Because the market drives the market, it does not mean I can do whatever I want and steal.  Just because the market drives the market, it does not mean that everything is permitted. It does not mean that whoever has money, power or connections can do whatever they want. And it certainly does not mean that we can take what does not belong to us and then justify it with the argument that "this is how the market works."

A free market is not a market without rules.

This is a fundamental distinction that we sometimes conveniently forget. Economic freedom gives individuals the space to invest, create, compete and make a profit. But it does not give them permission to exploit, deceive or steal.

Otherwise, we are no longer talking about freedom. We are talking about the law of the strongest.

In a civilised society, freedom always comes with responsibility. If I have the right to protect my property, you have that same right. If I have the right to run a business, it does not mean I have the right to compete through unfair means. If I have the freedom to express myself, it does not mean I can spread lies and harm others without consequences.

Rights do not exist in a vacuum.

They exist alongside duties.

The problem begins when the word "freedom" is used as an excuse to escape responsibility. When "free market" becomes an argument for ignoring the rules. When "private initiative" is used to hide exploitation. When profit becomes the only measure of success, regardless of the price someone else has to pay.

Profit is not a sin. Business is not a sin. Competition is not a sin.

But profit obtained through deception, abuse or deliberate harm to others does not become just, simply because there is money behind it.

And this applies not only to business, but to every area of society.

Political power also has limits.

Being given a mandate by the electorate does not mean being given a blank cheque. Government has the authority to govern, but that authority must be restrained by the law, by institutions and by the principle of public accountability.

Because if power becomes greater than the law, the law loses its strength.

And when the law begins to apply to those who have no power but does not apply in the same way to those who have it, you no longer have justice. You have a system where power decides who wins.

That is not the market we want. It is not the democracy we want. And it certainly is not the society we should leave behind for our children.

We need rules precisely because people have freedom.

A rule is not always an obstacle. Sometimes it is the only thing protecting those who have no power.

When a large company competes with a small business, rules can prevent abuse. When an employer has more power than a worker, the law can protect the person who is in the weaker position. When a consumer buys a product or service, they should know that they are not entering a game where one side knows everything and the other knows nothing.

Trust is the foundation of a functioning economy.

And trust cannot be bought.

It is built by keeping your word, respecting contracts, providing products that do not deceive people, and having the courage to admit when you are wrong.

Therefore, the question is not whether we should be for or against the market. The question is: what kind of market do we want?

A market where innovation wins, or a market where connections win?

A market where competition is fair, or a market where those with greater power can push down those with less?

A market where profit is the result of good work, or a market where profit comes at any cost?

These are the questions we should be asking.

Because a strong economy is not measured only by the money that circulates. It is also measured by the trust that exists between people, by the stability of the rules, and by whether an ordinary person knows that their rights have value.

And this is where conscience comes in.

Not everything you can do is something you should do.

There may be a loophole in the law. There may be a way to avoid responsibility. You may even be able to get away with it.

But that does not change what is right and what is wrong.

A person's character is not revealed when everyone is watching. It is revealed when they have the opportunity to take advantage and choose not to.

And the same applies to a country.

We want an economy that gives space to entrepreneurship, but does not allow ambition to become greed. We want businesses to succeed, but not through the deliberate failure of others. We want freedom, but not a freedom that destroys the freedom of someone else.

Because ultimately, the question is not:

"Can I do this?"

The question is:

"Should I do it?"

That is the difference between a society that simply lives together and a society that truly respects one another.

The market should be free, but not wild.

Freedom should be broad, but not without responsibility.

Power should be effective, but never above the law.

And profit can be legitimate, but it should never become an excuse to take what does not belong to us.

Because the market drives the market. But it does not drive our conscience. And it certainly gives us no right to steal.

Ivan Bartolo MP is Shadow Minister for Social Policy, Family and Social Housing