Blimey, these two have been busy today.The "air war" (the media - airwaves, geddit?) is in full swing with both Andy Slaughter and Shaun Bailey each featuring in today's Evening Standard. Andy is quoted in this article welcoming the Standard's 'dispossesed' campaign, which he made while leading a debate in Parliament on Hammersmith's housing situation. Shaun has the pictured piece in the letters section relating to what needs to be done to end poverty.
Andy attacks the Tories in Hammersmith for what he calls "..a deliberate political and economic policy to remove Labour voters from an area, as Shirley Porter did [in Westminster]." He is referring to the Council's plans to redevelop estates.
Shaun on the other hand attacks Labour, or what he calls "..the liberal Left", for having a "..fear of talking about schools setting any barriers for children over sex and relationships or anything else." He is referring to a case of a woman featured in the Standard who had had 11 children from 5 different fathers. He argues that Labour is responsible for a system that has created a poverty trap.
You be the judge on the content of what they say, but sometimes I have to admit it's really hard keeping up with these two!
I would query the wording of a plan that would leave people a "basic" safety net but also "incentivise" them out to work. If you want to force people to do it, then really that's what you should say Mr. Bailey!
ReplyDeleteI also doubt whether the conservative government would change legislation on the amount of savings people who receive benefits can have - I am inclined to think they might reduce this!
The problem is that such groups are crowded over at these times, by both the conservatives and Labour, but once the election band wagon rolls on, they are forgotten about to an extent - their votes are no longer needed and they don't earn a lot of money. But of the two parties, it is Labour who aim to do more for these people - the movement started out there. I have no doubt that Mr. Bailey cares, but he wants to apply sweeping policies to situations that require a great deal more consideration. Marriage doesn't work for all.
Oh, and it's quite silly to say that Labour have failed mothers, surely?