The Political Thread

[Jim_Campbell]

Employment and Support Allowance for those in the Support Group, which would generally cover the people with a disability rather than those with an illness, has not been cut and is not going to be cut.

So disabled people are OK, and ill people can go fuck themselves...?

[Albion]

After the budget our rent could go up a hell of a lot if Mrs Albion finds another full time job. (She lost hers at the end of March).

Is it worth her bothering?
She may do better to get something part time, stay below the amount that determines the rent and work less for her last few years before retirement.
We will have to cope with it in a few years when she does retire anyway. Age gap love eh?

Isn't this the government that wants people working?

The rich get rich, the poor get poor. Again.
Same old song and dance.

[Jim_Campbell]

Isn't this the government that wants people working?

Working single parent. 'Doing the right thing' according to Osborne, rewarded with a £1400 p/a cut in income:



Meanwhile, if you've got a million quid to leave to your kids: rejoice! No inheritance tax!

Bah.

Jim

[Old Tankie]

Hi Jim, you're really quick off the mark to jump down someone's throat and to demand an apology when you think you've been misquoted.  Where did I say that "ill people can go fuck themselves....?"  I was politely replying to DDD.  In my original posting, all I said was that disability benefits had not been cut and I stand by that.  People with severe disabilities are put into the Support Group, which, I say again, has not and will not be cut.  There are also ill people in the Support Group and their benefits have not been cut either.

[Jim_Campbell]

Hi Jim, you're really quick off the mark to jump down someone's throat and to demand an apology when you think you've been misquoted.  Where did I say that "ill people can go fuck themselves....?"

You'll notice the question mark. That's a question, not an attribution of a position. I was asking if that was your position. If it's not, fair enough, but your original post did smack a bit of "I'm all right, Jack", which was what prompted my question.

Jim

[Old Tankie]

I was just stating what I thought of the budget.  If you think I was saying, "I'm all right Jack!" that says far more about you than it does about me.  It wasn't just disability benefits that I mentioned.

[Albion]

Crikey. That's a big kick where it hurts for a working single parent.
Not surprised though and I bet it's the same for many others. You don't often win for "doing the right thing" these days. 

[Richmond Clements]

Paul Johnson, director of the IFS, said households receiving tax credits would be "significantly worse off" by the changes unveiled by the Chancellor, even taking into consideration a boost in wages.

The IFS estimated that the four-year freeze to tax credits will hit around 3 million families, making them worse off by an average of £1,000.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/uk/budget-2015-george-osbornes-welfare-reforms-set-to-make-13-million-families-significantly-worse-off-says-institute-for-fiscal-studies-31364718.html

[Professor Bear]

Fair play; I've actually come to like him since he started talking about important things, rather than laughing at Down's syndrome and the queen's vagina.

Yeah, I didn't have time for Russell Brand or Frankie Boyle until their latter turn towards social commentary - Boyle's Election Autopsy where he looks into the camera and tells Tory voters in a deadpan voice "you ruined this country" was especially hilarious, and there's a couple of good Youtube vids of him talking to Chunky Mark where he seems a lot less belligerent and caustic than you'd expect, almost expressing pity for the political classes.
Russell Brand has been a little harder to fully get behind because he's still Russell Brand, but what put me onside was seeing his hugging an emotional Mark Thomas at an FBU rally - a man no stranger to pissing away a promising alternative comedy career in pursuit of social justice - and the hilarious middle class outrage of the armchair liberals of the Guardian railing against him in exactly the same way teenaged metalheads expressed outrage that a member of Steps had been seen at Donington.

[Jim_Campbell]

It wasn't just disability benefits that I mentioned.

Well, here's a handy chart from that hotbed of leftist propaganda, the Institute of Fiscal Studies, which shows very clearly whose shoulders are bearing the brunt of the costs of Osborne's budget. Clue: it's not those with 'the broadest shoulders':



Jim

[JayzusB.Christ]

Fitba / Butch (that is you, isn't it, sauchie?) -
My only major issue with Russell Brand, though it is a big issue, is that he's an advocate of the centre left politics who tells like-minded people not to vote. He can't have hurt the Tory landslide anyway

[ZenArcade]

Fitba isn't Butch....at least I think?? Z

[Jim_Campbell]

Fitba / Butch (that is you, isn't it, sauchie?) -

The Artist Formerly Known As Bear, surely?

Cheers

Jim

[ZenArcade]

The mighty Bear and his trusty canine side kick, Dick Head. Gotta be. Z

[Professor Bear]

I like how everyone sees a ridiculous Scotch stereotype and immediately thinks of Sauchie/Butch.

My only major issue with Russell Brand, though it is a big issue, is that he's an advocate of the centre left politics who tells like-minded people not to vote. He can't have hurt the Tory landslide anyway

The Tories rigged the election, so you can hardly blame that one on Russ.