Stephen Crabb: From a council estate to Cabinet but will his background make a difference?

The fact that it is news that a cabinet minister has come from a council estate tells you something about social mobility in the UK: namely that there isn't enough of it.

Also that we are still fascinated by class.

Stephen Crabb didn't choose to flaunt his humble origins today - although in a week when some of his colleagues have been almost tainted by their association with privilege - the Tories I'm sure would welcome him as their new poster boy.

Instead we had a wide ranging but rather unsurprising speech this morning from Stephen Crabb, perhaps advised to keep it so.

I sensed a Government that doesn't want any welfare reform headlines this week or any talk of measures that could be seen as "attacks on the working poor."

But I listened to his speech out West, amongst the working poor in Pembrokeshire's Haverfordwest, with Stephen Crabb's former neighbours who assessed his progress.

Those I've been talking too on the council estate where he grew up - fall into two distinct categories. Those that wish him well and those who think he's forgotten where he came from.

But those who resent him mostly accept he and the Government are right to be tough on welfare, just wrong about how they are going about it.

In his street there are now only a few council houses left. Most were sold off to their owners under Thatcher's right to buy.

Many of the residents share the new work and pensions secretary's aspirations and agree work and education is the way out of poverty.

"I don't want my kids growing up on Scratch cards and benefits," said one young mother.

But they also remain concerned for the vulnerable and the disabled as the Tories roll out their welfare reforms.

Families like the Rutherfords who live in Mr Crabb's constituency and who have just won a long protracted fight against the Government over their right to be exempt from the so-called bedroom tax because they are caring for their disabled grandson and need the extra space for his specialised equipment.

"Stephen Crabb talked about the importance of supporting families today ," Paul Rutherford told me. "Well he isn't supporting us."

There is also some concern about Universal Credit which will come to this constituency later this year.

The Child Poverty Action Group estimates that some families will lose out as they switch onto it because the work allowances have been cut.

The Government says all families will be able to make up the difference by working extra hours and that transitional protection will be in place as well as extra child care costs.

They insist it will encourage thousands more out of poverty and into work in an ambitious welfare revolution.

Mr Crabb threw his full weight behind that idea and also talked about cutting the disability employment gap. But he gave zero details about how this would be achieved.

But overall, the journey from council house to cabinet met with approval on the street where Mr Crabb grew up.

But Mr Crabb's journey at the helm of national welfare reform is just beginning and the jury on that is still out.