Tory Conference Meeting: 'Cut pensioner benefits as they'll be dead soon anyway'

Who said the Tories don't have a heart?

The head of a leading think tank has come out with some truly astonishing comments, advocating that the government bring forward planned cuts to pensioner benefits, as many of them would either forget who had made them, or simply would "not be around" by the next election.

The comments were made at a meeting of the Taxpayers' Alliance, a fringe event at the Conservative Party Conference, and attended by former Tory defence secretary Liam Fox, who added that spending cuts must be "for keeps".

Think tank director Alex Wild said that the cuts should be made, "as soon as possible after an election for two reasons. The first of which will sound a little bit morbid - some of the people... won't be around to vote against you in the next election. So that's just a practical point, and the other point is they might have forgotten by then."

He continued, "If you did it now, chances are that in 2020 someone who has had their winter fuel cut might be thinking, 'Oh I can't remember, was it this government or was it the last one? I'm not quite sure.' So on a purely practical basis I would say do it immediately. That might be one of those things I regret saying in later life but that would be my practical advice to the government."

Which is basically the same line of thought as say...  not keeping people in comas alive because they can't vote.  And the mentally ill? They probably won't remember or understand cuts to their funding so let's cancel all of their treatment and support too. Those childrens' hospitals? Sod em, too young to vote so no need.

Welcome to the Big Society everyone.

(Image: Shutterstock)

[via BBC]