James Purnell looks like he would be comfortable at a pop concert according to the Times. He is also a right wing Bliarite.
In Purnell’s view the poor are to blame for their predicament…the only failure of capitalism is the benefits system that has been drafted onto it. Instead he wants to give people “the incentive to do the right thing instead of giving them the incentive to be dishonest”. This speaks more of Mr Purnell than anything about the benefits system.
In fact the Secretary of State repeats the old one that Incapacity Benefit goes up the longer that you are on it.
This is only true for the first year. It only rises with inflation after that, as do all benefits. The current top rate is £84.50 a week: although you get a massive cash injection of £17.75 a week if you become too ill to work before your 35th birthday. There is no incentive to stay on it year after year.
People on Incapacity Benefit live in grinding poverty. This compares with the £158 a week that research from the Joseph Rowntree Federation suggests that a single adult needs to maintain a basic standard of living.
Apparently Purnell is being tipped as a future PM. His plans for the public sector seem to revolve around complete privatisation of all services with the hope that the feather-bedded private companies make a fortune.
A kick down kiss up kinda guy.
July 6, 2008 at 3:11 pm |
I have been trying to tell people this for ages – nobody would claim Incapacity Benefit unless they absolutely had to. I claim it due to mental illness, and am trying to keep myself and my toddler son afloat on it. Not fun.
July 6, 2008 at 4:15 pm |
Yes I agree, Anji.
People have these bizarre assumptions that you can live the good life on benefits. It is a myth whipped up by the establishment and at the heart of NL’s ideology is to attack the poor and powerless.
January 18, 2009 at 6:20 pm |
[...] world according to James Purnell http://harpymarx.wordpress.com/2008/…james-purnell/ The nasty little tosser needs therapy in the form of a bullet through the brain at close range. [...]