Another story which might warm your heart (or not) was in the Daily Mail. It's a very long piece about Iain Duncan Smith and his "days on the breadline". The most important part of it is his criticism of the BBC:
"He
clearly believes passionately in the work he is doing, although he
despairs at how the Conservatives’ austerity programme is reported
— above all, by the BBC. ‘The
BBC is always negative, never explains, never talks about why we are
reforming, or the fact that national debt is rising to terrifying
levels,’ he complains. ‘All
the BBC case studies are hard-luck stories like that of the
£53-a-week market trader. They never focus on a family stuck on a
housing waiting list or in bed-and-breakfast accommodation.’ He is
clearly exasperated, too, at how removing the Spare Room Subsidy —
which will see housing benefit-payment cuts to council house tenants
with surplus spare rooms — has been labelled the ‘bedroom tax’
by Labour. When the BBC employed the same phrase, Duncan Smith
complained. ‘Now they call it the “so-called bedroom tax”. It’s
a disgrace.’"
As I've said before, this carping and intimidation is disgraceful - though we know it's official Tory policy. What he says doesn't strike me as remotely accurate. But IDS bombards the BBC with complaints, was disgustingly rude about Stephanie Flanders, and is really trying to ensure that the BBC presents only the spin that the government wants. That's what is a disgrace.
And there's another worrying trend. Anyone who goes public with their opposition to the government is likely to have their backgrounds trawled over and their reputations trashed by the right-wing press. It happened with the chap who challenged IDS to live on £53 a week, and now it's happened to the woman who led a Facebook campaign to have people turn their backs on the Thatcher funeral procession. Isn't a free press great!
And there's another worrying trend. Anyone who goes public with their opposition to the government is likely to have their backgrounds trawled over and their reputations trashed by the right-wing press. It happened with the chap who challenged IDS to live on £53 a week, and now it's happened to the woman who led a Facebook campaign to have people turn their backs on the Thatcher funeral procession. Isn't a free press great!
The problem with "Fiddling" the figures,is you can only do it so many times,before you are boxed in and have to own up.Their seems to be a lack of accountability,if some one is sanctioned it should not be counted as employed or no longer unemployed simply as Sanctioned.
ReplyDelete"He clearly believes passionately in the work he is doing, although he despairs at how the Conservatives’ austerity programme is reported — above all, by the BBC. ‘The BBC is always negative, never explains, never talks about why we are reforming, or the fact that national debt is rising to terrifying levels,’ he complains."
ReplyDeleteIn a fortnight in which a whole decade, the 70's has been comprehensively trashed, making this period of British history sound like you were living in East Germany at the time, I find it highly hypocritical (though not at surprising) that Smith wants the BBC to behave like the old Soviet newspaper Pravda!
Does Smith really not get it? Does he really want a one sided conversation with regards to his government's policies, views and actions? Is he and the rest of his colleagues really so out of touch to claim national debt is rising to terrifying levels and yet ignore peoples anger and annoyance at the £10m+ costs for Thatcher's funeral?
People like Smith are dangerous. He and his ilk are unwilling to have a mature discussion on welfare. He simply dismisses the other persons view, attacks them for having this view in the first place and indeed the medium (the BBC) they use to try and get their viewpoint heard! Not only this, but Smith and Hoban have the ever obedient attack dogs in the right wing media ever present to do their bidding. To smear someone's reputation simply because they dare to challenge an increasingly out of touch and morally bankrupt government is tantamount to what is supposed to happen in the archetypal 'banana republic' is it not? The newspaper industry needs to be examined in ways that go beyond mere phone hacking.
I have read references in the media to stage two welfare reform. The cuts currently being made are just the beginning.
ReplyDeleteThe welfare state was a wonderful ideal. It grew directly from the second world war, and the sacrifices made by so many ordinary people to protect democracy, civil liberties and the rule of law from foreign aggression.
The welfare state came from the mindset of almost pure patriotism - we were one nation, one people, and one family. Everybody in that family should be looked after if they are old, infirm, or unemployed.
The welfare state was bound to wither away sooner or later as people forgot the solidarity that created it.
Society today is deeply divided. The funeral of Margaret Thatcher proved just how deep and acrimonious the divisions in British society are.
The welfare state was given birth by a land of heroes, now Britain is a nation of tax evading thieves, and incompetent bankers grasping for their next unearned bonus.
In 1956 Britain had 22 aircraft carriers. In 2013 we have two, and no planes to put on them.
No body seemed to understand the irony of standing at Thatchers funeral holding Union Jack flags that were made in China.
The unemployment figures have rigged for decades. Factor in people working on a casual or part-time basis (who would like to work full time) and add the number of people working for minimum wage i.e. below the living wage and I reckon the UK has at least 10m people either in or very near poverty. Shocking.
ReplyDelete