Conservative party leader David Cameron will be describing poverty as an economic waste and a moral disgrace in his forthcoming speech to mark the 25th anniversary of the Scarman report on the Brixton riots.
The Tory leader is expected to bring out the issue over relative poverty over absolute poverty. He defines relative poverty as some people not having things that others take for granted while absolute poverty is the total lack of material possession.
He plans to send out a strong message that a future Tory government would concentrate on addressing the causes of poverty such as lack of education, unemployment, drug problems and mental health problems.
His party would also focus on other social issues and would encourage voluntary groups and social groups in their work of alleviating poverty. This move is considered in political circles as a further distancing from Margaret Thatcher's policies.
Cameron seems to be guided in this move by one of his policy advisors, Greg Clark who is also on the Tories' social justice commission. Clark has been advocating that the party needs to look up to Guardian commentator Polly Toynbee for inspiration to shape social policy rather than Winston Churchill.
Toynbee has written extensively on how people on benefits or minimum wages are treated as social outcastes. Winston Churchill, on the other hand, treated social policy as a ladder of opportunity with a safety net at the bottom for the lowest rungs of society.
Clark is of the opinion that previous Tory governments had neglected the people at the fringes of poverty and the very poor thus alienating them and cause distrust and anger. He has said that as the rich grow rich the poor should grow financially as well. According to him the country would go apart if the poorest fell even behind the rich.
The Tory leader however was not of the opinion that placing a limit on high salaries and Big City bonuses would not reduce inequality. It would only cause businesses to move away from Britain. He was of the opinion of some form of redistribution in economic policy.
The Labor party has said that these statements were an attempt to erase the memory of child poverty under Conservative rule.
