Some things never change.
I'm almost glad about that.
Over the years I have been told that when I grew older I would become more conservative, more right wing, that I might even vote Tory.
Well I'm pleased to report that hasn't happened.
And today as we prepare ourselves for a Tory budget I found myself dreaming of what might have been .....
What might have been if the two Ed's were about to announce the first Labour budget in five years.
What might be, if five years from now, Jeremy Corbyn is introducing the first Labour budget in Ten years.
The broad theme of the Chancellor's budget speech will, I am sure, reinforce the privatisation of public goods to ensure that money continues to run uphill into the pockets of the already wealthy.
Two 'public goods' that are in the firing line in today's budget are the BBC and social housing.
Compare the broadcasters, Sky TV costs around £60 a month, £720 a year, ITV is funded via advertising revenue so it is free to air if not actually free the BBC costs £145 a year, £12 a month and is committed to ensuring that what it broadcasts is independent, fair and entertaining.
It is a 'public good' in the best sense of the concept and it is under threat from both its competitors who complain that the playing field is not even and from the Government which argues that its news coverage is biased.
So it will be trimmed, the licence fee reviewed and for now well if granny wants free telly then the telly can pay for it because treasury won't.
I have been involved in Social Housing since the early seventies. I ran a hostel for young homeless people in Bolton from 1972 to 1974, I was invited to become a staff Member of Salford Family Housing, I joined the Board of Church Army Housing in the early 1980's as it changed its name to English Churches, I was also a regional and national board member of Hanover Housing.
Housing Associations took much of the strain of social housing provision as Local Authority housing was sold under right to buy legislation and not replaced.
Now the Government intends to extend right to buy to housing association tenants even though the ownership of the housing stock resides with the associations and houses sold will be replaced by Local Authorities selling their residual stock so for every house sold two houses will be lost.
The attack on welfare has already been well trailed, a two tier benefit cap, further reductions in housing benefit, the introduction of universal credit, a reduction in Tax Credits and as yet unspecified changes to support for the disabled. The aim is to reduce the welfare bill by £12 Billion by the end of this parliament.
It may be that Tax Credits have become over complex and it may appear that welfare support is simply recycled as people pay tax on low incomes and then have the money repaid as a benefit. So the Tory line is why not just take the low paid out of tax? Which is fine in principle but not fine if you are earning so little as to not pay tax at all in which case raising the tax threshold is of no benefit at all.
Two former advisers to the Prime Minister are arguing publicly for the living wage to become the norm and that employers should be required to pay the higher wage because it is a conservative principle first articulated by that great Conservative Prime Minister, Winston Churchill.
Mmm ...
An independent broadcaster is an essential asset to ensure that the public conversation is well informed and unbiased otherwise the left/right confrontation will simply continue to drown out the voice of reason.
Building new homes is a more efficient and effective way of encouraging home ownership, whilst creating skilled jobs and reducing waiting lists, than simply selling off social housing in a mis-conceived rummage sale.
The living wage simply makes sense because it effectively enriches the whole of society, businesses benefit because their customers can afford their goods and the treasury benefits as more people become tax payers.
Sadly some things never change and I am sure that on the news tonight and on Question Time tomorrow we will hear that the long term economic plan is the same tired old rehearsal of the need for continued austerity.
I'm almost glad about that.
Over the years I have been told that when I grew older I would become more conservative, more right wing, that I might even vote Tory.
Well I'm pleased to report that hasn't happened.
And today as we prepare ourselves for a Tory budget I found myself dreaming of what might have been .....
What might have been if the two Ed's were about to announce the first Labour budget in five years.
What might be, if five years from now, Jeremy Corbyn is introducing the first Labour budget in Ten years.
The broad theme of the Chancellor's budget speech will, I am sure, reinforce the privatisation of public goods to ensure that money continues to run uphill into the pockets of the already wealthy.
Two 'public goods' that are in the firing line in today's budget are the BBC and social housing.
Compare the broadcasters, Sky TV costs around £60 a month, £720 a year, ITV is funded via advertising revenue so it is free to air if not actually free the BBC costs £145 a year, £12 a month and is committed to ensuring that what it broadcasts is independent, fair and entertaining.
It is a 'public good' in the best sense of the concept and it is under threat from both its competitors who complain that the playing field is not even and from the Government which argues that its news coverage is biased.
So it will be trimmed, the licence fee reviewed and for now well if granny wants free telly then the telly can pay for it because treasury won't.
I have been involved in Social Housing since the early seventies. I ran a hostel for young homeless people in Bolton from 1972 to 1974, I was invited to become a staff Member of Salford Family Housing, I joined the Board of Church Army Housing in the early 1980's as it changed its name to English Churches, I was also a regional and national board member of Hanover Housing.
Housing Associations took much of the strain of social housing provision as Local Authority housing was sold under right to buy legislation and not replaced.
Now the Government intends to extend right to buy to housing association tenants even though the ownership of the housing stock resides with the associations and houses sold will be replaced by Local Authorities selling their residual stock so for every house sold two houses will be lost.
The attack on welfare has already been well trailed, a two tier benefit cap, further reductions in housing benefit, the introduction of universal credit, a reduction in Tax Credits and as yet unspecified changes to support for the disabled. The aim is to reduce the welfare bill by £12 Billion by the end of this parliament.
It may be that Tax Credits have become over complex and it may appear that welfare support is simply recycled as people pay tax on low incomes and then have the money repaid as a benefit. So the Tory line is why not just take the low paid out of tax? Which is fine in principle but not fine if you are earning so little as to not pay tax at all in which case raising the tax threshold is of no benefit at all.
Two former advisers to the Prime Minister are arguing publicly for the living wage to become the norm and that employers should be required to pay the higher wage because it is a conservative principle first articulated by that great Conservative Prime Minister, Winston Churchill.
Mmm ...
An independent broadcaster is an essential asset to ensure that the public conversation is well informed and unbiased otherwise the left/right confrontation will simply continue to drown out the voice of reason.
Building new homes is a more efficient and effective way of encouraging home ownership, whilst creating skilled jobs and reducing waiting lists, than simply selling off social housing in a mis-conceived rummage sale.
The living wage simply makes sense because it effectively enriches the whole of society, businesses benefit because their customers can afford their goods and the treasury benefits as more people become tax payers.
Sadly some things never change and I am sure that on the news tonight and on Question Time tomorrow we will hear that the long term economic plan is the same tired old rehearsal of the need for continued austerity.
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