Work and Pensions Secretary David Blunkett calls a spade a spade:

Some Labour MPs are unhappy at his plans to get many of the 2.7m people on incapacity benefit back into work.

But, he told BBC Radio: "If people... re-associate with the world of work, suddenly they come alive again."

"That will overcome depression and stress a lot more than people sitting at home watching daytime television."

Enough hours of Oprah and Tricia can make a person give up on life altogether, but a job can give them renewed enthusiasm.

"The system is crackers," he said, also calling the housing benefit system a "nightmare".

There were four times the number of people claiming incapacity benefit than were on invalidity benefit 30 years ago, said Mr Blunkett.

Yes, Mr. Blunkett, the system IS crackers. It's easier to stay on benefit, because then your rent is paid, your bills are paid, there's enough money left over for a bottle of Bucky, and you pay almost no tax. Why work? It isn't enough to encourage people to go back to work. Work has got to seem like the more profitable option.

Lower the benefits, raise the council house rents, and stop pandering to every junkie with a sick line from his rheumy-eyed doctor. Enough is enough. The working class would be more willing to carry the burden of the sick and infirm if they did not have to carry the burden of the lazy and sneaky.