Top e-petition demands axing of benefits for rioters

[sherbertdipdab]

good idea or not?

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-14474429

I bet if they did get benefits axed there would be another riot because
'it's not fair, we didn't know they would do that, they can't change the rules'

As the first few people charged were a teaching assistant and a youth worker it make me think most of it is opportunistic thieving, brain dead mob mentality. Hopefully they will be sacked.

When being a politician was 'voluntary' [unpaid], they were ALL upper-class, rich, mostly older men.

Now at least only some of them are.

What annoys me about all of this is councils are suggesting they will also take back council houses of rioters...AHEM many of them work and are not on benefits or in council houses. Why can you pernalise those on benefits in a way that you could never lawfully do to those who work. Double-standards!!

Agree A1980. The one on the news tonight was a teaching assistant and they mentioned a graphic designer too.

There is a sense of entitlement in our society though that has encouraged the looting and violence. I would place the blame on the 'nanny state' and the abuse of the 'welfare state' but it is not as simple as saying that everyone in the riots is on benefits.

It is a complex and scary problem.

penalise, not pernalise!! I like it though, sounds like a good word

Knee jerk and ridiculous. Makes massive assumptions about who was out on the streets to start with.

And do people forget that for those who are unemployed, there are far less jobs than people out of work, so what are they supposed to do? (and no I don't mean they should go out and loot, just that they can't get jobs that don't exist)

Taking people's benefits or council tenancies may be a knee jerk reaction and if it came to pass would need careful implementation but these people have hurt the rest of us. They tried to burn down London! Why shouldn't we hurt them. Why do we, the law abiding, have to spend our time thinking about, caring for people who have no regard and no 'respeck' for us?

don't like these e petition things - too flimsy and easy. Not how i want decisions to be made.