of Oxford.
According to figures published this month, there are 9.3 million people who are economically inactive in the UK between September and November last year. This number is down slightly from the previous year but still 670,000 more than before the pandemic.
Philp made his comments on the BBC’s Political Thinking podcast when asked whether he thought Britain was missing a ‘belief in hard work.’ He stated, ‘I do think we need to lift our game and up our game.‘
The History of Criticisms Against British Work Ethic
This is not the first time that Conservative politicians have suggested that British people need to work harder. Norman Tebbit, a cabinet minister under Margaret Thatcher, suggested in the 1980s that unemployed people could follow the example of his father, who got on his bike to look for a job.
Norman Tebbit is a British politician who served as Secretary of State for Trade and Industry from 1987 to 1990.
Born on March 29, 1931, in London, England, he was a key figure in the Conservative Party during Margaret Thatcher's premiership.
Tebbit played a crucial role in shaping Britain's trade policy and was instrumental in promoting free market economics.
He also served as Chairman of the Conservative Party from 1985 to 1990.
Former Prime Minister Liz Truss co-wrote a book with five other Tory MPs that described British people as ‘among the worst idlers in the world‘ and claimed that too many people prefer a lie-in to hard work.
Liz Truss is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from September 2022 to October 2022.
She was the Member of Parliament (MP) for South West Norfolk since 2010 and held various cabinet positions, including Secretary of State for International Trade and Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Born on April 26, 1975, in Oxfordshire, England, Truss studied philosophy, politics, and economics at Merton College, Oxford.
She rose to prominence within the Conservative Party and became known for her free-market economic policies.
Reaction from Opposition Parties
Responding to Philp’s comments, a Labour spokesperson said, ‘After the Conservatives’ economic failure left working people worse off, it takes some real brass neck for the Tory top team to tell the public that it’s really all their fault. It’s the same old Tories. They haven’t changed and they’ve learned nothing.’
The Liberal Democrat deputy leader, Daisy Cooper, added, ‘Philp’s own work ethic as chief secretary to the Treasury under Truss had ‘crashed the economy in just 39 days’. The British public will no doubt take his advice with a bucketload of salt.
