Rowan's rebuke

From The Economist-

ROWAN WILLIAMS (pictured) and Iain Duncan Smith have several things in common. Although they remain public figures, they are best known for the offices they used to hold: the former as head, until a year ago, of the Church of England and the global Anglican Communion, and the latter as leader, for an unhappy couple of years, of the Conservative Party. Both have a history of delivering rather unfortunate sound-bites. And both believe the Christian faith should have some bearing on public policy, the prelate for obvious reasons and Mr Duncan Smith as a practising Catholic who thinks the state should encourage marriage and families. He is now minister of work and pensions, and responsible for welfare reform.

In recent days they have clashed, and it is the politician's clumsiness which seems to be at fault. The issue is food banks—voluntary organisations where well-wishers can deposit contributions of non-perishable food, and people in dire need can receive help with no questions asked. Mr Duncan Smith has had an abrasive correspondence with one very successful food charity, the Trussell Trust which says it has provided assistance to about half a million people this year. In a leaked letter, Mr Duncan Smith rejected the Trust's claim that his welfare reforms were exacerbating poverty, refused to meet them and commented sarcastically: "Your business model must require you to continuously achieve publicity, but I am concerned that you are now seeking to do this by making your political opposition to welfare reform overtly clear."

More here-

http://www.economist.com/blogs/erasmus/2013/12/food-banks-and-church