Jonathan Freedland: Why back David Cameron, a man who claims society is broken but admits he...

An inadvertently amusing headline appeared on the front page of the Times yesterday. "Help yourselves, Cameron tells the fat and the poor," suggesting that the Tory leader had been generously nodding the overweight towards the buffet table, encouraging them to load up with seconds. Given that this is clearly the week for gastronomic advice from our senior politicians, what with Gordon Brown urging us to toast our stale bread, this seemed like a sunny Conservative response to the current food crisis, Cameron's munificence surely designed to contrast with Labour austerity. But no, that was not his meaning. As an amended, online version of the Times headline later made clear, Cameron's message - delivered in a speech to launch the Tories' byelection campaign in Glasgow East - was "take responsibility". It was part of a daring... [read full story]