1. How do you characterize the rioters?
"There are pockets of our society that are not just broken
- but frankly sick."
(August 2011)
2. What's the root cause of their actions?
"A complete lack of responsibility in parts of our society."
(August 2011)
3. What do you mean by this?
"People are allowed to feel that the world owes them something, that their rights outweigh their responsibilities and that their actions do not have consequences. Well, they do have consequences."
(August 2011)
4. Do the riots signify a society-wide problem?
"It's as much a moral problem as a political problem. This is a problem for our society and something we have to deal with."
(August 2011)
5. Does it fall solely to government to improve society?
"The state of our nation is not just determined by the government and those who run it. It is determined by millions of individual actions - by what each of us do and what we choose not to do."
(October 2010)
6. How do you define citizenship?
"Citizenship isn't a transaction in which you put your taxes in and get your services out. It's a relationship."
(October 2010)
7. What do you mean?
"You're part of something bigger than yourself, and it matters what you think and you feel and you do. It's the spirit of activism, dynamism, people taking the initiative, working together to get things done."
(October 2010)
8. How do you envision British society?
"A society where we say: I am not alone. I will play my part. I will work with others to give Britain a brand new start."
(October 2010)
9. What does austerity mean for Britain?
"Reducing spending will be difficult. There are programs that will be cut. There are jobs that will be lost. There are the things government does today that it will have to stop doing."
(October 2010)
10. And finally, are you committed to reducing poverty even in an age of austerity?
"The real routes out of poverty are a strong family, a good education, a job. So we'll invest in the early years, help put troubled families back on track, use a pupil premium to make sure kids from the poorest homes go to the best schools not the worst, recognize marriage in the tax system and most of all, make sure that work really pays for every single person in our country."
(October 2010) |
