WTF are Frothers? Not a quiche, but a protest group. Fighting for the "basic line of British decency" against fiscal brutality.

[garlicfrother]

What are Frothers?

The term "Frothers" came about one dank and dismal November day in 2011. A frustrated user of the parenting forum Mumsnet started a thread about her dismay at the cuts that the Conservative/Liberal Democrat government was inflicting on the British public.

She stated that she was not "quite a frothing berserker but I am getting rather cross with our government messing with the good stuff".

The good stuff - policies, benefits, institutions that had taken years to achieve were being cut for no good reason, often leaving gaping holes in the fabric of British society.

The NHS, with which we Brits have a love-hate relationship, but like a favourite sibling, we wish to protect from harm.

Sure Start, a successful scheme that supported parents who were struggling and offered children from deprived backgrounds a better start in life.

Universal Child Benefit was cut for those families who had one earner bringing in more than £44k a year. If both parents each earn less than £44k, they keep their UCB payments. This obviously hit single parents and families with a single earner hardest.

Disability Living Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance - which enabled those with disabilities to live a decent life, without feeling that they were begging for assistance or were a burden to the taxpayer.

Student Fees, the introduction of which, contrary to Lib Dem pre-election promises, means that a whole generation of young people will have to think carefully before applying to higher education.

These and many other cuts are being made in the name of austerity. We are "all in this together", but some of us are deeper in this than others.

We all understand that there are sacrifices to be made but why should these sacrifices be borne by those who already have so little?

The general public seems oblivious of the dangers being faced, they are unaware of the injustices being wrought on the already disadvantaged.

The government is winning the war of the headlines. They have blasted the recipients of DLA and ESA as scrounger and cheats so often that the general public believe it. They misinterpret data to "prove" their points. Teachers are painted as being irresponsible and greedy, while the bankers rake in the money.

The poster on Mumsnet was not alone for long. Within a few days, a group of over 30 posters had formed. They asked themselves, "What can we do?".

The idea of a blog was born. Three days later the blog had over thirty authors signed up, a Facebook page and a Twitter account.

The Aims:

• to open the general publics' eyes to the injustices being created by the governement

• to inform those who are facing cuts about their rights

• to link with other activists and charities, in order to put pressure on the government

Are you a Frother?

Come and join us.

BLOG

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

I seem to get followed by porno spambots so you are actually doing quite well pinko! I have blocked about 5 of them!

Re the MPs, you can't charge childcare as an expense for any job at the moment. You have to include it in salary really to get around HMRC requirements or offer a childcare voucher scheme with salary sacrifice but that is only available for £240pcm or less depending on if they are a basic or higher rate tax payer - so on current salary it would be less.

I would also do away with allowances and would provide every non-London constituent MP with a London flat. It comes furnished rather like student digs. It cannot be bought or sold. You get what you are given but it should be big enough to allow the MP to bring their family along. Each constituent would have a budget for necessary travel which would be paid as an allowance (cheaper to administer and cap). It would be based on the cost of advance booked flights/rail fares. They must take the cheapest option possible and if they wish to travel first class pay the extra themselves. I feel this would help focus their mind on issues like extortionate rail fares that the rest of us have to deal with.

Late sittings would have to be agreed in advance and the cost of cabs home for non-London MPs factored in. There should be a single budget for this and claims have to be made within 3 months and with a receipt. Any unreasonable or unnecessary or unagreed costs will not be paid.

I honestly think if we treated MPs like employees much of the Westminster nonsense would stop.

I have thought about this a lot

I agree with you Katie - definately how I'd run it.

I've wacked a little post up on the blog just to put the welfare reform bill to rest.

Feel a bit lost now though! Does anyone have something they want to blog about next?

Sounds good katie.

I am shocked that Chris Grayling, who is pushing these welfare reforms, has been able to buy himself 3 buy-to-let flats in central London at taxpayers expense.

And his constituency home is within the M25!

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/5305242/Chris-Grayling-claimed-for-London-flat-despite-nearby-constituency-home-MPs-expenses.html

Hello. Am slightly manic now. Only a couple of weeks left here, and things are getting a bit busy.

Missed all the excitement. Am a bit bemused really. What is the HoL for, if they cannot even stop this nonsense going through?

Agree with Kate on MPs salaries and expenses. I do think that they should be well paid but they should have their expenses curbed. Love the idea of a MP Dorm.

I'm here, just a bit busy, had DD's options evening last night, and given the HoC ignoring the amendments, am just feeling a bit, well, washed out.

They can buld the dorm in the HoL, seeing as it is no longer needed it seems

TBH I agree £26k is too little but Ithink the petition makes a fair social comment about priveledged people setting standards and values on everyone else IYSWIM

They were going to make County Hall into apartments for MPs. Surprisingly, the Commons vetoed the idea.

Your proposal was extremely sound imo, Katie.

There's a ton of stuff to blog about. Everything any of us posts in AIBU Politics! I'm feeling like a lax frother atm, but absolutely have to do something about real life. I am living the story - sorry, I mean "choosing the benefit lifestyle"

Good blog post, Te, thank you.

Good blog Te.

The very callousness of the Govt is so appalling. i utterly loathe them.

I do have a question though, does anyone know if the 'discretionary fund' will be ring fenced or protected? Sort of feel that could be lip service.

I haven't heard any specific details.

I don't know what single parents on 'the lowest incomes' means either in real terms.

The 'discretionary fund' is what will be paying the 'transitional payments', that stop as soon as you have a change of circumstance ranging from a child's birthday is they have hit 1yo, 5yo, 12yo or 16yo. A change of address (i.e. moving to a smaller property to get your rent under the cap, will trigger you LOSING the transitional protection, hence you're damned if you do, damned if you don't...). A partner moving in OR out will lose transitional protection paid for by the discretional funds.

I think that single parents on the 'lowest incomes' will be taken to mean those IN WORK only, at NMW, not even 10p/hr over. And those OUT of work will have no access to the discretionary funds, at my guess.

And as for that DLA thread.... There seems to be a disability denying, I'm all right Jack, Jackbooted odious twat on there. and I am sick and tired of engaging.

Don't feed the troll. Don't feed the troll. Don't feed the troll.

Maybe if I write it 100 times, I'll remember...

They did say the fund owuld be 80mil in teh first year and 50mil in teh second (I think, those kind of numbers) Generally speaking council budgets do not continue year to year, any money remaining goes back to central government, so even if the fund is used well it will probably only exist for 2 years.

Their concessions make allowances for the newly unemployed, which is reasonable, but not for anyone who can't help the fact that they have high living costs like you Hunty.

It's a pile o'shite.

katemiddleton what a great idea for the mps accommodation. That sounds perfect. I have visions of shared kitchens piling up with pots, and mps taking turns to cook for the floor. Chilli anyone? Though I suspect student accommodation of the likes I am remembering from 15yrs ago doesn't really exist like that anymore??

garlic tried to retagging this week, but I only have author access, so can add posts but can't play about with the design of the site, which I'd need to do it. I would understand if you don't feel comfortable giving me that access, but I f you do, let me know and I will start retagging this week. It would probably be a slowish job, as work is crazy busy at the moment, but I would do a bit each day and try and tidy it up under some key headings.

It's a good point about mp salaries.... To attract the best people you need to compete salary wise with the private sector, so at the moment you aren't even necessairily going to get the best folk into mp jobs. Though having said that, isn't it true that it's the person that doesn't strive for power that is best placed to have the power and be responsible with it...

withholdtheroyalassent.org/

For those of you that haven't seen it on twitter this is a petition to the Queen to withold royalassent to the welfare reform bill.

One for the blog?

... and SHARE SHARE SHARE

Gosh, it is asking a lot, isn't it? But Her Maj has overseen virtually all the developments that led to our safe welfare system. Let's hop she feels like putting her foot down to protect what she built.

Signed and shared A LOT!

Do people want the monarchy to veto Parliament's decision . Do people really want us to abandon democratic processes?

They already abandoned it by ignoring the HoL.

The queen has expert advisors, it is their advice which is the final yay or nay to laws, the only thing I particularly recall her saying no to was some financial policy in Oz which would have bankrupted the whole country.

They haven't abandoned it at all, they are just following Parliamentary procedure where the HoC has the right to overturn the HoL amendments.

Yes, financial privelege, it is designed to relate to budgets etc, not absolutely anything that has to do with money. If that was what it was for there would be no point in having the HoL at all.

The Government has abused and perverted the democratic process on this matter. I imagine the Queen is aware of that.

I agree with the Frothers generally and hate this welfare bill but I find the idea that the monarchy would try and overrule the Government abhorrent. The ends wouldn't justify the means and would set a very worrying precedent that would threaten our democracy and constitution.

I think it is very unlikely that she woulr overrule in this instance.

As I say the only time I recall it happening was with a commonwealth country and would have been economically disastrous so politically easier.

It's hugely unlikely. She might do if they'd come right out and said we're going to abolish the welfare state, but it's more pernickety than that. I suppose there's some hope that [a] she can't stand Dave and [b] she feels like doing A Nice Thing For The People for her 60th.

I certainly don't mind petitioning her, anyway, that's what monarchs are for!