Tory welfare cuts will impoverish 200,000 children next year and more than 600,00 in 2020

'The dictionary definition of ‘workhouse’ is “a place where those unable to support themselves were offered accommodation and employment”. Doesn’t that description fit the proposed new use of the Blackburn bus depot?'

It was bought by Blackburn with Darwen Council — and now the borough’s ruling executive board has approved in principle its sale to the charity which helps marginalised people back into stable, independent living.

Well, that sounds like a good idea. Perhaps more disused buildings should be converted to help house the homeless.
Better by far than living on the streets, especially if we are in for a harsh winter.

Good idea or not, it's still the principle of the workhouse.

It'll be interesting to see how it pans out, and whether they are paid proper wages for the work, or just used as apprentices.

Can't win with you, durhamjen!

What's happened to all the zeal about housing refugees from Syria? That was flavour of the month recently. Now it's cries of 'workhouse principles'...

What's housing refugees got to do with this?
I do hope that when the refugees arrive, if they ever do, that they will have housing ready for them, and not have to fit out an old factory. They have enough difficulties getting here in the first place.
I noticed that Farron asked Cameron about taking 300 lone children from Europe. Cameron refused.

www.ourproperty.co.uk/guides/buying_a_loft_apartmentconverted_office_or_factory_space_.html

Living in a converted factory or loft is quite trendy I believe

Really? Better tell Shelter, then.

Cameron's "Big Society" has got him in a muddle over one of his favourite charities. Apparently although he was warned time and time again by external auditors? Dave new best and continued to throw money without question at the charity.

Bit of a difference between a two million luxury apartment and an ill defined idea probably nicked from the US.

Whitewavel are you on the wrong thread?

Yes

whitewave

Blackburn council has now decided to look into the scheme, because they had not seen the full implications of it.

Here's an interesting idea. If a government lies to the electorate to win a general election, a new election should be called.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/oct/29/manifesto-promise-broken-general-election-david-cameron-child-tax-credits

Twenty Tory Mps actually voted for Frank Field's motion to ask Osborne to look again. Nobody voted against the motion.

What I'd like to know is why seventeen of them voted with the government in the first place. If they had not, the Lords debacle would not have happened. Only three voted against the cuts in tax credit the first time in the commons.

www.independent.co.uk/voices/heres-the-full-spectacle-of-iain-duncan-smiths-dwp-horror-show-with-a-un-investigation-on-the-way-i-a6715146.html

Frank Field always comes across as that rare thing - an honest politician with great integrity.

You mean like Jeremy Corbyn?

No.

I agree with both your comments RQ

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/tax-credits-private-debt-collectors-to-fetch-back-payments-made-in-error-a6716391.html

When HMRC or DWP make a mistake and overpay people's tax credits, they send round the bailiffs to get the money back.
The company they are paying to do this is Concentrix, an American agency.

This government really do not like British workers, do they?

I agree with your last post, rosequartz. JC hasn't proved himself to be anything much yet.

www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/work-and-pensions-committee/inquiries/parliament-2015/inquiry-name/

Run by Frank Field, who says that food bank use could be cut by a third if benefits were paid on time.
The next committee meeting is on 4th November.

"The current false “truth” endlessly repeated by those who would benefit from its propagation, and by those who should know better, is that Labour governments are fiscally profligate and/or incompetent compared to other parties' governments.

We have therefore looked at the respective records of both Conservative and Labour governments over the recent decades, and find that on several key indicators, including budget deficits and surpluses, Labour governments have been on balance more fiscally “conservative” than Conservative or Conservative-led governments."

Whenever people want to attack Labour, they always say that the Tory government can be trusted more with the country's finances. Those two paragraphs are the opening paragraphs from this article.

www.primeeconomics.org/articles/taq30tk04ljnvpyfos059pp0w7gnpe

They have looked at Tory and Labour records since at least the 1970s, and in some cases before that.

It's a very long article with lots of graphs, for those who are interested.
However, the main point is that Labour governments always run the economy better than the Tory ones.
I wonder why the newspapers always tell us differently.

m.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/13872002.Poll_reveals_53__favour_income_tax_RISE_to_fund_public_service/

This is interesting. Over 50% of Scottish people would not object to a tax rise to pay for public services like the NHS and education.

Good for them. The government would not take notice, though.