This Tory UK Government ... The Take-The-Mobility-Car-Away Con

Since 2013 the government has gradually been replacing Disability Living Allowance with Personal Independence Payment, which because of the way it's applied has often meant taking away the applicant's mobility vehicle, so far off 51,000.  The DWP apply a points system which I suspect is strictly adhered to with no leeway for common sense by looking beyond just the medical conditions but also quality of life.  Classic example is one recently where a woman who is terminally ill, has 5 separate medical conditions, yes is still deemed not eligible. 

But as if all this isn't bad enough the stupidity of this cruel government means that they take away the personally modified vehicle straight away when over 3000 have successfully appealed.  By which time the original car may well have a) lost it's value and/or b) been scrapped and so c) the government has to pay for yet another adapted costly car.

Campaigners fighting to change this include a Tory MP who points out that in some cases doing this that far from giving them more independence means the person can no longer work.  Hence the government's benefit bill goes up.

What a waste of money.  And yet they have the gall to keep on saying they are the party who is 'good with the economy'!

Les

This Tory UK Government ... The Public Sector Wage Cap Con

Short but not so sweet this month ...

Oh how generous of them finally overturning the public sector wage cap.   

Not at all because they aren't going to fund it!

Les

This Tory UK Government ... Story so far

And now for something slightly different ...  my take on two of the 'highlights' on the UK Tory government, namely the Credit Crunch & Brexit.

I reckon the last 8 years have been the worst politically in my living memory.  'What worse than Thatcher?'  Well, yes, but of course she started it, and the cabinet have just carried on where she left off, inflicting such damage that the thought of how we would manage to reverse it should Labour get back to power is difficult to imagine.

I am not one of those who hate all Tories, and with most I meet I just don't agree with their political views.  But this cabinet, they are something else!  Their behaviour most of the time has come across as mean, cruel, divisive, greedy, arrogant and nasty.  Apparently they see themselves as the elite, the ruling class, the 'we know best' and yet they are oh so incompetent, or maybe just vindictive?  And from their snooty ivory towers (presumably overlooking their moats) they look down on the rest, treat us like we don't count, and have taken us back not just to the dire 1930s, but to the even worse mid 1800s.

So the Credit Crunch, surely a dream come true for them.  Not surprisingly they took full advantage of the fact that Labour were in power at the time, so they could put the blame on them.  And then suckered enough of the electorate for them to return to power albeit propped up by the Lib Dems.  Even better they used it as an excuse to impose austerity, of course not on themselves or their wealthy pals, like the CEOs of banks & big business.  And certainly not for any sound economic reasons, even though that's what they would have you believe.  The simple fact is the least well off in the land have been subsidising the wealthy ever since!

And as for Brexit ...  what a blinder Cameron played when he gave in to his Brextremists.  Maybe I'm taking cynicism a bit too far but I have long suspected that Cameron didn't give a damn which side won, and I'm certain he didn't lose any sleep over it.  He knew that either way he could walk away, unscathed, and leave behind the appalling mess he had created.  What makes me so angry is that the media push the myth that it's a party political issue when obviously it isn't, as in theory Cameron was backing Remain!

My Dad once told me that one of the frustrating things about politics is that in reality parliament does a huge amount of work on which all parties more or less agree but we only ever hear of the conflict.  Sadly despite whatever good has taken place that we never get told about (as it doesn't sell papers!)  And what for me is truly frightening is that it doesn't seem to matter what harm they do, the Tories just keep getting away with it.  The divide between wealthy and not so gets wider & wider.  A few years ago no one would even dream of accepting frozen budgets let alone cuts, of vilifying the disabled & those on benefits as all being scroungers, of such widespread use of foodbanks as if it were acceptable, the treatment of those immigrants who have lived & settled here for decades, the running down of the NHS ...  and the list goes on and on.  But people continue to vote for them because they are caught up by the understandable fear of the alternative, of which the Tories take full advantage.  'What if it's even worse?'  If you are 'just about managing' then you simply wont risk it.

This paints a very gloomy picture, I know, but really not sure there is any other way to put it. Any positives, anyone?


Les

This Tory UK Government ... The Divide & Rule Con

Classic example in the news at the moment, involving Thesesa May's bung to grammar schools while all the rest go without.  Of course this gets everyone arguing over the merits of grammar v comprehensives, when what we all should be talking about is how to provide the best education for ALL our children!

Les

This Tory UK Government ... The Bonus Con

I've just found some definitions for the word bonus such as: 'a sum of money added to a person's wages as a reward for good performance' and 'something extra beyond a stipulated payment'.  In every one they either clearly state or infer that a person needs to have done more than what would normally be expected in doing that particular task or job.

Whilst I still think CEOs of some companies are overpaid, I can concede that their role, together with the important decisions they have to make, is pivotal to the success of the company, and as such warrants a high salary. 

But, and it's a BIG BUT, surely to earn that pay they should perform at least sufficiently well to ensure the continued viability of the business, and so b) only get a bonus for going that bit extra - higher productivity, a more satisfied workforce etc.  Sadly some companies have other ideas ... 

Somehow Persimmon Homes managed to get through a bonus scheme linked to share values, such that in 2017 CEO Jeff Fairburn received a total of over £47million - a basic salary of £675,270, a bonus of £1.3 million, and the rest a share award of over £44m.  This year the total package was going to be over £100m until a share-holder backlash reduced it to £74m!

Forget the obscene shares payout (how DID that get agreed?!) but I ask you how can a company in any way, shape or form justify paying a bonus that is more than the salary, indeed DOUBLE???!!!

This is eye-wateringly beyond belief and totally unwarranted. 

And as for Carillion, there the CEOs still got bonuses even though the company was actually failing.  I wonder where they found the definition of 'bonus' for that?!
 
In August the media lauded Theresa May when she attacked firms who hand bosses excessive pay "as the unacceptable face of capitalism", and the Tories had promised in their manifesto that executive pay should be approved by an annual vote of shareholders.  But since then it has been much more quietly made known that they've watered these proposals down - oh what a surprise!

Les

This Tory UK Government ... The Disabled Con

One of the worst aspects of austerity is how the Tory government has used it to turn people against the disabled, conning many into believing like all others on benefits they must be scroungers.  And while that's bad enough they also get assessed whether or not they are fit for work, even those suffering from conditions that will only get worse. 

This isn't done by the person's doctor, who surely knows best about their disability, but by a profit making overseas company, apparently far more interested in money than making the right assessment, as shown by all their overturned decisions.  A bit late for the many who once pronounced fit for work have then died in the following 12 months!

Les

This Tory UK Government ... The Railways Con

The East Coast line was in public ownership and everything I have read confirms it did far better than when run by a private franchisee.  Yet rules are rules and so Chris Grayling dutifully returns it to Virgin & Stagecoach only for them to say them need a massive bung out of taxpayers ie OUR money in order to run it at a sufficient profit. 

Surely I'm right in saying that if this any other private business they would have gone bust so will the minister for Transport now make the economically sound business decision and give it back into the hands of the public one more?   Boy, do I hope so!

Les