Jonthan Rutherford on the stark implications of the Welfare Reform Bill especially with regards to the private sector at the forefront of this draconian piece of legislation. An incidental, but for me an important one, is that sections of the liberal media have FINALLY woken up after smelling the wretched Dickensian stench that emanates from this Bill.
Rutherford is correct in his observations, from the new ‘improved’ PCA, computerised evaluations and targets. And don’t get me started on Atos Origin!!!! Or vile medical faceless US based corporations like Unum who have their corporate fingers in the financial pie (see Michael Moore’s excellent film Sicko for the lowdown on these creeps).
It is indeed an ideological attack on the poor, it is the politics of the workhouse. It will create more mental distress as desperation and misery will increase. The further obstructions, conditionality and hurdles people will face along with the threat of sanctions hanging over people.
Rutherford is pushing for amendments regarding the rules at the Lords stage, as correctly he states there aren’t any safeguards, though whether they will be accepted is another thing (as we saw at the 2nd reading in Parliament).
This Bill needs to be ditched.
Amen!
[...] privatising and removing of entitlement bill (also known in newspeak as the Welfare Reform Bill), HarpyMarx makes good points too and states the most pressing simple solution- ditch the bill. It is Toryism [...]
What chance Cruddas can get his mate Purnell to speak out against this?
I sincerely hope that this is ditched soon.
Even though the Bill is dreadful everyone needs to realise that only a new Bill will be out in a couple of years time that is far worse.
This Bill is only the weak one – to get the foot in the door so-to-speak – I can assure you it will get worse. Don’t believe me? Then focus on how bad this one is for the time being.
Just look at the legislation regarding benefits at the moment… a new Act amending an old one or an new Statutory Instrument (regulations, orders etc.) doing the same are frequently passed.
All Jobseekers are aware of the Jobseekers Act 1995 and that alone has countless updates and it seems no political party are hoping to create a new Jobseekers Act or similar but keep amending it.