There’s a horrible story doing the rounds today after a man tried to set himself alight outside a Birmingham job centre. The man apparently tied himself to the railings outside the building before dousing himself with flammable liquid and setting his legs alight. Given the price of petrol, this was obviously a well thought out plan.

The usual suspects, plus others who should know better, have been quick to scream that this is the consequence of “austerity”. A particularly unedifying spin. However there appears to be no reason to believe that this had anything to do with the lack of jobs available to this man. Instead, eyewitnesses report, that the man was shouting about a screw up in receiving his benefits.

If only Labour’s 5-point plan for jobs and growth had been in place, he would have been fine, right?