In this enlightening study, Ian Cummins traces changing attitudes to penal and welfare systems. From Margaret Thatcher's first cabinet, to austerity politics via New Labour, the book reveals the ideological shifts that have led successive governments to reinforce their penal powers. It shows how 'tough on crime' messages have spread to other areas of social policy, fostering the neoliberal political economy, encouraging hostile approaches to the social state and creating stigma for those living in poverty. This is an important addition to the debate around the complex and interconnected issues of welfare and punishment.