“ U.K. Austerity policy has inflicted great misery” says UN

We do not need the UN to tell us that. We already know it.

Esther Mcvey has neatly avoided meeting the UN rapporteur.

I first read this on the BBC website.

A different government and this would be all over the front pages of the tabloids. Hope it doesn't get buried!

We might already know it, MOnica but perhaps the UN report might just prod the government into doing something about it. Though they are extremely good at ignoring the unpalatable truth

The government are too busy wasting their time and our money on the Brexit sh*tshow to worry about the growing numbers at the bottom of the heap.

Shocking isn't it to have this reported on by the UN.
Yes, most of us are well aware of the problems but some Conservative MPs and their supporters are wilfully denying the truth.

Many voters of a certain flavour still see those on benefits as scroungers. Will this report influence them? Make them see things differently?

Well Amber Rudd at DWP fills me full of confidence. Still it will all be her officials faults won’t it?

I couldn't stand Esther McVey anyway. I'm not overly keen on Amber Rudd either. She messed up on her previous position I can't see her doing any better in the DWP.
They all live on a different planet to the public in general I'm afraid.

It is indeed shocking and so short-sighted. We are brewing up serious long-term problems with this disgraceful level of child poverty. They will cost an arm and a leg to try and sort out when the time comes and the human cost is sickening.

But to be fair it wouldn’t matter a damn who was at DWP because this Government does not care at all about these issues whatever hypocritical words emanate from the steps of No 10

It struck me last night that Leavers are constantly condemning the EU for the austerity programme that was inflicted on Greece but are strangely quiet about the equally damaging austerity programme enforced here in the UK by tory governments since 2010.

In fact, when one tries to suggest that the tory's economic policy is not only unnecessary but deeply damaging and callous, as evidenced, yet again, by the UN report, everyone seems to rally round to approve in the UK what they claim to be outraged by in Greece. Odd...

MaizieD what has Brexit got to do with this? It’s the government that is at fault. I fail to see what the Leavers or Remainers have to do with it.

All I would say is that if voters got off of their backsides and went to the Polling Stations and voted maybe we wouldn’t be in this mess, we had an election and the Conservatives stayed in power.

MaizieD what has Brexit got to do with this?

It's not so much Brexit as the seeming hypocrisy of Leave voters who constantly blame the EU for 'bullying' poor little Greece but who seem perfectly content to condone extreme hardship in the UK caused by exactly the same economic policy, austerity.

I don't see many (any?) Leave voters rushing to join this thread and condemn our government for allowing such an appalling state of affairs.

Sympathy for Greece but none for their own fellow citizens.

(Actually, Brexit is relevant. Many people voted Leave because they didn't think life in the UK could get much worse and leaving the EU might improve their lives. It won't, of course.)

The price of austerity was I'm afraid instigated by Labour and their overspending which they're very good at but in the end some other poor sod has to pick up the pieces and it's they who have to take the flak when pulling in the reins.

No, ellanvannin austerity was not caused by overspending by Labour. The global financial crash was caused by unregulated banking systems. Austerity was a political choice.

That's your opinion Ilovecheese, my opinion is the same as EllanVannin - in fact I think it's a damned cheek the UN reporting on our country and I don't believe most if it - they reported what they were told to report by the socialist / globalists. I want some balance back in the world, which as far as I'm concerned means about 40 years of right wing government to undo the damage of the last 40 years and get some common sense back into life.

* of it.

Was that political choice made because of a (political?) belief that a very high national debt was a bad thing for the nation and some effort should be made to reduce it, or was it made in order to allow the government to be nasty to poor people? The way some people talk you'd think it was the latter.

N.B. I don't understand national debt or why it matters if it's a massive percentage of GDP but I gather that it does matter.

beau, I've read quite a few things since the UN report that show the trickery and dishonesty of it.

I agree Beau it's a damned cheek. As you say balance and common sense is sadly lacking.

That's your opinion Ilovecheese, my opinion is the same as EllanVannin

It's not 'opinion'. beau, it's fact.

1) The Labour 'overspend' was myth

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/ramesh-patel/finally-the-overspending-_b_7591088.html?utm_hp_ref=tw

2) Conservative governments have consistently borrowed more and repaid less that Labour governments over the past 70 years

www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2016/03/13/the-conservatives-have-been-the-biggest-borrowers-over-the-last-70-years/

Would you care to share with us what you have read, Baggs?