A couple of stories have come out over the past few days which show a ridiculous lack of British government ability to negotiate on behalf of the people.
The first is with regards to extradition laws, which has been thrown up by a request by the US government over a man suspected of supplying weapons to Iran. I have no comment to make over whether the man is guilty or innocent since I know nothing of the full facts. However the problem is with the lack of equality with extradition between the two countries.
If the US has a suspicion of guilt of a UK citizen then Britain has to extradite them. However for the opposite to happen then the UK courts have to provide very strong evidence before the US will agree to extradite to Britain. You have to wonder who negotiated this deal since it is so strongly in favour of the US. Are we really so bound to them in other ways that we have to give up British subjects on an American whim?
The second story is more absurd than anything. In a London office used by MP's there are twelve fig trees in a room which provide shade for the occupants. The cost of maintenance of these fig trees is £30,000 per year. How is it possible that the price for keeping a dozen fig trees alive is £4,000 a year greater than the price for keeping one human being alive, housed and clothed (since the new cap for benefits will be £26,000)? Either the person who negotiated this was an idiot, or more likely could not give a fig for those who struggle within this country.
I believe these deals were negotiated before the present government took office and are probably just the tip of the iceberg. Since the government can make any law they wish, is it not possible for them to renegotiate everything that does not benefit the greater good, or in their words, the big society?
Showing posts with label benefit cap. Show all posts
Showing posts with label benefit cap. Show all posts
Friday, 24 February 2012
Tuesday, 24 January 2012
Capping It
I'm risking going a bit political today, and yet I'm still trying to see both sides. The new benefits cap which the government plan to bring in seem, on the face of it, quite sensible. It is quite ridiculous to have situations where people are being given up to £80k a year for doing nothing while most ordinary people wouldn't earn that in four years. However, this isn't the case for most people and just one of those stories that the media like to bandy around as if it's the norm. Most people still struggle on what benefits they get. And in some way there should also be an incentive to work, which sadly people need in the UK since there is very little 'work ethic'.
Then again, for someone who works hard and is in a good job, only to find themselves unemployed because of the economic climate, to have their benefits capped at just £26k for a whole year might see themselves and their family out of a home within nine months if luck doesn't come their way. After all a lot of life is about luck, not just hard work. But then you have the realm of one rule for some and another rule for others, and that cannot work realistically either.
The real deeprooted problem is that the only likely place for work is London. Jobs therefore need to be spread around the country more easily, and much much more of them must be created. Then of course housing has to be considered. There is still far too little housing and far too high a cost, so landlords must be given some sort of incentive to charge lower rents. Finally the costs of transport, and daycare for children, can be prohibitive for a lot of people, so these need to be addressed too.
The problem with all this is that it would take a long time to sort out, probably a similar length of time that the problems have been escalating for (roughly 40 years) and no government is ever going to be in for that long. Therefore, sadly, a simple benefit cap is the only way forward for them. And after all that, I'm still not sure where I stand, so here's a poem inspired by it all instead, called "Caps".
Then again, for someone who works hard and is in a good job, only to find themselves unemployed because of the economic climate, to have their benefits capped at just £26k for a whole year might see themselves and their family out of a home within nine months if luck doesn't come their way. After all a lot of life is about luck, not just hard work. But then you have the realm of one rule for some and another rule for others, and that cannot work realistically either.
The real deeprooted problem is that the only likely place for work is London. Jobs therefore need to be spread around the country more easily, and much much more of them must be created. Then of course housing has to be considered. There is still far too little housing and far too high a cost, so landlords must be given some sort of incentive to charge lower rents. Finally the costs of transport, and daycare for children, can be prohibitive for a lot of people, so these need to be addressed too.
The problem with all this is that it would take a long time to sort out, probably a similar length of time that the problems have been escalating for (roughly 40 years) and no government is ever going to be in for that long. Therefore, sadly, a simple benefit cap is the only way forward for them. And after all that, I'm still not sure where I stand, so here's a poem inspired by it all instead, called "Caps".
They give
out their caps
Expecting us
all to wear
They say
that they’ll fine us
If our heads
all go bare
Then they
change all the sizes
And make us
compare
If we wear
the wrong one
It makes
everyone stare
You think to
speak up
But in the
end you don’t dare
Yet if none
of us speaks
Then they
think we don’t care
That what
was our home
Is a
multinational lair
And we all
have to swallow
That it’s
supposed to be fair.
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