Sunday Express Comment – ‘Right to Work’
We can reduce the dependency culture by finding real work for everyone who needs it
David Cordingley – Leader
United Kingdom Popular Democrats (UKpopdems)
What do you think is the biggest single problem facing Britain’s future? Listen to mainstream politicians and they will tell you: global warming; the Iraq conflict and terrorism; world poverty; crime and the gun culture; obesity; bird flu? You could be forgiven for thinking the answer is all of these because a new Armageddon does seem to fall out of politicians mouths every few weeks. But the real one is the one that all politicians of whatever colour desperately want to avoid talking about.
The biggest problem facing Britain today and for the future is Social Dependency. ‘So what’? you may be thinking. Let me explain something. Almost half the tax our beloved Chancellor wrings out of you is spent on programmes that try to compensate for social imbalances. Things that have gone wrong that should not have, like social services, pensions, health, unemployment, housing, crime and others. That’s a total of about £250billion! If you pay average tax on average earnings that means almost a quarter of what you earn disappears in social taxes. Imagine what you could do with that extra £6,000 a year. What!? Yes, don’t forget the taxes you pay include more than just the basic rate. There’s VAT, drink, motoring, National Insurance, Council Tax plus a host of other stealth taxes adding up to almost 50% of what you earn.
Like most things this government has tried to do, spending all that money of yours on social re-engineering has not worked. Social health problems are escalating, so is crime, so are debt problems. Pensions, which were meant to give people some dignity in older age, are now devalued or even worthless and that in itself is a key future threat. What’s worse is that a whole generation of Britons - and immigrants too - are dependent on these social taxes, perhaps up to five million. Everyone’s heard of the ‘Dependency Culture’. But what is it? Well, it’s a sound bite that unfairly brands and boxes three groups of totally different people. ONE: People who want to work but can’t find work and depend on benefits to live, and TWO: People who don’t want to work and are content to live on benefits, and THREE: people who should be getting support to maximise their potential but the money’s run out to support them properly so low-grade benefits are the only answer.
Brown’s done his sums and even he knows that more big tax rises are out. There’s no more money to throw at the problem, and even if there were, we all know it would be wasted and social dependency would get worse. His and Labour’s only answer is to ignore it and rely on their mastery of spin to pretend it’s not happening. Tories and Lib/Dems have no better answer so we are all suffering, those who are paying the hefty social taxes and those who need better help and are not getting it. But there is an answer and it’s really not that difficult. It is to make sure everyone who needs work can get it; real empowering jobs that contribute to Britain and our society; jobs that turn social dependents into valuable contributors. This is ‘Right to Work’.
Employment is the sure route to independence and self-respect. Everyone knows unemployment leads to poverty, dependency and humiliation – and provides the foundation for crime, disaffection and ill health. ‘Right to Work’ provides real jobs for people who need them. There is plenty to do in the front-line of the public sector alone, let alone the private sector. ‘Right to Work’ is a programme that particularly includes jobs for people who have low basic skills and are disadvantaged, such ex-offenders, mobile disabled, the young unemployed, and those discriminated against. There’s a lot to do to get Britons back into work, so best start now.
This is how ‘Right to Work’ can be implemented by a determined government at no extra cost to British taxpayers. First we need to recognise these jobs already exist, they’re either just not being done or not being done by Britons, so we must make sure British citizens are first in the queue for jobs, ahead of foreign nationals. Don’t be fooled by human rights lawyers or EU fanatics. Briton can legitimately do this as a sovereign state. Second we need to make sure basic skills training is available for those who need it in communication, work responsibilities etc, so the long term unemployed can gain confidence. Third we need to make sure everyone clearly understands that if they need work, can work and should be working then work will be made available. Then we need to do a couple of important things. One, change the role of job centres so they are responsible for finding jobs for Britons and two, making sure private sector companies can get worthwhile tax incentives by taking on Britons who are currently dependent on benefits.
‘Right to Work’ is a long term programme but could be fully implemented over ten years or two terms, possibly segmented by targeted age bands. As the programme progresses then three fundamental social goals will be met that will benefit Britain and the British people. One; Britons will be in work and know that if they need work they will get it. Two; billions in social benefit costs will be saved for better purposes and, Three; those who need real support to make the quality of their lives better will have access to the money denied them by government for special schools, care, equipment and effective treatment.
David Cordingley – Leader
United Kingdom Popular Democrats (UKpopdems)
What do you think is the biggest single problem facing Britain’s future? Listen to mainstream politicians and they will tell you: global warming; the Iraq conflict and terrorism; world poverty; crime and the gun culture; obesity; bird flu? You could be forgiven for thinking the answer is all of these because a new Armageddon does seem to fall out of politicians mouths every few weeks. But the real one is the one that all politicians of whatever colour desperately want to avoid talking about.
The biggest problem facing Britain today and for the future is Social Dependency. ‘So what’? you may be thinking. Let me explain something. Almost half the tax our beloved Chancellor wrings out of you is spent on programmes that try to compensate for social imbalances. Things that have gone wrong that should not have, like social services, pensions, health, unemployment, housing, crime and others. That’s a total of about £250billion! If you pay average tax on average earnings that means almost a quarter of what you earn disappears in social taxes. Imagine what you could do with that extra £6,000 a year. What!? Yes, don’t forget the taxes you pay include more than just the basic rate. There’s VAT, drink, motoring, National Insurance, Council Tax plus a host of other stealth taxes adding up to almost 50% of what you earn.
Like most things this government has tried to do, spending all that money of yours on social re-engineering has not worked. Social health problems are escalating, so is crime, so are debt problems. Pensions, which were meant to give people some dignity in older age, are now devalued or even worthless and that in itself is a key future threat. What’s worse is that a whole generation of Britons - and immigrants too - are dependent on these social taxes, perhaps up to five million. Everyone’s heard of the ‘Dependency Culture’. But what is it? Well, it’s a sound bite that unfairly brands and boxes three groups of totally different people. ONE: People who want to work but can’t find work and depend on benefits to live, and TWO: People who don’t want to work and are content to live on benefits, and THREE: people who should be getting support to maximise their potential but the money’s run out to support them properly so low-grade benefits are the only answer.
Brown’s done his sums and even he knows that more big tax rises are out. There’s no more money to throw at the problem, and even if there were, we all know it would be wasted and social dependency would get worse. His and Labour’s only answer is to ignore it and rely on their mastery of spin to pretend it’s not happening. Tories and Lib/Dems have no better answer so we are all suffering, those who are paying the hefty social taxes and those who need better help and are not getting it. But there is an answer and it’s really not that difficult. It is to make sure everyone who needs work can get it; real empowering jobs that contribute to Britain and our society; jobs that turn social dependents into valuable contributors. This is ‘Right to Work’.
Employment is the sure route to independence and self-respect. Everyone knows unemployment leads to poverty, dependency and humiliation – and provides the foundation for crime, disaffection and ill health. ‘Right to Work’ provides real jobs for people who need them. There is plenty to do in the front-line of the public sector alone, let alone the private sector. ‘Right to Work’ is a programme that particularly includes jobs for people who have low basic skills and are disadvantaged, such ex-offenders, mobile disabled, the young unemployed, and those discriminated against. There’s a lot to do to get Britons back into work, so best start now.
This is how ‘Right to Work’ can be implemented by a determined government at no extra cost to British taxpayers. First we need to recognise these jobs already exist, they’re either just not being done or not being done by Britons, so we must make sure British citizens are first in the queue for jobs, ahead of foreign nationals. Don’t be fooled by human rights lawyers or EU fanatics. Briton can legitimately do this as a sovereign state. Second we need to make sure basic skills training is available for those who need it in communication, work responsibilities etc, so the long term unemployed can gain confidence. Third we need to make sure everyone clearly understands that if they need work, can work and should be working then work will be made available. Then we need to do a couple of important things. One, change the role of job centres so they are responsible for finding jobs for Britons and two, making sure private sector companies can get worthwhile tax incentives by taking on Britons who are currently dependent on benefits.
‘Right to Work’ is a long term programme but could be fully implemented over ten years or two terms, possibly segmented by targeted age bands. As the programme progresses then three fundamental social goals will be met that will benefit Britain and the British people. One; Britons will be in work and know that if they need work they will get it. Two; billions in social benefit costs will be saved for better purposes and, Three; those who need real support to make the quality of their lives better will have access to the money denied them by government for special schools, care, equipment and effective treatment.
posted by United Kingdom Popular Democratic Party at 1:42 pm
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