[Malcolm Armsteen]

Because WE HAVEN'T GOT THE FUCKING MONEY!

Change takes time. Reform takes planning.

Roosevelt set out three stages:
Relief
Recovery
Reform

That will take time.


I'm sick of this childish nonsense from you.

[Spoonman]

As an ESA & PIP recipient, I'd be lying if I said that I'm not concerned by these reforms (I was last assessed for PIP in 2022 & I can't remember if I scored a "4" in any one category).

However - however - in the grander scheme of things, the proposals are a lot better than what the Conservatives were proposing for PIP this time last year.

[Crabcakes]

It's still £1bn cuts EVERY YEAR for FIVE years.... how can this be justified?

Brexit. Putin. Right-wing arseholes asset stripping.

That’s your justification. The root cause of pretty much every global problem right now. We cannot be generous to the poor and the sick because we need planes and weapons, everything costs more and we sell less because we’re now a small island alone, and there is no rainy day fund in the UK because the Tories gave it all away to their mates.

Any further questions?

[kreuzberger]

Need a billion quid? Haul Anthony Bamford before the courts tomorrow for the UK's 600m and then rinse that enthusiastically-nourished underwear Senga for what must now be in touching distance of 300m, and that's the first year as good as boxed off. With less than three weeks to go until the end of the fiscal, clawing back another 100m from the thieving classes should be a breeze.

The point it, we know where the fucking money went and we know who fucking trousered it. And as sure as shite wasn't Wendy of Wilmslow whose future has been stolen by long-Covid and who panics at the sight of postman.

[NevTheSweeper]

Because WE HAVEN'T GOT THE FUCKING MONEY!

Change takes time. Reform takes planning.

Roosevelt set out three stages:
Relief
Recovery
Reform

That will take time.


I'm sick of this childish nonsense from you.

Is it childish nonsense to oppose what the present government is doing in our name? I accept that there needs to be change, but what Liz Kendall is proposing is just one step too far.

Thousands of people who are among the poorest people in the country will be asked to accept an even lower standard of living... just for the DWP to stick to chancellor Reeves' spending rules.

This is completely self-inflicted, and on top of the WFA debacle, will ensure that the Conservatives will be reelected to government at the next general election.

[mattomac]

The thing was the winter fuel allowance thing has evidently been justified by the fact that we’ve had quite a prolonged spell of cold this winter we don’t have 15-30 front pages blaming Labour for about 1-5 deaths.

And they will get a bumper increase again in April as per usual. Speaking of the Tories you never actually say a single word about them bar what you said a few posts back that this today which are of the more moderate we expect of welfare cuts are far worse than anything the Tories delivered who may I remind you delivered Austerity.

[Crabcakes]

This….will ensure that the Conservatives will be reelected to government at the next general election.

Practically every thread you have started or post made has said some variant of this, or that the far right in whatever country that thread is about, will soon come to power and/or be under Putin’s control. With a few more reasonable posts sprinkled in for that ever important illusion of reasonableness.

There is a debate to be had about benefit cuts. I just don’t think it’s worth any of us having it with you because you’re a doomsayer. Whether you genuinely believe it or whether it’s trolling is irrelevant.

[NevTheSweeper]

It's still £1bn cuts EVERY YEAR for FIVE years.... how can this be justified?

Brexit. Putin. Right-wing arseholes asset stripping.

That’s your justification. The root cause of pretty much every global problem right now. We cannot be generous to the poor and the sick because we need planes and weapons, everything costs more and we sell less because we’re now a small island alone, and there is no rainy day fund in the UK because the Tories gave it all away to their mates.

Any further questions?

The Conservatives aren't in power now. What Labour are doing now is still morally and emotionally wrong. What they have done is a political choice. There must be better ways of tackling the country's deep-rooted problems without having to hurt the vulnerable.

[Yug]

No, the Conservatives aren't in power now. But the money they wasted/siphoned off didnt magically reappear the moment they left office.

[Andy McDandy]

What they have done is a political choice. There must be better ways of tackling the country's deep-rooted problems without having to hurt the vulnerable.

Too bad all the people who know how to fix the country's problems are busy driving taxis, sweeping streets, or cutting hair.

[Crabcakes]

I would like to see a combination of greater/wider wealth taxes and benefit reform. Hopefully, by the time all this has been debated and voted on - because none of it is in place yet and it’s all proposals - that’s what we’ll have. And I’m hopeful about this because the cuts are driven by necessity rather than the Tory style ones which are fuelled by ideology where the cruelty is the point.

[Youngian]

On balance will these cuts be popular (particularly with swing voters who've never met a benefit claimant and believe they're mainly freeloaders)?

[Malcolm Armsteen]

The words of a friend, ex-pupil, who is now disabled due to Long Covid and can no longer work (and she's a proper leftie):

"In light of the recent debate on disability benefits I’d just like to point out a few things:
- PIP is incredibly hard to get - it’s an 80 page document and a 2 hour interview and you need medical evidence to back up all your claims. People have died appealing their PIP rejection.
- people are not getting ‘free BMW’s for wetting the bed’
- DWP says PIP fraud is low if any
- Even amputees have to have reviews - even though their removed limbs will not grow back.
- it is usually awarded for 2-3 years and is to HELP people live independently, it is not an out of work benefit.
Do not listen to the anecdotes of ‘my mate down the pub gets PIP and is on holiday every other week’. It’s all rubbish."

[edited due to typo]

[The Weeping Angel]

This….will ensure that the Conservatives will be reelected to government at the next general election.

Practically every thread you have started or post made has said some variant of this, or that the far right in whatever country that thread is about, will soon come to power and/or be under Putin’s control. With a few more reasonable posts sprinkled in for that ever important illusion of reasonableness.

There is a debate to be had about benefit cuts. I just don’t think it’s worth any of us having it with you because you’re a doomsayer. Whether you genuinely believe it or whether it’s trolling is irrelevant.

I mean one of Nevs first posts boldly predicted nuclear war was imminent.

[Dalem Lake]

I would like to see a combination of greater/wider wealth taxes and benefit reform. Hopefully, by the time all this has been debated and voted on - because none of it is in place yet and it’s all proposals - that’s what we’ll have. And I’m hopeful about this because the cuts are driven by necessity rather than the Tory style ones which are fuelled by ideology where the cruelty is the point.

If it truly was about spending they would have scrapped the triple-lock pensioners get - now that is equally unaffordable, but the government wouldn't dare take on that considering the bloody nose they got with cutting the WFA. So they went for the next easier option of cutting disabled benefits, and particularly disgracefully cutting them out completely for under 23 year olds.

Getting more and more disappointed with this government by the day tbh.