Research Director of the Adam Smith Institute, Sam Bowman, was quoted by The Daily Telegraph, The Times, and The Sun Online on his defence of Lord Freud’s remarks concerning work and disabilities. From The Daily Telegraph:

Scope, the disability charity, yesterday condemned Lord Freud’s comments but he was supported by the Adam Smith Institute, a free market think tank.

Sam Bowman, the organisation’s research director, said: “His point was that the market value of some people’s wages is below the minimum wage.

“This is often true of the severely disabled and can have appalling consequences for their self-esteem and quality of life.

“To point out that someone’s market value is less than minimum wage has nothing to do with their moral value as human beings.”

From The Times:

However, the Adam Smith Institute, a libertarian think-tank, defended Lord Freud, saying: “To point out that someone’s market value is less than minimum wage has nothing to do with their moral value as human beings.

“[Lord] Freud’s point was that we should help people in this situation by allowing them to find jobs paying below the minimum wage and topping up their pay directly to make up the difference.”

From The Sun Online: 

But the Adam Smith Institute said Ed Miliband’s attack was “shameless".

Sam Bowman, the think tank’s research director, said: “His (Freud’s) point was that the market value of some people’s wages is below the minimum wage.

“To point out that someone’s market value is less than minimum wage has nothing to do with their moral value as human beings."

And it emerged last night that Labour had considered a lower minimum wage for disabled workers back in 2003.