Forthcoming General Election

(26-06-2013 16:27 )Rees No.1 fan Wrote:  This spending review was really about setting the scene for the next election as the Coalition offers more austerity in the hope of providing a narrative to the electorate of Britain's political economy being on the road to recovery after the 'mess' that Labour left it in. The reality is that economic growth has been sluggish since 2010 due to the Coalition's austerity and difficulties in the global economy so tax receipts have not really recovered. What we are seeing is the welfare state being 'hollowed out' with social protection via benefits being eroded, particularly for people of working age.

The 7 day waiting period, weekly attendance and CV ready before being able to claim out of work benefits are all part of a strategy to scapegoat unemployed and workless people for structural economic problems - a lack of jobs, especially reasonably paid ones. The DWP's Work Programme has not been successful in providing unemployed people with support to find jobs although the contracts for private providers, like A4E and others, have been so generous that even failure is rewarded.

Austerity and eroding social protection will cost thousands of lives, increase levels of mental illness and make Britain a much less pleasant place to live. We need to break away from the shackles of neo-liberalism that says that markets are always best, the state should be shrunk and people made to stand on their own two feet. We need to have a political vision that is genuinely inclusive and fair based on economic efficiency and social justice...I fear that we won't get that even after 2015 when this miserable Coalition is cast out of office.

Well said. Working for a charity I see deprivation every day. I see grown men and women reduced to tears because they have lost their jobs due to ill health or redundancy. How does this government help them? By making it harder to get welfare support. By all means tackle and pressure those unwilling but capable into moving into work but do so in a supportive and understanding manner. This government turns a cold, blind eye to the large number of people who are legitimately incapable of work. Sanctioning vulnerable people (many of who have mental health issues) and stopping them receiving their benefit for months because an i has not been dotted is not the answer. Every day I see people with little or no hope who are victims of social injustice and each day I see them getting a little more desperate. It makes my blood boil to see people in this supposedly developed country being given food parcels to help them survive. Perhaps the bankers (those people who created the recession) should give all their bonuses to the third sector so that some good could be done...Meanwhile this government continues to involve itself in foreign wars, giving aid and assistance to people and factions that one day will likely hate us.

The financial crisis was caused by under-regulated banks, the result has been the rise of food banks. The stick of benefit sanctions being used on powerless and weak people is shameful. Keep doing what you can in the third sector but fight back against the organisation of misery.

Its so sad to watch MP's blame each other, all smiles from them with their easy lifestyle assured pension etc. Cameron treats everyone with contempt, smiles and cracks jokes. Compassion seems to be a thing of the past now. I know disabled people in wheelchairs that have been passed fit for work and pressure is being applied. The company that are doing the healthchecks etc are making vast profits out of this situation. It wont change as long as we have these posh boys in charge. So sad.

SOC.

It would be more helpful to the unemployed to stop demonising them as work-shy scum. If you listen to politicians or to the media, you'd think that benefit cheating was 100%, rather than the true picture of 3-4% (and 3% is always the statistical wiggle-room).

Sad fact is the real culprits, the so called money men have slipped into obscurity with their fat pensions and golden handshakes. These parasites are the people who should be brought to book for their crimes against the people of Britain. Sadly we all know nothing will be done.