Britons need better work ethic, says senior Tory MP

Britons need better work ethic, says senior Tory MP.
"We need a work  ethic," says shadow home secretary Chris  Philp
Britain must "up its game" and  develop a work ethic to compete in the global economic race,  the Tory shadow home  secretary, Chris  Philp, has  said.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Political  Opinion with Nick Robinson, he said there were nine million  working-age adults  out of work and the UK  "needed everyone to  do their bit" to keep up with countries like China and  India.
He said he had worked hard  throughout his career to  build businesses, adding:  "It worked for me, it can work for the country  too."
During the interview, the MP also recalled his time under Liz Truss, saying he had  called for restraint but  was not listened  to.
His comments were  echoed by  his opponents, including the Lib Dems who  said: "No one can doubt Chris  Philp's work ethic after he  has brought down the economy in just 39 days as  Chancellor of the Exchequer."
Lib Dem  deputy leader Daisy Cooper said:  "The British public will  undoubtedly take his advice with a  grain of  salt."
A Labour  Party spokesman said the Conservatives had  "really braved" to tell the public  that the previous  government's economic failures were  "really their  fault," in response to  Philp's comments. "They are the same old  Conservatives. They haven't changed and  they haven't learned  anything."
Who are the millions of Britons  who are unemployed? The number of young people who are neither in work  nor in school is 870,000.
Philp was elected MP for Croydon South in  2015 and  has worked in several Conservative government  departments, including the Home Office and  the Department of  Justice.
Before entering  politics, he  founded businesses in finance and  travel.
He said he developed a strong work ethic in his early teens, delivering newspapers, washing people's cars and working  at Sainsburys. "I discovered that hard  work has its own  rewards and  I've continued to do so ever  since."
"It's something  I'd like to  instill more  in our national  culture."
Asked if he thought  the belief in hard work was something that was  lacking in Britain, he  said: "I kind of do."
"There are nine million  working-age adults who are not  working."
"As we compete globally with countries like South Korea, China, India, we need a work ethic, we need  everyone to  contribute."
"We're in a global race  which means we have to be competitive and that means we have to work  hard."
"As a  country, we need to  step up our  game."
Although Labour denounced Chris  Philp's language, there is perhaps more  agreement between the two main parties  on the substance, if not  the form. Chancellor Rachel Reeves said  that "those who can work will  work" and  that "as a country we cannot  continue to foot the bill for the  growing number of people out of  work".
She has  agreed to £3bn  in welfare cuts  planned by the previous Conservative  government, but the implementation arrangements will not be clear until  the details are published in the  spring.
Almost three million of the nine million economically inactive people are not  working for health  reasons, and without  action this  figure is  expected to  rise significantly.
When the Work and Pensions  Secretary, Liz  Kendall, announced plans to help young people  "earn and  learn" last  November, she also confirmed that those who chose not to  take up new opportunities could lose  their benefits.
"A stupid idea"
Chris Philp was chief secretary to the Treasury in  the autumn  of 2022, when  Truss' mini-budget of tax cuts caused market turmoil, leading to  his resignation as prime  minister. After the  measures were announced, Philp posted on social media  saying: "It's great to see  the pound strengthening  thanks to the  UK's new growth  plan."
However, this was  quickly followed by a dramatic  fall in the value of the pound as the market reacted badly to the  mini-budget.
Questioned about the post, Philp told Nick Robinson:  "Obviously commenting on currency  movements was a  stupid idea and I  shouldn't have done  it – I've learned my lesson."
He said  Truss' tax  cuts would have  to be accompanied by  "some spending restraint to help balance the books and maintain  confidence in the market."
"I've made that  argument internally... but it  hasn't been heard."
"I hope, despite the difficulties and the very bad market reaction,  that there  is a way to implement a growth  plan... In the end, there  was no way  to do it. "If my suggestions  had been  heard a  little earlier, there was  a much  greater chance  that it would have  worked."
"It will always be  regrettable that these points were not considered and not heard." »
"A moment of shock"
In a  wide-ranging interview with Nick Robinson, Philp said that  while he has always worked hard and taken responsibility for his life, it was difficult when, in 2013, his twins were born prematurely and he  had "no control" and had to  rely on  help from others.
His son and daughter were born at 25 weeks and one day, just  after the legal limit for  abortion.
"The doctor was completely honest, he said  that at this  stage there is only a 50/50 chance of survival, and even if they  survive, there is a very  high risk of  disability.
"It was a moment of  shock." He said there was a "happy ending" and that despite a difficult  year at the beginning, they  were "absolutely  fine."

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