rentier capitalism vs free market

Rentiers are the people who live off income gained from property and other assets – above all the “0.01ers”. Good book on this is The Corruption of Capitalism (Why rentiers thrive and work does not pay) by Guy Standing:

growthism

In economics, a recession is a negative economic growth for two consecutive quarters. Anything less than annual three per cent growth in GDP, however, is traditionally also viewed with concern in our times.

Anti-Austerity Alliance in Ireland

Ireland elected six new socialist TDs (the Irish Dail's equivalent of MPs) at the February 2016 election. The vote reflected continuing resistance to austerity and in particular the powerful campaign against water charges, as reported in socialistworker.co.uk.

Tory Health Sec Hunt calls for 'denationalising' NHS

Letter to Essex County Standard ecs.letters@nqe.com 15 February 2016

Austerity: The History of a Dangerous Idea

Austerity: The History of a Dangerous Idea by Brown University professor Mark Blyth, 2015 -

Benefit Cap letter in Essex County Standard Friday 5 June 2015

Colchester has the dubious distinction of being home to the first victims of the new Tory government’s Benefit Cap, as reported by the Daily Mirror on 28 May.

Housing crisis in Colchester and beyond

1. Daily Mirror story about Benefit-Capped homeless family in Colchester
2. Social housing, not social cleansing’ – the case of the Focus E15 Mums

Cabinet Reshuffle

Her Majesty's Government, May 2015, aka Rogues Gallery aka Public Enemies Nos 1-50
www.gov.uk/government/news/her-majestys-government-12-may-2015

IDS and sin

Iain Duncan Smith,work and pensions secretary said on 11 Nov 2012 that it's a "sin" that people fail to take up work when it is available. This was as he prepared to introduce the most severe welfare sanctions ever imposed by a British government.

Get housing on the agenda for ITV Leaders' Debate on Thurs 2 April

Housing is one of the top 5 issue in the polls nationally but, according to what I heard, it wasn't mentioned last Thursday on the C4/Sky Jeremy Paxman TV debate. To get it on the agenda for the ITV Leaders' Debate on Thurs 2 April 2015 at 8pm, please e-mail debate@itv.com and put in a question on housing. (Shelter are asking people to do this.)

Nearly 100,000 children affected by benefit sanctions in 2013/14

Methodist Church - Nearly 100,000 children affected by benefit sanctions in 2013/14

Mon, 2 March 2015

A new report from a coalition of major UK Churches has revealed that around 100,000 children were affected by benefit sanctions in 2013/14. It also shows that in the same period a total of nearly 7 million weeks of sanctions were handed out to benefit claimants. The new data, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, will feature in this evening’s episode of Channel 4’s Dispatches, entitled Britain’s Benefits Crackdown.

Is your money really there?

The government allows profit-seeking private banks to create our money supply as debt. Ninety-seven per cent of all money first enters the economy as debt, when the banks loan it into circulation. The money system now has most of us trapped in debt. Worse still, we need growth in order to find the money to pay the interest we owe the banks. But we cannot have infinite growth on a finite planet. Thus, our money system is directly contributing to the destruction of the eco-systems on which we depend.

Tories propose taking £3bn off the poor to fund £3bn tax cuts for the rich

According to BBC News the Tories propose taking £3bn off the poor to fund £3bn tax cuts for the rich.

UK GDP per capita 2013

The latest CIA World Factbook estimate of UK GDP per capita per year, which is for 2013, says it is $37,300, which is just over £23,000.

Britain's five richest families own more than poorest 20% - Oxfam

In a report, a Tale of Two Britains, Oxfam said the poorest 20% in the UK had wealth totalling £28.1bn – an average of £2,230 each. The latest rich list from Forbes magazine showed that the five top UK entries – the family of the Duke of Westminster, David and Simon Reuben, the Hinduja brothers, the Cadogan family, and Sports Direct retail boss Mike Ashley – between them had property, savings and other assets worth £28.2bn.

PIP 20 metre rule case

High Court challenge to PIP mobility 20 metre rule fails. Judge finds gov consultation was not unfair or unlawful bit.ly/WCnUEL

The court case at Birmingham High Court on Wed 16 July was unsuccessful. But there were some interesting exerts from government documents released in the judgement. That includes the submission made to Ministers by civil servants to summarize the responses to the mobility criteria consultation. 

Having noted the impact of the loss of benefit on disabled claimants, it said (at paragraph 64): “… [T]his was recognised from the outset. In developing the PIP assessment we were aware that the vast majority of recipients of DLA were individuals with genuine health conditions and disabilities and genuine need, and that removing or reducing that benefit may affect their daily lives. However, we believe that these impacts can be justified as being a logical result of distributing limited resources in a different and more sustainable way…” [emphasis added]

Conservative Government hails “huge benefits” of trade unions

Trade unions have given  “huge benefits” to the British economy, said Conservative Government Business, Innovation and Skills Spokesperson Lord Popat in Parliament on Monday 7 July 2014. Here is my letter published on 25 July in the Essex County Standard. It was in a big red box (for emphasis, not socialism or for being wrong!).

More than half of disabled people out of work

More than half of disabled people out of work but just one in ten receiving support, say Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion in Fit for Purpose: Transforming employment support fordisabled people and those with health conditions published 3 July 2014.

Public sector good, private sector bad, admits Tory Gov!

The DWP press release for the launch on 30 June 2014 of the new Child Maintenance Service, which is under the direct control of the government, includes the following:

Chaos at the DWP

• after £612 million being spent, including £131 million written off or written down, the introduction of Universal Credit is now years behind schedule 
• the Minister of State for Disabled People admitted to the Work and Pensions Committee on 11 June 2014 that over 700,000 people are still waiting for a Work Capability Assessment
• the Office for Budget Responsibility in March 2014 found that projected spending on Employment and Support Allowance has risen by £800 million since December
• the Committee of Public Accounts in its First Report, HC 280, found that Personal Independence Payment delays have created uncertainty, stress and financial costs for disabled people and additional budgetary pressures for Government
• the Work Programme has failed to meet its targets
• the unfair bedroom tax risks costing more than it saves