The Tory way of governance

And another gem. You may be aware that one of the "benefit cuts" they are bringing in this spring is to restrict the payment of tax credits to a maximum of 2 children. So if you give birth to a third one, no more money.
Now some people don't choose to have a third. Some are raped by husbands and partners (or occasionally strangers) and impregnated against their will. However the tories have sneaked through an amendment women are going to have to "verify" that they have been raped.

www.theguardian.com/law/2017/mar/16/tax-credit-clause-becomes-law-without-parliament-vote

That is unbelievable. If women are unlikely to report a rape how much more less likely are they to claim that a child they are carrying is the result of a rape? It's revolting. If things go on as they are women will need to take to the streets in protest again.

Degrading women and branding the child.

And how many more abortions will be carried out? Hsve they not heard of unplanned pregnancies .

I thinks its a good idea to restrict tax credits to 2 children, they should also restrict family allowance to 2 as well. Over the top the scenario of how many women get pregnant against their will have they never heard of the morning after pill or even the contraception pill.

The contraception pill is not 100% and nit all women can take it. If a woman is taking the pill but becomes pregnant the morning after pill is no use weeks later

Good point, Annie.

However, the clause referred to hasn't suddenly been sprung on us - I was aware of it ages ago, can't remember how but it must have been via mainstream news, not a link on GN.

It is about time politicians of all shades started focusing on proper problem solving and listening to all the electorate. The current government is in power but it was not on the back of an overwhelming majority, nor was the referendum 'won' by a huge majority , it scraped in with a couple of %. It would do those with power good to remember all those who did not vote for their policies and steer a political line that reflects the divide in the country.

Currently too many MPs are self-serving. Politics in the UK is a complete mess. Only right of centre Tories (& they are a minority I understand!) are happy! Opposition is either not shouting its policies or is not being reported..hard to know which!

We need a coalition of the progressive left to mount a proper challenge to the government.

The contraception pill is 99% safe. Not everyone can take the contraception pill but they can take the morning after pill in the unlikely event they had been raped.

Thanks penstemmon, I'm with you. We need a coalition of the progressive left to mount a proper challenge to the government. As you said, their majority wasn't overwhelming and nor was the referendum result. I accept we have a conservative government and that the result of the referendum means we're leaving Europe. I'd prefer neither of those things to be so but there we are.
It seems to me we're beyond having a largely two party system. If we had an effective opposition, the problems and divides in the government would be exposed to a greater degree than is the case now.

When did we start treating children as if they were a lifestyle choice like a handbag or a pair of shoes? Children should be seen as a gift to the country not a drain. We are short of young people in this country, what is wrong with having our own? Many people have an unplanned pregnancy, remember the phrase "unplanned but not unwanted". Why should a mother be forced to abort a pregnancy that could have gone on to become a much loved child and a benefit to society.

Well said llovecheese

Of course they shouldn't be 'forced to have an abortion', and nor would they be. They just wouldn't receive tax credits for a third child.

The family would still get child benefit for any number of children...

Anniebach thank you, you see we do agree on some things!

So if a woman has two children and is widowed they must all suffer financially if she marries again and has a third child?

We do llovecheese. i wonder how many women in NI will be affected by all this

Do you mean because of abortions being against the law there?

Yes quite - still no legal abortion in NI but they'll be affected by this benefit cut.
I know someone who got pregnant on the pill. I suspect maybe because she is a tall and well-built woman and I think the pill only comes in one dosage whether you are 4 ft 10 or 5ft 11. And it was far too late for the morning after pill by the time she found out!!!
I was reading an interesting article earlier (sorry, Economist, and unless you have one on the kitchen table, behind paywall) about the fact that some countries attempt to consider gender in their budgeting i.e. how will different policies affect women vs men. The Tories probably did not set out to create an outcome where women have suffered 86% of the impact of benefit cuts, but because they did not think about it, that is what has happened. Meanwhile they (randomly) shell out lumps of money to save mainly male industrial jobs, while pursuing policies that make very large numbers of women poorer. e.g. handout of £21millon to Toyota.
I wonder who it is that suffers most from zero hours contracts and the supermarkets refusing to give out full time jobs.
As for the Tories! They've had a gruesome week, bless their chilly blue hearts, with the Tory election fraud scandal hitting the press hot on the heels of Hammond's massive budget balls up. And top it off, T'reesa turned up to the Welsh Conservative Party Conference wearing pillar box red from head to pointy toe. Is this a feeble attempt to convince people that she's a socialist at heart? Is she going to keep this subliminal one-woman campaign going by popping up to Llandudno next weekend to pose outside the Welsh Labour conference (thus getting lots of wear out of her new suit?) Will the Welsh be convinced? Or will they just think she's supporting their Team.

Maybe we should tip our hats to the third scandal created by young Gideon Osborne MP.
Chap without a single tick on the recruiter's Person Specification gets top job.
Plus there's a job in a bank, was it 1 days a month? £560,000.
And then there's the public speaking gigs and a few other bits and bobs.
And he's not going to step down as an MP.

SIX jobs JessM!

But of course, he's one of the wealthy elite so normal conventions don't apply to him (like MP and Newspaper editor are usually each full time jobs)

I presume the Evening Standard is a pro-Tory paper.

Yes dj but We know the Tories are split and Osborne has a better platform now than he does as a mere back bencher.

I can just imagine May grabbing it every afternoon to read the latest shoot across her bow

See there is a cross Party alliance being formed against grammars.

Also radio reporting a probable election soon.

What's to be done? 60% of the UK population do not want Tory rule? Who is to take their place? How can that be democracy?

So 40% do want Tory government?