Comments on: Defining coalition, defining class: the challenges and opportunities facing Labour (part 1 of 2)

By: Ed Miliband: haunted by the 1980s « Though Cowards Flinch

Ed Miliband: haunted by the 1980s « Though Cowards Flinch — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 21:58:32 +0000

[...] as we could do this and [...]

By: Enough to make me want to beat my head against a wall « Though Cowards Flinch

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 10:07:33 +0000

[...] go read my two proper less shouty posts on this, you total bastards. Happy New Year. Possibly related [...]

By: Dave Semple

Dave Semple — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 13:26:17 +0000

The Remploy thing was a fiasco, sure enough, Robert. But I suspect your memory may be playing tricks with you as regards benefits. I have worked beside a bunch of people who remember just as far back as you – and aren’t Labour Party members or even particularly political. Yet they recall that it wasn’t until Labour took office in 1997 that benefits became not only higher, but easier to attain, whereas in the Major years, the supervising doctors were playing tricks on their patients because they were under pressure to push people back into employment and off benefits.

There is no question, however, that the Tories will be better than Labour – they simply won’t be. Whilst you’ve listed a bunch of problems you’ve had under Labour governments, you’ve not bothered to look at what Boy George is saying will be the future of benefits claimants under the next government, should it be Tory.

By: Class war, libertarianism and hunting « Though Cowards Flinch

Class war, libertarianism and hunting « Though Cowards Flinch — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 13:17:23 +0000

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By: Robert

Robert — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 10:10:35 +0000

I have to say I’ve voted labour since the 1970′s, I’ve been in labour since the age of 13 when in was given membership for helping out at my local party from the age of twelve.

But over the past few years I cannot for the life of me find a reason to vote labour. I’m now classed as being disabled after a fall at work left me with a spinal injury, I’ve a lesion of the spinal cord, which means I’m classed as being Paraplegic.

During my time as a disabled person I caught the end of the Major government in which my benefits rose to cover most of my council tax and rent rises.

But since labour took over not once has my benefits rise covered the council tax never mind anything else, my benefits have actually gone down by a massive amount due to Blair deciding we should work. I’ve been part of the New Deal, Pathways to work, and now work fare, before Christmas my job center stopped me from coming down saying there was no chance of finding us work, so I should come back in April next year. Through my job center I’ve applied for 750 jobs in six years, and I’ve had three replies, one reply just said “your F*cking joking”, the Job center took that one further and I had an apology.

I’m Paraplegic and the job center sent me to the Shaw trust this joke of a group then decided it was going to leave the area, so contacted me by phone six weeks later saying sorry.

I then went to the Remploy cowboys to be given job applications, this is what they sent me after, and this is no joke these are the jobs they sent me to do, Window cleaning, saying I could clean windows on the lowest level from your wheelchair, long distance lorry driver, car park attendant which stated applicant must be fit. Doctors assistant must have five years experience at keeping records.

Then one day i was told Remploy at left the area because employers were not interested and remploy was losing money.

So since new labour came to power my council tax has doubled the service we get had dropped, the benefits we get has fallen.

Next year i will lose £12 in benefits a week because new labour wants to force me into work, mind you knowing New labour they will not make many jobs.

And you lot want us to vote labour because labour will not be as bad as the Tories your joking of course.