I'm glad to note that one of my local MPs, Burnley's Kitty Ussher, has moved fast to retract claims the Government was considering imposing interest rates of 27 per cent on social loan payments. Joined , also by former Labour Leader Lord Kinnock and Terry Rooney MP who is chair of the relevant Select Committee. But it's sadly a measure of how far things have moved that anyone would even consider it was true. And, frankly, I wouldn't put anything past James Purnell. Update: Sorry about earlier typo to which Duncan has drawn my attention!
Sunday, 21 December 2008
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4 comments:
I would never have thought thongs could move so far!!!
"Let's not be loan sharks ..."
But you already are. According to 'SoD' (aka: Son of Duff) who is in the process of remortgaging, Northern Rock (Chairman: G. Brown Esq., CEO: A. Darling Esq., Proprietors: you and me) are offering the highest interest rates on mortgages whilst simultaneously turfing poor people out of their homes.
"Luigi, says pay the vig or else ..."
Purnell knew exactly what he was doing with all this, they are reigning back furiously now that they have been caught out, like they were with tying council housing to benefits. However, that proposal is still live and at some point this one will be pushed through as well.
Some of us have been warning these are not piecemeal reforms but a wholescale restructing of the welfare system on the U.S model with all that entails, and to compete better with countries
with no W/states's and low wage economies such as India and China.
next up will be time limiting benefits, work has already started on it.
The thing is with some exceptions i doubt the political will to challenge all this is there on the left and indeed civil society.
No frenetic, Purnell explicitly ruled out time-limiting on the grounds that it would increase poverty and suffering. The reforms proposed are well-intended I believe, whatever their unintentional side-effects. If they do what they're meant to they will improve people's lives, improving their confidence and skills and yes, make us more competitive - which is no bad thing.
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