If Iain Duncan Smith is to be believed, social justice is a core Conservative value which many Tories simply haven't realised they hold.
No one doubts the former leader's passion and conviction for embracing all sectors of society but it would be a lie to say he was preaching to the converted.
So, in the style of Monty Python, we could ask: what did the Tories ever do for social justice when in power?
It clearly wasn't at the forefront of Thatcher's mind during her long reign, as parents, students, the vulnerable young and the old alike can testify.
Let's not forget that the break in the index-linked pensions was made by a Tory government, not a Labour one.
And who can forget the decision to scrap benefit and housing entitlement to unfortunate 16 to 18-year-olds who had been disowned or abused by their families?
Without the benefit safety net, the choice was hell or homelessness. Surprisingly, many opted for the latter.
Some of them may now be the very drug addicts without hope that Mr Duncan Smith is keen for his party to help now.
It is probably safe then to assume that If Monty Python were still around, and looking for laughs, they wouldn't ask what the previous Tory governments did for social justice.
Because It just isn't funny.
