"Osborne's 'no budge' budget" - A Titanic "full speed ahead" to the Iceberg

Below is Unison's response to today's awful, bodged and Titanic "full steam ahead to the iceberg" budget.

I wonder how many folk recognise the picture of the actor and remember or realise its significance? 

Not a lot according to last years General Election results. 

Why is it each generation eventually forgets not just how horrible the Tories are but that they are economic illiterates who think that mass unemployment is "a price worth paying".

" Osborne’s ‘no budge budget’ is a missed opportunity to right Tory economic wrongs, UNISON, the UK’s largest union, said today. By passing up the chance to scale back the savage public spending cuts, the Tories are condemning the economy to long-term low growth and high unemployment.

The union said that the Tory’s half-hearted attempts to tackle rising inequalities through a Learjet levy and action on tax loopholes, were token gestures, which would not restore fairness - spiralling out of control under the Tories.

UNISON General Secretary, Dave Prentis, said:

“Under the Tories our economy isn’t growing, but the dole queues are. The Government’s own Office of Budget Responsibility has downgraded the growth forecast by 0.9% since the Chancellor’s last budget. The carnage going on in the public sector was completely written out of the Chancellor’s budget.

“Osborne should have used this budget to right his economic wrongs. This no budge budget flies in the face of mounting evidence of the toll Tory cuts are taking on our economy and our society. The Chancellor is pinning his hopes on the private sector driving the recovery – but the evidence shows the private sector is not creating enough jobs to stop total unemployment from rising.

“Struggling families will be pleased that tax receipts have been used to stop fuel price rises. But with dole queues rising, and business and consumer confidence low, this is a warning to Osborne – he will not be able to rely on tax receipts to top up spending much longer.

“Osborne's over-hyped increase in tax allowances will in fact be worth less than £2.50 a week to the average basic rate taxpayer. This is more than cancelled out by the increase in VAT, which will cost the average family more than £3 a week, and other reductions in benefits, tax credits and services, which will cost families even more.

“This small tax giveaway will do nothing to help the 2.53 million people on the dole and struggling to find work. It is a drop in the ocean for millions of public sector workers hit by pay freezes. With inflation up to 5.5%, any benefit will swiftly be wiped out by higher prices.

“The Learjet levy is a token gesture. The mega-rich who can afford a private plane could pay a lot more towards our recovery. Instead, public sector workers are cutting back on food, vital healthcare such as dentists and prescriptions, and are still racking up high levels of personal debt. The poor, sick and vulnerable who did not gamble away our future are paying the price, as the public services they rely on disappear.”

On top of the VAT rise and cuts to tax credits, benefits and services that are hitting all workers, public sector workers are being hit by an increase in their pension contributions that will take more than £10 a week out of their disposable income, and a pay freeze that, with inflation running at 5.5%, will have the effect of reducing their real living standards by the equivalent of another £20 a week.

The union is calling for a change of direction and a budget for growth including a Robin Hood Tax. This tax on the banks would add £20 billion to the public purse – twenty times the measures the Chancellor announced today to close tax loopholes. Twenty billion would save local services from shut down, keep children’s nurseries open, stop hospital’s shedding jobs and save adult day centres from closure.

There is another way

- Andrew Lansley’s £3 billion* top-down reorganisation of the NHS could fund 600,000 hip operations, or fund full home care packages for 150,000 elderly or vulnerable people.

- Francis Maude’s “mutuals taskforce” has a £10 million price tag – these funds could keep more than 200 social, youth and community workers in their jobs for a year.

- And Gove’s Academies and Free Schools programme has £410 million of funding – which could restart around 20 of the vital school rebuilding projects he cancelled last year, giving disadvantaged children better schools, and creating valuable construction jobs.
(picture is from "Boys from the black stuff")

"The People of the Woods ARISE!"

Great post in Country Standard about the first (probable) major U-Turn by the ConDems.  We can defeat them.  

"A growing revolt is in full swing in the English Countryside. Rural Communities are banding to get her to take direct action to prevent the Tory/Lib Dem privatisation of England's great forests.

On Friday, Tory Minister Mark Harper, MP for Forest of Dean was heckled and pelted with eggs by a huge crowd, including Country Standard supporters in the small town of Coleford.

The meeting in the local Library was full to bursting with further 500 outside in the street. The protesters chanted of 'Hands off our Forest' and 'Get Harper out' could be heard throughout the meeting and long into the night.

The huge crowd spilled over into the main street, with local residents and passerby signalling their overwhelming support.

It did not go unnoticed by those fighting the privatisation of the Forest of Dean that the building the meeting was held in Coleford Library, is also threatened with closure by the Tories.

Next Stop the New Forest ! Lets turn the anger on millionaire Caroline Spelman, Tory Environment Secretary architect of Forest Privatisation. The Right Wing Press running scared............

Sunday Telegraph 6 February 2011 - "Mark Harper, the Conservative MP for The Forest of Dean, was attacked by protesters as he exited a public meeting where he had been defending the Government's plans for a forestry sell-off. He was pelted with eggs by protesters who also attacked the police van to try to prevent him leaving.  Mr Harper accused a number of objectors of being "bent on violence" and likened them to a "baying mob". The public meeting, which took place in Coleford in Gloucestershire on Friday night, will have given the Coalition a worrying insight into the growing anger its forest consultation has provoked.

One Tory MP has already warned the sell-off could be the Government's 'poll tax moment'.

Martin Ives Sunday Times 6 February 2011 - "What do we want? The Forestry Commission. When do we want it? Now. In the past 10 days the coalition has performed the seemingly impossible feat of turning a dreary nationalised industry into the last redoubt of Merrie England. Watch out, its ancient greenwood is to be sold off or leased to axe-wielding spivs. So farewell, the woods that once sheltered Robin Hood; adieu the hearts of oak that kept the Royal Navy afloat.

Anyone who remembers how the view on a country walk has been spoilt by an ugly, dark wall of Christmas trees will be sceptical of the Forestry Commission’s stewardship of our green and pleasant land. Charles Clover, our environment columnist, sees merit in the government’s proposals.

However, there is no disputing how unpopular the policy is — opinion polls reveal more than 70% reject it. Damian Green, the luckless Tory minister who had to defend the measure on BBC’s Question Time on Thursday, was howled down. Conservative HQ had supplied him with an incomprehensible debating point about the Forestry Commission’s conflict of interest as regulator and timber merchant. He was chopped up for firewood."

What will you do when I'm gone?

"..Gave away our nursing jobs to some private company

They say it will be cheaper, but this much I am sure

For the people that I care for, profit is not the cure"

This superb anti-privatisation video was produced by Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU).  I am afraid that it may well apply to our own NHS if the ConDems get away with their plans to dismantle and privatise it.

March in March.

Hat tip Tynesider

This is what Tories do...So why are you surprised they are selling our forests?

Hat-tip to Country Standard blog for this report about the Condems plan to privatise 15% of the land (correction it is now not 15% but all of our land) owned by the Forestry Commission. 

Someone I met today, a traditional Tory supporter, was absolutely outraged by this plan and flabbergasted that the government is even thinking of doing this.  Err...Yeah, but...

This sort of stunned outrage is becoming quite commonplace.  Non-political friends and family, work colleagues, union members and even union activists will come up to me and in detail express their shock and horror at the latest vile proposal or act of this government.  Well...yes, but didn't you say you were not voting at the election since they were "all the same"?

My stock response is Err yes...but this what Tories do, surely you know this? Obviously not.  Even from those who like me lived through the 1980's appear shocked.

I even had someone banging the drum about this 'orrible government who before the General Election told me that Mr Cameron is a "nice man" who should be given a chance!!!!

Much, much worse recently I heard a paid union official slag off Labour Party controlled Councils while justifiably complaining bitterly about cuts and job losses and yet never uttered a single word of criticism about the government...FFS - what is going on here?

To be honest I am getting just a little bit fed up with all this.  We told people what to expect if the Tories got in and 71% of people didn't believe us.  We have to accept responsibility for losing the election but those who voted against us or did not vote have got to accept responsibility as well for what is happening.

Stop the jobseeker injustice

Well done to the NHF for carrying on with their "Don't mention the housing crisis" campaign post General election.  Also, for annoying Coalition ministers for pointing out the inequities and injustices of their policies.

This screen print from their website encourages you to contact your MP about the latest bit of Condem viciousness towards the vulnerable. 

"The Government is planning to cut support for people who are looking for work.

From 2013, job seekers will see a 10% cut in their housing benefit if it takes them longer than a year to find a job, while claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA).

This proposal is wrong, it will penalise people who simply can’t find work and threatens to increase homelessness or debt among vulnerable people.

A young person hit by this cut will have to live on an average of just £41.65 a week.

Your MP has the power to vote against the change in Parliament, use this template email to ask your MP to stop this injustice from happening.

We've made this easy for you with this template email which we encourage you to personalise. Once you've finished it, just click 'send' and it will be emailed to your MP".

Save London's Housing!

Nationally, we are facing an unprecedented housing disaster thanks to this Government.  Ordinary Londoner's will suffer the most.

The Labour Housing Group is a national affiliated organisation within the Labour Party "dedicated to developing and promoting effective housing policy".

In London and elsewhere we need to campaign against Boris and his ConDems unnecessary, nasty and sheer vindictive policies designed to cleanse middle class Britain of anyone who is on a low income, unemployed or otherwise vulnerable.

Tomorrow is the Biannual London Labour Party Conference and we will be handing out this leaflet (double click to bring up details) about forming a London Branch of the Labour Housing Group.

LHG members Karen Buck MP and Nicky Gavron AM are driving this initiative with the support of the LHG Executive (see the AGM).  We hope to launch the branch at the House of Commons in January.  There will be a planning meeting beforehand.

If you are interested in taking part in a fightback against the Comdems flagship policies and winning the battle of housing ideas please email Nicky to join our mailing.

You can download a membership form for the LHG and find out more details here

“The End of Social Housing 1945-2010”

Picture is from the front page of Friday’s “Inside Housing” magazine.  Its grim conclusion is that the ConDems have decided to end Social Housing. 

To be clear this is about the ending of a key plank of the welfare state, it is about the end of all Social Housing whether provided by Councils or Housing Associations. I don’t think that people generally have “got this” yet. 

Quite rightly they have been distracted at the plans to “Kosovo” style cleanse the poor out of middle class Britain.

For much of the 20^th century, all British governments, Labour and Tory, provided direct financial support to build social housing for working people, the elderly and the vulnerable.  This government has decided that it will not be doing so any more.

There is some money set aside for existing commitments but once this is spent any new homes for rent will only be allowed to be built if they charge tenants 80% of market rents.  They also will lose their security of tenure.  What this will mean according to Inside Housing is that an average working family of three will pay £140 more per week (note per week) than they would currently.  This is not social housing anymore.

Ordinary working families will not be able to afford to live in such “housing” and will seek cheaper and smaller housing in privately owned slums and ghettos. 

Unemployed tenants will fall into arrears due to housing benefit cuts and will face eviction; they will be held to be “intentionally homeless” and be forced to move into privately owned slums and ghettos. 

Ironically the foundation of the Welfare State was laid by Liberal, William Beveridge.  One of the “5 Giants” it was created to tackle was “squalor”.  We are about to turn full circle.

Does anyone in this government “get it” either? 

"The future of our schools" TUC conference Sat 27 Nov

The TUC are putting on this special conference on the future of schools and "debating the Government's reform agenda".

"What do government policies on schools mean for our children and communities?

What are the long-term implications of giving more schools greater autonomy - improved schooling for all or a two-tier system?

Does the focus on parental choice empower the majority of families?

What do academies and free schools mean for teachers and other education professionals?

This conference will consider these questions and hear a range of views on the future of our schools.

The event is based around panel discussions and workshops so that participants can share their experiences and opinions with others.

The event is for everyone with an interest in the future of our schools, including parents, pupils, school governors, school staff, trade unionists, local authority officials, academics and policy advisors.

To register for this free event please complete this online form: www.tuc.org.uk/futureschoolsreg
Let your friends and colleagues know you are attending this event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=160098134017914"

"because we are tories - and that's what we do..."

Well, no great surprises today.  It's not that we were not warned I suppose.

"It's the same the whole world over, It's the poor wot gets the blame; It's the rich wot gets the pleasure, Ain't it all a blooming shame".

Check out UNISON's view on this attempt to strangle the recovery and the new fightback Labour Party website Your Better Way. 

By coincidence this evening was my UNISON Housing Association branch executive meeting and while everyone of us dreaded today I think we would agree that there was definitely a feeling that we are not down and out and that it is still possible and feasible to defeat the coalition by organising and sheer plain hard work. 

Not (IMO) by gesture politics and pointless oppositionalism.

The new CONDEM medical assessment: Sink or Swim

hat tip to "Respect for unemployed and benefit claimants".  Many moons ago, in the midst of rampant Thatcherism, I use to be the "Lothian Claimants Union" secretary.

Naive fool that I am - I use to think things then were horribly tough on claimants.

CONDEM Cuts: Megan tells it as it is

SERTUC Regional Secretary, Megan Dobney (standing on left), addresses the London UNISON Regional Council (sadly inquorate - but we know why).

The usual health warning on the absolute accuracy of my rather hurried typed notes.

Megan - "...there are 3 choices facing us: 1. work for a collapse of the coalition, 2: Defeat the Coalition in a General Election or 3: "armed insurrection" (this was a Joke).

Megan realised that some of the people present would in fact want "armed insurrection".  However she pointed out that this could never happen since it was not TUC policy.  So if you wanted this to be policy you should put in a motion to next year's Trade Union Congress (knowing the limited reasoning skills of some of my readers - I will stress this was also a joke).  Option 1 is her choice: Bringing down the Coalition is more likely and we do not want to wait 5 years.

Megan believes that public services are a bulwark against barbarism.  But we have a problem opposing cuts since according to some surveys - 50% of the public support the idea of CONDEM "savage cuts" including 40% of trade union members! This show's the scale of problem. We have to explain in the teeth of the media basis, what is really going on. Why the government is wrong and cannot deal with the deficit by cutting public sector investment which is essential for growth. Cuts will lead to unfairness and recession. VAT is regressive and any increase in basic tax is so also and will not help those who due to the Bankers recession are at risk.

We should get the tax that is currently avoided and evaded.  The "Robin Hood" tax would bring in lots of money for a very small outlay.  The PCS argue convincingly that 20 thousand more tax officers jobs would bring in £20 billion in tax income.  National finance is not to be paralled with consumer budgets. You saw this last week when the German government finally paid off it war debt, it's debt from World War One! While it took us 60 years to pay off our 2nd World War debt. 

Organisation in our workplace is absolutely essential but not enough - there are 6.5 million trade Unionists but this is not sufficient  We have to work with our communities. we need to stress that public sector cuts are not just job cuts but services cuts as well.

The cancellation of the "Building Schools for the Future" resonated with many people.  They could see the cuts taking place to something they could measure and value. This not just about being a romantic opposition but about good organsiation. 

If a 1pm Club faces closures don’t wait for a demo of 9 workers outside the town hall but get service users, family, friends, shop keepers to come and protest. This is an attack on communities, not just an attack on a group of workers whose jobs might go.

We need to be aware of CSR on 19 October and the SERTUC/TUC plan to target the 150 Tory/Lib Dem MP's who are at most risk at the next General Election.  Some of them might be the most vicious towards the cuts but they are also very fond of their seats! 

Numerous other demos on 23/10/10.  Congress House rally 12-1.45. It has to be a good turnout. Megan does not want to know everyone there personally. This is crucial.

In May 2011 the Tories and Lib Dems must feel the pain.

A Marathon is not a sprint. Who knows what to expect with them at the moment. The Child benefit fury.  They didn’t expect at all the reaction that got and that is important. Also the stresses and strains over tuition. We need to be creating the understanding that allows voices to be heard.

A recentl Yougov polls may have showed that 70% want housing benefit cuts but at the same time - 60% do not want the Post Office privatised. This is an outcome of work done last year by CWU. We must do the same. Local campaigning. Unison is ideal because you have centre in every town. In the recent strikes in France there was wonderful inspiration. In one small town of 5000 - 25% of the population was on rally. In every small town thousands of people protested. This make the government realise that this is not us looking after jobs but defending the rights and needs of our communities. We are not going to win with mass rallys of polemic but by detailed work, organised work and working with communities. Finally, to finish with a chilling moment she reminded us what Cameron said at the recent Tory conference.

“Look what we have done in 5 months imagine what we can do in 5 years”.

NHS White Paper - Model response deadline 5th OCTOBER URGENT‏

"Our NHS, our future. Get your response into the Government's white paper. Tell them he drive to hand over large parts of the NHS to the private sector is driven by ideology, not by evidence. See below for a draft response....."


White Paper Team,
Room 601,
Department of Health,
79 Whitehall,
London
SW1A 2NS

nhswhitepaper@dh.gsi.gov.uk

Deadline 5th October 2010

RESPONSE TO NHS WHITE PAPER

This organisation (Print)……………................................................................ maintains that the proposed White Paper would have a seriously detrimental impact upon the services, values and founding principles of our National Health Service.

These proposals have little support from NHS staff or patients, and lack an electoral mandate: not one of them was put to voters in May.

The drive to hand over large parts of the NHS to the private sector is driven by ideology, not by evidence. Bitter experience shows privatisation (such as hospital cleaning, and computerisation) costs more or undermines quality.

The scrapping of 150 Primary Care Trusts and replacing them with GP commissioning bodies would (a) be more expensive (b) fragment services (c) open up a new “postcode lottery” of inequalities, (d) fail to safeguard  vulnerable patients (e) bring more privatisation and (f ) lead to GPs rationing care.

The abolition of PCTs and SHAs would result in all future decisions being taken without the scrutiny or influence of local councillors or the public. The public has a right to influence the NHS and not just to become a consumer.

Foundation Trusts would be encouraged to focus more of their resources on attracting wealthy private patients from home and abroad, with services for NHS patients squeezed by £20 billion in cuts.

Please ensure our organisation’s response to the NHS White Paper is registered.

OUR NHS - OUR FUTURE (hat-tip UNISONactive)

Labour Conference 2010: Life in the Northern Quarter

This year I stayed in an one bedroom flat in the “Northern Quarter” of Manchester. A world heritage site no less. This was not only cheaper and better than a hotel but it was also a far more interesting and cosmopolitan place to stay than the City centre. 

In the mornings I was able to try and shake off the Midland Hotel induced hangovers with an early morning jog around the nearby canals. 

On route I would pass an area near Piccadilly Basin which had been closed off to the public and was being used to film a Hollywood film based on the “Captain America” comics.   Apparently this part of Manchester resembles 1940’s Lower East Side, New York.  It was strange to see cast members walking around dressed as “gangsters and molls” in period hats and trench coats while texting or sheltering from the rain using modern umbrellas. 

Running (very slowly of course) along the canal’s you become very aware of Manchester’s industrial history and the “dark satanic mills” that we sang about a few hours ago earlier at conference.  Many old mills have been turned into apartment blocks similar to the old Bryant and May Matchmakers building in Bow.  There is even an area called New Islington to make me feel at home. The best run to appreciate the new and the old Manchester was along the Ashton Canal to the Man City stadium and back. 

On a sad and depressing point I did notice that thanks to the Banker's recession work has stopped on many construction sites which are moth balled and up for sale.  Some of the newly built apartments and office buildings also appear to be mostly empty.  Regeneration of this part of Manchester is obviously in trouble.

Massive CONDEM public spending cuts will just further destroy confidence. This will mean more construction workers will be unemployed, less taxes will be paid and more money needed to pay benefits.  Which will increase pressure on the deficit and mean more public spending cuts which will mean....We need our new British superhero, Ed M, to save us!

Union meetings..Now and then

On Tuesday I had the great joy of attending the UNISON London Regional Committee.  Before I bored everyone to tears with my Finance Convener report, the Regional Council Officers (RCO) had tabled a statement to the Committee on “Responding to the Coalition Government”. 

This one and a half page statement was something that we RCO’s had genuinely thought would be welcomed and serve to unite all sections of the Committee. It recognised that the real agenda of the Coalition government was to destroy our public services and committed the region to campaign and defend public services.

It also stated that we must ensure the union survives; work with members to defend jobs and livelihoods; campaign for quality public services; organise in private companies; enhance unity across workplaces and unite London against the Coalition.

All good stuff I thought.  I was expecting a debate on the statement (this was our first meeting since the General Election) however for some reason the discussion only centred on the use of this one sentence (& two words) the “current attack on public services is not only an attack on public service workers but on our society and the British people as a whole”.

There was then, to my mind, a very odd and rather unreal debate about the use of the term “British People”!  According to some members of the committee this was the wrong term to use since there are millionaires who are British so if we use the word British this means we are actually defending millionaires? 

Hmmm. 

One committee member wanted us to get rid of “British people” and instead only use the term “working class”.  It was gently pointed out that while we here today might indeed think all working people in Britain are “working class”, most workers, rightly or wrongly, do not recognise that this term applies to them and if we want to genuinely connect with them we should use terms that they relate to. 

This statement of the bleeding obvious didn’t go down well with a minority of committee members and the debate continued. I pointed out that the use of the term “British people” was actually something that we RCO’s had welcomed because we felt it was vital  to make the argument that the public sector trade unions are not just opposing the coalition just to defend our our own jobs and interests - but that we think that quality public services should be protected since they are the glue that hold this country together! 

There were some sensible points made such as some of our members are not British or do not see themselves as British (as my Plaid Cymru Councillor brother-in-law would no doubt agree). 

But overall I was astonished and frustrated that in the face of the impending Coalition Tsunami and slash and burn of our public services - we spent our precious time arguing over the modern day equivalent of “how many angels can dance on the head of a pin”.  

It has since become apparent that one of the reasons for this classic “Life of Brian” debate was that some of our ultra left witch hunting brethren had thought (wrongly as usual) that the phrase “British Public” had been inserted into the statement by some dastardly doublethink enemy of their micro-sects!

Due to the scale of the threat we face we really cannot afford to waste any more of our time on such pointless and self indulgent navel gazing or rearranging of the Titanic's deck chairs. The ultra left have got to grow up and stop behaving like a dog constantly gnawing and slobbering at its favourite bone. IMO.

(see video: some things don't change)

New CONDEM Logo as more Lib Dem Cllrs join Labour

Hat-tip thingy Steven Frear.

Labour Housing Group Conference Fringe: Sunday 26 September

I received this quarterly newsletter form the Labour Housing Group yesterday. The fringe at Party conference will take place at the Friends Meeting House on Sunday evening.  It is just outside the secure zone (so you will not need any conference pass to attend).

By coincidence yesterday I attended an excellent housing briefing by the Labour Party on "Building London's Future".  The information we received about the likely consequences of the CONDEM cuts in housing benefit is frankly pretty scary.  I'll post on this later. 

As part of the response to the CONDEM plans I did at the meeting bring up the idea of a London branch  of the LHG which seemed to be well received.

(not forgetting another key fringe that will be taking place this year!)

On board the Livingstone Battle Bus against Boris & CONDEM Cuts

Early yesterday morning I was with London UNISON convener, Gloria Hanson, at Euston to join other trade unionists who were helping London Labour Mayor Candidate, Ken Livingtone, launch his Boris and CONDEM anti-cuts campaign.  We went on a open air double decker bus to the Beormund Community Centre in Bermondsey, which itself is facing a Government £40k cut in its budget putting its existence in doubt. With us amongst others was Steve Hart, the Unite Regional Secretary, Paul Hayes the London GMB regional secretary, David Lammy MP and of course - Ken. 

Before we set off Ken got a good reception from passing commuters who shouted support and gave him the "thumbs up" sign and in return they received the famous grin.  Ken is of course notoriously a bit of a "Marmite" character, but ordinary Londoners seemed to be genuinely pleased to see him and offer support.

The bus driver was unsure of the best route to Bermondsey, so the Unite union Black taxi reps present offerred to help.  This could have been a "tricky" situation (taxi drivers telling bus drivers "what to do") but it seemed to work well (all comrades together!).  Perhaps also we were lucky there were no low bridges on route either? :)

The immediate Boris/CONDEM cuts already announced and the prospect of even much, much more are the defining issue facing Londoners.  We need the candidate who is best able to inspire and protect ordinary Londoners and then defeat in 2012 the ideological "slash and burners" who will be doing their level best to destroy our London.

In this particular battle - nothing else matters.

UPDATE: check out Mary Honeyball MEP top post here on her support for Ken.

"Crisis, what crisis?"... CONDEM porkies about National Debt

 You would think from recent announcements by Osborne (and whatever Libdem spokesperson) that we are indeed about to go cap in hand to the IMF at any moment. 

This BBC graph based on IMF figures reported upon yesterday on Labour list by Howard Dawber makes you think "wot?".

Just look at the current and projected debt levels?

This is what Howard said "49. THE WHOLE JUSTIFICATION OF THE DEFICIT REDUCTION PACKAGE

The ConDems have based their whole economic policy on the idea that the economy is tanking, that there is no spare money in government, but that growth is strong enough to cope with a massive reduction in public spending. In their analysis Britain’s deficit and debt puts us on a par with Greece and if we don’t take drastic action the whole economy will collapse. Labour’s plan to halve the deficit in 4 years, generally regarded as ambitious but workable by economists, is too slow. They want to halve it in two years.

Why is it a bad idea? The ConDems have their facts wrong, and on top of that have the wrong strategy as well. Despite being faced with the worst world-wide recession in decades, Labour took brave decisions to support the banks, stimulate the economy and keep spending under control. As a result, unemployment when Labour left office in 2010 was lower than when Labour came to power in 1997. Interest rates remain the lowest they have been for decades. Having got the economy out of recession at the end of last year, growth is now higher than expected – the economy grew by 1.1% from April – June. Unemployment fell in the last quarter and is lower in the UK than the EU average. Our banks have been stable and secure.

And what about our terrible, terrible debt – the reason the Tories keep talking about the “unavoidable” cuts? UK debt as a percentage of GDP reached 68.7% earlier this year and is still rising. That’s not great. But it is comfortably lower than the other G7 countries like Germany, the United States, France, Canada, Italy or Japan. Last time the Tories were in power they put up our debt from 34% of GDP to 51% to help get through the recession of the 1990s. This time they are doing the exact opposite to what most countries around the world agree is the right way to get back into sustainable growth. For a comparison with our major international competitors see this graph. The “savage” cuts programme is not just wrong because it is not based on a real understanding of the economic position of the country, it is wrong because it may reverse the positive trend of growth.

The Bank of England says that the ConDem plans will lead to a slower recovery and higher inflation than previously expected with Labour’s plans.

Finally we taxpayers are already £5bn in profit on the government’s investment in Lloyds and Royal Bank of Scotland. Within a year of the end of the recession Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling’s decision to step in with funding has been proved not just right but very profitable too. The Tories, incidentally, want to sell these shares off at a loss to benefit their friends in the stockbroking and hedge fund industry".

Save NHS Direct

This BBC report confirms earlier rumours that the CONDEMS are planning to scrap NHS Direct and replace it with a privately run call centre staffed by unqualified operatives. 

So much for the Tory pledge to safeguard the NHS?  NHS Direct is a success and actually saves money by stopping people going to see the GP's or A&E unnecessarily.  They also conversely -save lives since many people (especially men) will not go and seek medical advice in person but will ring up NHS Direct and will then accept their advice that they should see their GP.

This only works because people trust the service and know that they are speaking to properly trained and qualified NHS staff. 

Most privately run medical call centres have a terrible reputation.  People do not trust the confidentiality of these centres and the quality of the advice. 

This is from the UNISON press release: -

STAND UP FOR NHS DIRECT

The Guardian states that Conservative Secretary of State for Health has let slip that the Coalition is to scrap NHS Direct for a cheaper service.

The proposal is to replace 3,000 dedicated specialist nurses and health professionals with a cheap private call centre, with no access to a nurse.

Private call centres with unqualified staff can never replace this excellent service, which provides vital immediate support such as during the swine flu outbreak which saw scores of people die.

NHS Direct UNISON Official Michael Walker states:

"Not one Coalition party stated they would scrap NHS Direct in their manifesto. There is no mandate for cutting this service . If the government attack NHS Direct, what else is next? What other NHS cuts are they hiding? It is time for Cameron and Clegg to come clean about their real plans for our NHS."

Join UNISON's campaign to Save NHS Direct.

"CCTV footage reveals shocking cruelty"

"POLITICAL activists reacted with fury today when Sky News broadcast CCTV footage of an innocent political party being unceremoniously dumped in a wheelie bin.

“Well, no-one was looking and no-one seemed to care anyway,” said the unnamed brute (David Cameron, 44) who carried out the crime. He was seen initially to offer friendship and affection to the party, before quickly opening up the bin and throwing it in when it was least expecting it.

The party remained in the wheelie bin awaiting rescue. But no-one bothered.

Nick Clegg is 30. At the very most".

Hat-tip thingy to Tom Harris MP

(Just in case you don't know...)