How miserable are you that the Tories are in power?

[sundayrose10]

I feel tense and twitchy. I used to enjoy reading the politic section/ other political forums, but I fear if I keep on going there and reading more and more about Tory plans, I will give myself a heart attack.

I loath them but worst I fear them. I am anxious for this country and the ordinary man and woman.

Dave makes me feel insane with hatred.

I have a colleague who is in love with the Tories. I don't share biscuits with him any more.

Dave makes me itch. All over.

[niceguy2]

Ive said this before and I still think that it's a fairer solution than present.

The moment you enter the benefits system for income support/JSA & housing benefit. Ie. the criteria you get marked against is set in stone. So say you have two kids, you get the house & benefits due for two kids.

If you then go on to have two more kids, that is your right to do so. BUT the govt carry on paying you as though you have two kids. If you want a bigger house. If you want the nicer things in life then you go and earn it just like everyone else has to. The fact you've chosen to have more kids should not mean you are now entitled to a larger house as that is blatantly unfair to the rest of society/taxpayers who are having to foot the bill. This is one of those situations where our laws are too much skewed to the rights of the individual and not society as a whole.

As for the Afghan family example, the common sense solution would be for the council to find them a suitable house in a cheaper area, even if its way outside their patch. They can then either move at the taxpayers cost......or stay and figure their own costs out. Spending 12k a month is an example of our stupid rules being too rigid and people being either forced to follow stupid rules or not being allowed the latitude to use their common sense. Neither are good things.

[Chen23]

"Also it seemed like the asylum seekers were being treated better than some of the people already in council accommodation who were told that it was too bad if mixed sex teenagers were sharing and the kitchen counted as a bedroom. I remember one client who was in this situation telling me this."

That kind of anecdotal "friend of a friend told me" evidence doesn't stand up to the overall reality though.

The myth that asylum seekers jump the queue has been debunked so many times now that it's a shame to see it being repeated tbh. The vast, vast majority of asylum seekers live well below the poverty line and aren't living the highlife in chelsea homes with flat screen tellies etc etc etc.

Cases like the Afghan family above are doubly damaging in so much as they cost the taxpayer unnecessary money we haven't got and also provide a false narrative and reinforce the untrue perception that our problems can all be sourced back to immigrants, benefit cheats and asylum seekers.

[Rocky12]

Niceguy - I have said on a couple of threads that children funded by the taxpayer should be set at 2 and have been flamed but surely this makes sense.

Of course the Afghan family is rare (thank goodness) but I also think setting HB at £20k is far far too high. For not working? If no one in the house is working and havent been for over 12 months then they need to move to a less expensive area. How can that be deemed unreasonable.


I think we all agree that cuts need to be made but many dont want them to affect them. There was a thread a while ago about health tourists and someone was claiming there was no problem and wanted proof that people were coming into the country to use our health service. I offered the example of my Uncle who was an Immgration Officer at Heathrow. I was told that was no real proof. What would be know?? Someone on the front line who sees the good, bad and the ugly not having a view about health tourism. Its about as close as we are going to get.

[Rocky12]

But my default they must be 'jumping the queue'. They have no where to live so consequently they must be put at the top of the queue.

[Chen23]

yes but they are not put in front of UK residents who have nowhere to live

Are you saying they should be forced to live on the street, behind people who already have a home?

[Rocky12]

I'm saying that we should have hostels where they can stay.

[Rocky12]

Think that some will have children and surely they will be put in front of a singleton or a couple who have perhaps been waiting for years.

[Chen23]

The vast majority of asylum seekers are unaccompanied adult males, who do live in hostels.

[Chen23]

"Think that some will have children and surely they will be put in front of a singleton or a couple who have perhaps been waiting for years."

They aren't put in front of UK residents with the same status.

[alemci]

Chen it does. Why not. you hear things from so many sources all saying the same thing. My mum was talking to someone who worked in housing in a London Borough and she told my mother that immigrants/asylum seekers were given priority. Why would they lie.

Why can't the families go into a hostel. I think people already here should be given priority. Sometimes the family will have lived in Holland for example but have been moved on because they are not working and they come here and are housed. Another friend works in a school and the students of the family tell her about their situations. Even the kids of the family think it isn't right.

You probably think I am heartless but living in Greater London and working in education you get an insight on the situation.

[Chen23]

"You probably think I am heartless but living in Greater London and working in education you get an insight on the situation."

Until recently I lived in Hackney for over a decade but don't think that gives me any more insight into the situation than anyone else.

Repeated studies have proved that immigrants are not given priority over UK residents. Several local authorities have come close to taking the BNP to court for claiming otherwise.

[alemci]

okay fair enough Chen. My dad used to live in Hackney as a boy and we used to visit our grandparents there.

[Fifis25StottieCakes]

They a knocking a 60's estate down where i live. Most of the immigrants have been housed there over the years. No one wants to live there as its a no go area. They are now getting £3000 and have been awarded the top priority for being rehoused.