Seems Fair To Me

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In the YouGov poll published this morning, 83% of those polled supported the government’s plans to abolish child benefits for higher-rate taxpayers. 86% of those polled also agreed with the proposal to introduce a £500-a-week cap on the benefits unemployed families can claim.

Given these figures, which I would guess are fairly representative of those around the country, it is hard to understand the media frenzy this morning against the proposals.

Do these journalists think that the public believe that only taxing the City fat-cats, overpaid bankers and those on very high incomes can pluck this country out of its current problems? Or that the cuts ought not to be fairly shared to a greater or lesser extent by everyone in the country?

Or is it just that there is nothing much else going on at the moment to capture the minds of the headline writers?
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Bring back Sir Humphrey Appleby!

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One of my favourite television series is ‘Yes, Minister’ and ‘Yes, Prime Minister’, starring Paul Eddington as Jim Hacker MP, who eventually becomes Prime Minister, and Nigel Hawthorne as the double-speaking Whitehall mandarin, Sir Humphrey Appleby. The beautifully scripted and hilarious satirical comedy series ran from 1980 to 1988 and repeats are still shown from time to time.

Earlier this week I watched the last episode of ‘Yes, Prime Minister’ in which Sir Humphrey Appleby, believing that a radio interview has been terminated, commits a monumental gaff when speaking about unemployment and the cost of social security payments.

‘Cut off all social security to any claimants who refuses two job offers, there’s genuine unemployment in the north but the south of England is awash with layabouts, many of them graduates, living off the dole and housing benefit. Plus quite a lot of cash that they pick up without telling anybody.’ ‘Most employers will tell you they’re short staffed, but offer the unemployed a street sweeping job or a dish washing job they’d be off the register before you could say parasite. Frankly this country can have as much unemployment as it’s prepared to pay for in social security. And no politicians have got the guts to do anything about it.’

I laughed at the time for there is much in what Sir Humphrey said that it is true today.

But it wasn’t so funny later in the week when it was announced that five million Britons have never worked under this present Labour government and that two million of them have never worked in their lives.

Many of us believe that state handouts have contributed to this situation by encouraging some people not to work. Indeed, the TaxPayers Alliance have said, ‘It’s absolutely right that we have a safety net to help people who fall on hard times, but the government have allowed welfare to become a life choice rather than a last resort’.

A comment by Theresa May, the Tory MP, is also telling. She said about the figures, ‘They will include lone parents which the state has told not to bother trying to work until their youngest child was sixteen’.

According to the Office of National Statistics, the cost of jobless benefits alone in this country are now a staggering £193 billion a year and this has increased from £93 billion in 1997. Add on all the other benefits which are paid to people each year and the cost to the taxpayer must be absolutely mind-blowing.

Can this situation be allowed to continue and will any government have the guts to do something about it? Very good questions!

Bring back Sir Humphrey Appleby!
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