Something positive about this government

obieone, I really don't understand. I know people don't thrive well outside their social circles - please see my previous post. I'm not disputing that.

Galen, I'm sorry to hear that and apologise if I've upset you. However, I stand by the point I made. You are an educated, skilled professional. Your dh presumably had a good job. There ARE jobs around for the more highly educated and skilled.

I worked with children who had hardly ever been outside their villages. Their parents hadn't either. I had never come across people like this and it seemed to me that they had hardly moved on in terms of mobility from the nineteenth century. Some of the children were physically sick at the thought of doing work experience in a neighbouring town.

Coming from a mobile, educated family, I couldn't understand it at first, but then I started looking at life from their point of view. They hadn't a clue what university was; they knew few people who had moved out of the area never mind emigrated; some of them (in the early 1980s) didn't even have inside toilets or electricity throughout the house. It was quite common for the older children to take time off school to help with sick relatives or younger siblings. This was an area less than 50 miles from London. They weren't unhappy. Now the area has become gentrified. Their landlords have sold their houses and the work they did doesn't exist, but they don't have the skills to move on.

Jane10, I said nothing nasty, it was rarely that unskilled workers moved from country to country looking for work. Men who chose this life joined the army, in fact in the 19th and 20th centuries people can here to the coal mines and iron works from other countries . I assumed you were a grandmother, sorry if I placed you in the wrong generation

dd, I sent you a pm to explain. So as you will see I do have personal experience. Lots of it.

Which bits of my posts do you think is judgemental?

14.01 paragraph

daphnedill, the end of your first paragraph is what I meant by saying "they dont thrive outside their social circle well".
It would make an interesting tv programme though. To see the practicalities of how well they do and cope.

Nonnie, Why? I haven't seen anybody being abusive towards you. If you have an opinion, stick with it and defend it. If it's a valid opinion, it will stand scrutiny.

Dh died 13 years ago.

Ab in answer to your rude questions -no. They didn't have skills. No further education either. Needs must. Just give up on your nasty comments. They say more about you than you know.

So, obieone, you haven't really had personal experience of what it's like, but feeling qualified in judging others.

Galen, with all due respect, your dh and you are obviously educated professionals and even you had to take a cut in lifestyle, there were opportunities. You're not in the same league as people with few skills (social and vocational), few qualifications, no savings (for a deposit) and perhaps low intelligence.

I've worked in education for most of my life and have tried to get the 'get on yer bike' attitude embedded, but it really isn't easy. I saw it as an attempt to widen horizons rather than 'getting on yer bike', which is what I believe education should be all about (cue another thread perhaps). Rather than 'sanctioning' people for being a few minutes late for Jobcentre interviews and getting them to apply for jobs they have no hope of getting (meanwhile filling the greedy pockets of the work programme providers), the DWP and the whole government should have taken a more holistic view and looked at the real barriers to work. I'm not against taking people by the scruff of the pants and showing them how to get out of their hole, but it needs to be done with compassion and real support, not threats.

Ironically, this is what IDS seemed to be implying on Andrew Marr this morning, but I'm afraid I can't believe his second 'conversion' - maybe I'm being too cynical, but the evidence would suggest that what he said doesn't ring true.

Oh I hope that person is me

That is it with believing what people say on these threads. I said nothing about my parents moving! Just shows that there are some who will say anything regardless of the facts.

I'm off to do something interesting!

Seems like I have added another person whose responses I will always ignore.

I have been fortunate that I havent needed to. But other close family members have moved far away recently.

You've done this yourself, have you, obieone?

I had to move as did my dh. I gave up a much more lucrative general practice to join the civil service. The CEGB had moved its HQ from Birmingham to Gloucester and we had to follow as dh couldn't find a suitable job locally. It was much more expensive down here and my salary was half what I had as a GP.

Is you son an unskilled worker with a family Jane10?

Jane10, who has spoken of perfect jobs? I am speaking of unemployed people who cannot find any job,

Your GF and uncles could not have been plumbers, labourers , carpenters , unskilled , to afford to move from country to country surely

I should also say that my DS left town today to travel a long way from home. Its a good job but he'll be starting from scratch to make a home and social circle for himself.

Hmmmm. My GF and uncles couldn't afford not to thrive outside their social circle!

I am a huge believer of getting on yer bike. But it is not practical for some - those who are carers.
Also, for some, they dont thrive outside their social circle very well.

For those who do do it, it can be quite liberating and they can go back again if they want to.

Aband Dj my GF and uncles did move to different countries. Where did I say they didn't? As usual you are just looking to nit pick anything you don't personally agree with. DH stayed in B and Bs where necessary and travelled home when he could. Sitting just waiting for the perfect job to magically drop into your lap is just not realistic. Most people know that.

Nonnie, I wonder if you live in the same area of the country that I do. We have 0.9% unemployment and house prices/rents are astronomical. I've lived here half my life, but can't afford to stay for much longer, because my rent eats up most of my income. I have to dip into savings to pay for food and bills. The only reason I stay is that my child is still at school. The problem is that once I move, I will have to start all over again with my small business. All my clients are wealthy, which is how they can afford what I'm selling, but I fear that if/when I move to an area where I can afford to live, there won't be enough people with disposable income.

Not in my dictionary. It specifically states "a person who emigrates from a poor country to better his/her standard of living."
That is the generally accepted meaning of the phrase.

Just did a check on workhouses just before WW2, in Liverpool there were unemployed from Ireland, Oxfordshire, Wales, Devon and many other counties , many had wives and children with them, this solved housing for the unemployed who got on their bikes didn't it . Wonder why this government hasn't started building them