Austerity disproportionately affects women

[Bowlofbabelfish]

Australian UN poverty envoy blasts UK government for austerity policies. Quote within article.

“He also accused the UK of breaching UN human rights including for women, saying Universal Credit proposals to make single payments to families could give more 'control to a financially or physically abusive partner'.

He added: 'If you got a group of misogynists in a room and said how can we make this system work for men and not for women they would not have come up with too many ideas that are not already in place'.”

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6397615/UN-slams-British-governments-mean-spirited-approach-poor.html

Austerity and Universal Credit are a disaster and the impact on women and children plus other vulnerable groups will be felt for generations.

I ducked out of posting this yesterday because I know that it's essential to cover sensitive topics responsibly but I have to admit that it's horrifying that there is an established link with an increased risk of depression and suicide in already vulnerable groups:

Universal credit has become a serious threat to public health, doctors have said, after a study revealed that the stress of coping with the new benefits system had so profoundly affected claimants’ mental health that some considered suicide.

Public health researchers found overwhelmingly negative experiences among vulnerable claimants, including high levels of anxiety and depression, as well as physical problems and social isolation exacerbated by hunger and destitution.

“Universal credit is not only failing to achieve its stated aim of moving people into employment, it is punishing people to such an extent that the mental health and wellbeing of claimants, their families and of [support] staff is being undermined,” the report states.

www.theguardian.com/society/2018/nov/15/exclusive-new-study-links-universal-credit-to-increased-suicide-risk

If you make people so ill, how on earth are they going to be able to start work? It takes a lot of bravery to go into an interview and explain why you should be chosen.

But hey! Surrogacy will probably be made legal so you can sell your body doing that.

And there are plans for other prostitution toleration zones, so there’s that too...

Its the most anti-women system you could devise without explicitly having different rules for men and women. Question is would you vote Labour if the election was tomorrow? 'Tomorrow' may not be much of an exaggeration the way things are going.

Question is would you vote Labour if the election was tomorrow? 'Tomorrow' may not be much of an exaggeration the way things are going.

The moral conflict involved here feels irresolvable. I'm not seeing any plans to undo all of this and I have no confidence that any party would cleave to their spending plans given what 2019 may well have in store for us.

Would Labour actually change things and improve the situation? I genuinely don't know, and I don't know who I'd vote for in an election tomorrow.

I am a lefty. An old school, pit village northern lefty.

I cannot vote for labour.

First time in my life I don’t know who to vote for.

"Bowlofbabelfish

I am a lefty. An old school, pit village northern lefty.

I cannot vote for labour.

First time in my life I don’t know who to vote for."

Funny enough I was listening to James Delingpoles podcast where he said he was listening to GG on TGism and how she was deplatformed, and said he had to admit he agreed with her whole heartedly, a day that he never thought he would see.
TGism is a subject that has brought old enemies from the left and the right together like no subject I have ever seen.
It's like Christmas day in the trenches.