Cost of Living crisis

Guardian Editorial: Winter fuel payments: a mess of Labour’s own making over benefit cuts

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https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/sep/08/the-guardian-view-on-winter-fuel-payments-a-mess-of-labours-own-making-over-benefit-cuts

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The government can’t cure the lethal consequences of deprivation by increasing deprivation. Eligibility for the payment will be linked to pension credit, but experts say that this will see 1.6 million pensioners who are below the poverty line lose vital financial support during the coldest months. With a majority of 167, the government will comfortably win Tuesday’s vote on the issue. However, it has lost the argument, largely because ministers seem incapable of making a coherent case for their policy.

The risible claim that there would be a “run on the pound” if there were not spending cuts was dismissed in the City. Ministers then said that they want to increase pension credit uptake – currently 880,000 eligible people do not claim it – but many are put off by the 243 questions that need to be answered in the application form. Sir Keir argues that the losses would be offset by rises in the state pension. But that won’t wash with many pensioners who know such increases were coming anyway and have been less than impressed by Labour discarding its social care commitments.

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https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/sep/08/the-guardian-view-on-winter-fuel-payments-a-mess-of-labours-own-making-over-benefit-cuts

Keir Starmer says pensioners can freeze to death and poor children can starve and be condemned to failure and misery all their lives.
Keir Starmer says pensioners can freeze to death and poor children can starve and be condemned to failure and misery all their lives.
Continue ReadingGuardian Editorial: Winter fuel payments: a mess of Labour’s own making over benefit cuts

Starmer defends moves to cut winter fuel payments

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/starmer-defends-moves-to-cut-winter-fuel-payments

An elderly lady with her electric fire on at home in Liverpool

PRIME Minister Sir Keir Starmer faced shouts of “shame” during PMQs today as he defended moves to cut winter fuel payments for millions of pensioners.

Conservative Party leader Rishi Sunak asked why the Prime Minister preferred to fund pay rises for train drivers rather than maintain the payments.

Sir Keir struggled to respond, robotically repeating that the Tories had bequeathed him a £22 billion black hole in the public finances.

He said “no prime minister wants to do what we have to do” as he argued the “tough decision” was required to “stabilise our economy.”

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People in England and Wales not in receipt of pension credit or other means-tested benefits will lose out under the policy, which MPs are expected to vote on next week.

It is expected to reduce the number of pensioners in receipt of the up to £300 payment by 10 million, from 11.4m to 1.5m, saving around £1.4bn this year.

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/starmer-defends-moves-to-cut-winter-fuel-payments

Continue ReadingStarmer defends moves to cut winter fuel payments

Jeremy Corbyn to form alliance with four independent pro-Gaza MPs

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https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/sep/02/jeremy-corbyn-alliance-independent-pro-gaza-mps

Image of Jeremy Corbyn MP, former leader of the Labour Party
Jeremy Corbyn MP, former leader of the Labour Party

Group calls for more MPs to join and vows to campaign on issues such as austerity and two-child benefit cap

Jeremy Corbyn is to form an official parliamentary alliance with four independent MPs who were elected on pro-Gaza platforms – issuing a call for more MPs to join.

The group will have the same number of MPs as Reform UK and the Democratic Unionist party, who each have five MPs, and more than the Green party and Plaid Cymru on four.

Promising to fight austerity and campaign on issues including the winter fuel allowance, the two-child benefit limit and arms sales to Israel, the group also explicitly invited MPs to join them, a reference to seven rebel Labour MPs suspended by the party for voting to axe the two-child benefit cap.

Corbyn, a former Labour leader, was elected as an independent MP for Islington North after being barred from standing as a Labour candidate at the last election. The group will also include the MPs Shockat Adam, Ayoub Khan, Adnan Hussain and Iqbal Mohamed.

The MPs said: “We were elected by our constituents to provide hope in a parliament of despair. Already, this government has scrapped the winter fuel allowance for around 10 million pensioners, voted to keep the two-child benefits cap, and ignored calls to end arms sales to Israel.

“Millions of people are crying out for a real alternative to austerity, inequality and war – and their voices deserve to be heard. As individuals we were voted by our constituents to represent their concerns in parliament on these matters, and more, and we believe that as a collective group we can carry on doing this with greater effect.

“The more MPs who are prepared to stand up for these principles, the better. Our door is always open to other MPs who believe in a more equal and peaceful world.”

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https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/sep/02/jeremy-corbyn-alliance-independent-pro-gaza-mps

Continue ReadingJeremy Corbyn to form alliance with four independent pro-Gaza MPs

More economic pain and hardship isn’t what people voted for, says Carla Denyer

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Image of the Green Party's Carla Denyer on BBC Question Time.
Image of the Green Party’s Carla Denyer on BBC Question Time.

Responding to Keir Starmer’s speech in which he said that the Labour government has inherited a £22bn black hole in the nation’s finances, as well as a “societal black hole”, co-leader of the Green Party Carla Denyer MP said:

“Enduring more economic pain and hardship isn’t what people voted for. They were told they were voting for change. Not voting for things to get worse before they get better. Labour needs to be honest about the fact that they could choose to make things better for everyone if they were bolder and braver.

“What is being framed as tough choices is actually about political choices. People don’t need a constant reminder that the Tories broke Britain. They need a new approach, not misguided fiscal rules that are set to make things worse.  

“We must generate the funds needed for investment by shifting the burden away from the poorest onto the wealthiest. Labour’s refusal to tax the super-rich shows that business as usual is very much still in business.  

Continue ReadingMore economic pain and hardship isn’t what people voted for, says Carla Denyer

Child neglect has become normalised due to poverty, worker survey finds

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/child-neglect-has-become-normalised-due-to-poverty-worker-survey-finds

MORE than four in five professionals who deal with children experiencing neglect say there are not enough services to support them in England, according to new research.

The NSPCC said its poll of 700 workers from across police, healthcare, social care and education found they believe child neglect — defined as a persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and psychological needs — has become normalised.

More than half of those surveyed said they had seen an increase in neglect cases during their professional life, with nine in 10 saying the rising cost of living and poverty rates were driving factors.

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/child-neglect-has-become-normalised-due-to-poverty-worker-survey-finds

Image of Keir Starmer and a poor child.
Zionist Keir ‘Kid Starver’ Starmer. Image thanks to The Skwawkbox.
Continue ReadingChild neglect has become normalised due to poverty, worker survey finds