The Government’s “one size fits all” approach to cutting housing benefit and employment support allowance – primarily aimed at eliminating conspicuous “anomalies” in London – will have a debilitating effect on the local economies of some regional towns such as Stoke-on-Trent, according to two Staffordshire charities and their local MP.
Archive for August, 2011
‘One size fits all’ is very bad news for some, say charities
By Bernard Purcell /Friday, August 5th, 2011Backbiter
By Tribune Web Editor /Friday, August 5th, 2011Cartoon by Andrew Birch. More at TribuneCartoons.com
Blundering Mayor Boris nearly cost Londoners £5 millions
By David Hencke /Friday, August 5th, 2011A blunder by Boris Johnson has cost London’s taxpayers £5 million to put right – and nearly cost more than 200 people their guaranteed pensions.
Caution: damage and harm caused by private care firms
By Terry Philpot /Friday, August 5th, 2011The collapse of Southern Cross shows the pitfalls of involving profit-driven firms in looking after the vulnerable, says Terry Philpot
Debt crisis halted for now, but America’s worst is yet come
By Bernard Purcell /Friday, August 5th, 2011White House and United States Treasury officials were this week hoping to persuade the US’s three main credit ratings agencies – by briefing them on the finer points of Washington’s debt ceiling deal – not to downgrade America’s “triple A” credit rating.
Glasman may have his foot in his mouth, but he still says some things worth saying
By Paul Anderson /Friday, August 5th, 2011It would be difficult to create a more half-arsed political initiative than Blue Labour.
Employers’ loophole puts retirement at risk for many
By Bernard Purcell /Friday, August 5th, 2011Many workers will be unable to retire because of a combination of the disappearance of final salary pension schemes and a loophole allowing employers to use the Consumer Price Index rather than the more comprehensive Retail Price Index to assess cost of living changes.
Leadership on line as Ed ‘red lines’ registered supporters
By Chris McLaughlin & Keith Richmond /Friday, August 5th, 2011Labour leader Ed Miliband is facing a potential “Clause IV” showdown with the trade unions at this year’s party conference over the admission of “registered supporters” into sensitive party policy-making decisions.
Sugar-coated Satan sandwich
By Tribune Editorial /Friday, August 5th, 2011In the end, a deal was done – as everyone knew it would be.