Benefits

[nice one rovers]

Good grief, it's my belief that all the posters on this thread are quite intelligent people , can't you see he's totally reeled you in? It's just sport to the numpty. He hasn't got a property empire, he just gets off on upsetting folk like yourselves. The only good that comes from it is that at least while he's winding you up, he's not digging badgers from their beds or shining a torch in a deer's eyes while his dogs rip their necks out.

[BobG]

Oh we've all known for ages that he's a liar of the first order Nice One. It's fairly easy to deduce what he really is.

BobG

[BillyStubbsTears]

While we're talking about being economical with the truth over benefits, it's worth having a look at what has happened to benefits over the last few decades. Osborne has made a huge issue of the fact that benefits have gone up relative to wages during the recent recessions. That's true. They have. Because they have been index linked to inflation for several decades.

The point is that over the last 30 years, wages went up FAR faster than inflation.  So benefits came down massively as a ratio of average wages. The evidence is here, from the National Institute of Economic & Social Research, the UK's leading, politically neutral macroeconomic research body



So, Osborne's approach is that he's happy for benefits to go up in line with inflation so long as inflation is rising less rapidly than wages. But benefits must go up by less than inflation if wages are rising slowly. Either way, benefits are driven down. In other words, those on the dole as a result of the great crash and double dip recession bear the brunt of the cutbacks, whilst those earning £1million get a £50k giveaway from the reduction in the top rate of tax.

Tories eh? Leopards and spots.

Final point. There will be the usual cries that benefits went through the roof under Labour. Not according to NIESR.

[BillyStubbsTears]

And then of course there is the other really big issue. Our economy is desperately in need of a demand stimulus to get us growing again. The best way to do that is to get money circulating round the economy. Get people spending and buying and thereby driving up demand for goods.

It is well established that the very poorest are the most efficient at doing this. Give a poor person an extra quid and typically they will spend it, because they are living on such a tight budget that they have little scope for saving. Give a millionaire a quid and they will typically put it into a pension pot. There will be no quick recirculation of that money.

So a policy that removes money from the poorest and gives money to the richest is both morally and theoretically stupid.

[mjdgreg]

Lets also conveniently forget that the 'evil' tories have cut child benefit for those earning over £50k per annum. Who are these people? Yes they are the typical 'rich' tory voter. Good on them for doing the right thing even though it affects people who typically vote for them. That puts a lie to the myth that the tories are only for the rich. More lefty claptrap.

[Dagenham Rover]

Unless you are a couple earning £49500 each

[mjdgreg]

Unless you are a couple earning £49500 each

Like I say. Lets conveniently forget they are hitting their own voters where it hurts. Something you lefties can't admit to yourselves because it doesn't fit with your warped view of reality.

[mjdgreg]

There is plenty of proof both in the news papers and on tv about what the government and councils are doing at the moment, if you don't believe the evidence of your own eyes then search a little further, you will find doccuments on line.. To be honest it is amazing what you can find when you dig a little.

I see you have still been unable to provide this proof. Why can't everyone be like me and back up every thing they say. Here's another example of me backing up my point of view:

Grant Shapps, the housing minister, said councils would not be allowed to "export their poor".

He said that rules his department would issue would make "locality a principal linkage". He added: "If somebody is working or has children at school we will not allow councils to send people out of the area."

Is that clear enough for you?

You must have been reading about Newham council (Labour controlled) who were on about exporting the poor to the North when there was no need as there are thousands of houses within 5 miles of Newham that fall within the cap.

Typical leftie council trying to make political gain when there is none to be had.

[mjdgreg]

There is plenty of proof both in the news papers and on tv about what the government and councils are doing at the moment, if you don't believe the evidence of your own eyes then search a little further, you will find doccuments on line.. To be honest it is amazing what you can find when you dig a little.

Still waiting for you to dig a little to provide your proof.