Few politicians resemble a stern Victorian less than James Purnell, the modish 38-year-old who thrived at the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (otherwise known as the "Ministry of Fun") before becoming the work and pensions secretary. Yet his plans to reform Britain's welfare system, unveiled on December 10th, saw him portrayed as a redeemer of the feckless by those who deplore the dependency culture that blights some areas, and as a tormentor of the "undeserving poor" by those who fear the human cost of tightening benefits during a recession.
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