George Osborne considering freeze on benefits to save £4.4bn

StevieJ

A._Badger wrote: »

As Generali says, this is a knot that is almost impossible to untangle.

However (at risk of sounding like a Daily Mail leader writer).

Those DM writers that sometimes appear on question time actually look like you would imagine them to look like :eek:

abaxas

MrsE wrote: »

Drugs are the scourge of our times & the penalty's need to be increased for dealing & possession, drastically.

Incorrect,

Scourge of ALL time, sadly with alcohol being the worst offender.

StevieJ

MrsE wrote: »

Drugs are the scourge of our times & the penalty's need to be increased for dealing & possession, drastically.

The prisons are already full with them, what do you propose

drc

StevieJ wrote: »

The prisons are already full with them, what do you propose

Build more prisons?

abaxas

drc wrote: »

Build more prisons?

Legalise pot but increase sentences for harder drugs.

ILW

michaels wrote: »

Its not really that attractive though if you have a better option...why is it that these women do not see any better options, is it the availability of this option that is the problem or the failure of education and ambition that has gone before in their lives?

I refer back to G's relative quoted as having 3 kids by 20 but this being OK as she and her husband supported themselves - but what would have been the position if said husband had got scared and disappeared (the woman could not have been certain this would not happen) or even got killed by a hit and run driver without adequate insurance - how could a system differentiate from one young single mother who appears 'deserving' and another who does not?

I belive it used to be called a widows pension.

ILW

A._Badger wrote: »

As Generali says, this is a knot that is almost impossible to untangle.

However (at risk of sounding like a Daily Mail leader writer) the fact is that 50 years of 'progressive' education, with its attendant moral and cultural relativism, has led us here and needs to be reconsidered. I would suggest it is at the root of this poverty of expectations you point to.

When having a baby at 15 is a 'valid lifestyle choice' and one is scolded for being 'judgemental' if you suggest it isn't, then we are in deep, deep trouble.

I think that attitude may be at the root of many problems. The fact that calling someone judgemental is considered an insult is in my opinion wrong.
It seems to be that people are permitted to do whatever they like, despite the cost to others and as soon as anybody tries to do anything about it, any discussion is halted by the accusation of being judgemental.
If somebody is doing something that is obviously wrong, they should be judged, particularly by the people who are being forced to pay.

The_White_Horse

StevieJ wrote: »

The prisons are already full with them, what do you propose

prisons can never be full. you could get at least another 5 or 6 people in each cell.

A._Badger

StevieJ wrote: »

Those DM writers that sometimes appear on question time actually look like you would imagine them to look like :eek:

And the same is true of Grauniad writers. So what?

Sapphire

carolt wrote: »

Presumably that applies to all jobs, not just the public sector. I assume you agree with doing away with all bonuses for bankers etc too.

You are aware that bonuses were brought in in the first place to ape the private sector, aren't you? - under the 'private sector good, public sector bad' mentality. The idea was that if you made the public sector more like the private sector, it would be better and more efficient.

What part of the private sector? In my part people haven't had bonuses for several years (and if they ever received them in the past, they were small – nothing like the sort of thing paid to the public sector with taxpayers' money).