Has the Government done anything so far which we can say is of benefit to society?

[Waltraut]

I don't really want to talk economics, mainly because there are opposing views of how the Coalition's approach is going to pan out [understatement]. I'm quite interested in the "small" things that governments do to make life fairer, safer, easier, more productive, or simply more pleasant for the citizens of a country.
I honestly cannot think of a single thing.

It's really sunny! No, wait...that wasn't them, was it

We have been racking our brains here, nothing springs to mind at all!

Nope. Nowt. Nothing is jumping out for me.
Oh wait...no sorry nothing.

I was thinking, at least they'd found Michael Gove something to do, but that's cancelled out by him doing it and being on TV, which really can't be good

That's not what the Tories are for. They exist to make the rich richer, not the country more pleasant for the masses.

I know you don't want to talk about economics but they do rather underpin whether life is fairer, safer etc., etc. Get the economics wrong at the moment and the consequences in terms of 'small' things could be totally disastrous. If the global economic crisis is a hurricane, and national economies are ships out at sea I'd rather be with the captain that was taking down the sails, handing out the lifejackets and telling me there was going to be a bumpy ride, than the one that was pretending it was all OK, serving G&Ts and asking what type deckchair I'd prefer.

Please restrain your bitterness, ttosca, it is most unbecoming

Really ttosca they make the rich richer?

So everyone poor is paying 50% tax now, are they? Oh no, that's just, " the rich".

Let's try again, everyone poor has has their TC cut and will lose CB next year, yes?? Oh, blast, nope - sorry that's , " the rich" again.

One more, all schools in rich areas are having £500 a year for every rich pupil not on school meals. Phew. At least I got one right, yes?

Damn.

Is it a global hurricane, or confined to British off shore waters because it was caused by too many Teaching Assistants? Can't be them actually, they were tied up destroying Lehman Brothers(sp?)

But Cogito, there are so many opinions as to whether or not the current economic policies are the safest thing to do (and indeed whether the last government was doing bad, being crap, or doing good in the long term). I've observed that on MN, there isn't really anyone qualified to discuss it; or rather, if there's one person, there aren't two to have a balanced expert discussion!

We can ALL give our tuppenceworth about the economy but IMHO we are all underqualified, at the mercy of the (biased) media, and most of us don't even know what most of the terms mean, and just hammer on about our own political preferences. It doesn't mean it's worthless, but I did sort of want examples of small bits of social policy that were positively received.

The emphasis hasn't been on 'small bits of social policy'. It can't be at the moment. It's all been about the Spending Review and the Emergency Budgets. (Global hurricane... absolutely) I'm personally encouraged by the prospect of welfare reforms and the Universal Credit ... but that's a few years down the track. I'm hoping the changes to planning regulations might make it easier to actually get something built. The capital expenditure projects mentioned by Clegg the other week... why not? But I don't think, at the moment, anyone in government should be taking their eye off the main ball.

They have abolished the audit commission and forced publication of more public sector data. But that doesn't really even things out.

Actually I know one

Most unlike me to rpaise something teh Tories have done and to be fair it is hugely buried in under a lot of absolute crap in the weflare bill but

There is just a small thing buried in Universal Credit that means people on zero hours contracts etc can adjust claims quickly; I have a single mum mate on one of those sontracts and at times we've ahd to feed her from freezer for a few days as council can take up to 3 MONBTHS to process changes to ehr income status and stop all benefits in meantime; when someone is working so ahrd to make a life (her ex is now an expat and she does not get CSA) it seems ahrsh.

OTOH the wankers said Carers Allowance was too small an amount to make any difference so I am petrified they will take that next, IMO you have to be fairly well off to think of £56 PW as useless- and it ahsHROP attached

Unbiversal Credit could be good but it seems to be used as an excuse to take money back- eg £50 PW from many famillies with disabled kids.

Universal Credit paid to main claimant in household will leave women with nothing.

It would be better to make zero hours contracts illegal

It would alice- can you see that happning? evil; contracts though they are!

The only benefit to me is that in 3 years time I won't be wasting any time debating whether I should vote Tory or not.

It would be better to make zero-hours contracts illegal, but Labour didn't either and I surmise that the powers in business won't allow that to happen.

They've re-established the link between the state pension and earnings.

Long overdue, and potentially very expensive. But unquestionably the right thing to do, and one of the best things done for pensioners in many, many years.

I don't get why these threads have to turn to 'well Labour didn't either'

I think most politics in this country misses the point completely; endorsing or criticising one does mean automatic support or hatred of the other

But haven't they reduced the benefits for low-paid public sector workers who have been contributing to a Local Government scheme?

Civil liberties? Scrapping of ID cards?
The Stasi wouldn't have approved.

Today's proposal to raise the speed limit.
The Stasi and Greenpeace wouldn't approve.

Ah Stasi

this is where sensible discussion ends then

bye, been nice