Tuesday 29 June 2010

Gideon can get his grubby hands off Incapacity

A week since the Budget was announced, and things are looking pretty hairy (to put it lightly). Indeed, it has been described by many as "the toughest budget in decades", which can't fare well for British society by any stretch of the imagination. We were warned all along that this was going to be tough, but reassured that "we are all in it together." Pfft. Ha, bloody ha.
The cuts keep coming thick and fast, and at the moment every waking day seems to be bringing in more painfully depressing news about what important major services are going to see cuts and further unemployment. The sight of Gideon 'George' Osborne's smirking face now actually makes me nauseous.
But then what else could we expect from the ex-member of Oxford's Bullingdon Club? Sadly, little.
But I fail to see how we are "all in this together", as Mr. Cameron is intent on telling us all, time and time again, when the poorest people in society are the ones who are being affected most; who the cuts are really going to bite for, when in fact it was the richest people who got us into the mess of the recession anyway. Typical Conservative logic. Which isn't even logical.
Worst of all though, is the focus on minimising Incapacity benefit and Disability pay, and re-assessing everyone on it in the hope that at least 1 in 5 can be taken off it - which is going to take a lot of money anyway. But that's not even the point. Not everything is about economics. Mr. Osborne here is actually targetting some of the most vulnerable people in society, and making their lives stressful and worse. Terminally ill cancer patients, people with life-affecting heart conditions, the disabled, plus many more, are all to be subjected to vigorous re-assessments and possible/ probable cuts in their benefits, at a time when what we all really need is a boost in morale, and something to look forward to.
Though it may sound extreme, I think this move will go as far as to kill some people. Some of those on incapacity benefit need around-the-clock care, and a move as daring and as extreme as this is really not the kind of stress they can deal with.
It's alright for Dave & George of course, who won't even feel any of these cuts. But you could at least hope for a slice of empathy. Apparently that's out of the question too. "We're all in this together", are we? Then why are they sitting up in Westminster shining their shoes and sipping cocktails while more and more of us are becoming cash-strapped? Did we REALLY vote for this?

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