Something positive about this government

It's a bit of a red herring about unemployment being so low. So many young people continue to go to university so these do not count as unemployed. Plus so many people are now being sanctioned by the Job Centre that these will also not show up as unemployed. As for those managing to gain employment nowadays it is generally on zero hour contracts which is a total nightmare.
I hate the fact that the wealthier members of society have been actively helped by this government to become even even wealthier whereas those at the very bottom have been taken to the very edge. I have no problem with people working hard and having very good lifestyles but not at the expense of the poor and disabled in society.

I hope Universal Credit is scrapped (from a purely selfish point of view).

I also hope the Work Programme is abolished. It's not getting people into work and is costing more than it delivers. Billions are being paid to private work programme providers, which would could be paid directly to the people who need the money.

whitewave, The pension reforms which were scrapped would actually have been one of the fairest things this government could have done. The Labour Party had the same reforms in its manifesto.

Higher rate taxpayers would no longer have received more in their pension pots than basic rate payers. Currently, the government effectively puts double into higher rate tax payers' pension pots. The people who mainly gain from this are higher earning self-employed, who pay themselves in pension contributions rather than salary. In effect they defer their income and tax to a time when they will be earning less.

It would have saved approximately £8billion a year, but higher earning self-employed are the backbone of Tory voters. Spot a link?

Sorry, 32,000 last month. 200,000 altogether.
This is why he has resigned.

www.politics.co.uk/blogs/2016/03/17/ids-loses-legal-challenge-to-keep-universal-credit-problems

Are you not going to watch the newspaper reviews on News24, whitewave?

I wonder what will happen to universal credit? That was his baby, his life's work even before he was in government.
As stated somewhere else, only 32,000 are on it now, because it's impossible to sort out.
I can't imagine anyone else wanting to take over that poisoned chalice.

I will add a much needed positive note.

There is a rumour that PIP cuts may not happen.

goodnight

Oh yes I agree with you there, they sre all dispensable, but there will be consequences make no mistake about that.

Bet on what ? Seen it all before, they are all dispensable. Even Thatcher, this scenario is reminiscent of that. It is of no consequence

Want a bet on that lyn?

It is of no consequence that IDS has resigned. It's just part of the game...

Apparently Gideon wanted to reform pensions - we all know what reform means in Tory speak but call me Dave stopped him. Gideon decided according to IDS to attack the disabled instead to get his books balanced with the capital gains for the wealthy. What a lot if charmers they all are

IDS thinks the cuts are wrong anyway

www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/mar/18/iain-duncan-smith-resignation-letter-in-full

Bit slow off the mark there, dj! There's a thread already in place.

What 'people' are you talking about? I thought there was no new housing which was affordable for those on low incomes.

Over disability cuts! What?

IAIN DUNCAN SMITH HAS RESIGNED!!!!!

It has just been announced on The Last Leg.
He's blaming Osborne.

BRILLIANT!!!!!

People have always been able to buy new houses. It's got absolutely nothing to do with the government.

I think you are correct Anya but to be honest I'm not sure exactly how the extra is made up as he is a grown up and deals with this sort of thing himself but, as I said, he is quite a bit better off since his disability has been reassessed as different extra benefits have been triggered.

It is surely right that those in the most need receive the most help (and not just because he is our son).

Roses. Funny enough only today my D & Sil went to look at a new build.
£325,000 for a 3 bed detached in Wakering. Very good price for the location.
Perhaps it's only in the south east that they're building.

That's good to hear kitty. Is it perhaps that different degrees of need are being assessed so that those who genuinely need more are able to be better funded?

Well I can give you some
Increased MPs pay
Maintained and failed to cap Banker's Bonuses www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2961292/Bankers-set-enjoy-5BILLION-bonuses-including-2-2bn-scandal-hit-HSBC-900m-banks-bailed-taxpayer.html
Cut Corporation Tax
Mm am I seeing some sort of pattern?

I too am interested kittylester , do you mean the mobility money has been taken away but the same amount given under a different name, such as not mobility allowance but extra needs allowance?

rose my point with regard to housing was that the salaries I quoted were what a person needs to earn now for a family home. It is immaterial what price the houses are in the Thames Valley - although I would suspect they are pretty pricy- how can the person on an average salary even hope to buy?

Because of the other things that his assessment triggered.

In our village,name most of the others round here, there is a huge amount of house building going on.