Mumsnet Talk

Shrink benefits further outside of London, urges Ed Miliband

Actually, he probably has a point (I'm not used to agreeing with Ed Milliband).

It would be intersesting to hear what he thinks the cap should be.

Great idea (though born from desperation rather than choice - anything to try to get away from the widespread image of Labour being the party of benefit scroungers); see my thread about this:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/politics/1394085-Labour-concedes-abject-defeat-on-regional-benefits-public-sector-pay

But local housing allowance (housing benefit) does vary regionally. He doesn't seem to know what he is talking about.

Housing benefit is the only real regional benefit at the moment. All others are the same everywhere.

And the natural progression is to make public sector pay regional. There isn't any logical argument to say that benefits should be regional but public sector pay should not be.

Do food and utilities cost more in london? I live in the south west and water here is higher than everywhere else. If anything transport in London is cheaper.
Where is the justification for making anything other than HB localised ?

Well, one vote lost for Labour here. Jumping on the Daily Mail bandwagon. Shame on him.

Food definitely costs more in London - not sure about utilities. In general the cost of living is higher.

It's a fantastic idea - one that Tory governments have, over the decades, sadly just not had the political space to attempt as it was seen as too controversial. Now Miliband has made the idea of regional public sector spending mainstream - and the government should be ruthless in pushing it as far as possible, as fast as possible.

"Jumping on the Daily Mail bandwagon."

Actually, he's following widespread public opinion - only 9% of all voters (14% of Labour voters) think there shouldn't be a cap at all. However, 36% of voters would set the cap as low as £20 k (30% of Labour voters).

And before you sart saying "it's only the rich who want to cap benefits..." - that's wrong, too - the 9% who don't want a cap is divided equally between ABC1s and C2DEs.

Here

Mumsnet is far removed from public opinion on this issue.