Austerity undermined?

Sorry for my lengthy absense, the reason for it was the creation and publishing of my debut collection of poems “Finding My Voice” which is now available as an e-book on Amazon.co.uk- http://www.amazon.co.uk/Finding-My-Voice-ebook/dp/B0056GXBDQ/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_1 

Today, the unthinkable has happened- A TORY HAS SLAMMED OSBORNE’S AUSTERITY MEASURES!  The New Statesman today reported how the London Mayor Boris Johnson stated in his Telegraph column that

“The trouble is that the Greek austerity measures are making the economy worse.”

Johnson’s point echoes what critics of “Plan A” have said ever since the austerity measures were introduced by the Coalition government, and in particular echoes what Ed Balls argued in his LSE speech, that austerity measures adopted by Ireland, Portugal and Greece have exacerbated, rather than diminished, their economic problems,

“[W]hat they [Portugal], Ireland and Greece have all discovered – just like Argentina, Brazil and Turkey before them – is that it doesn’t matter how much they cut spending or how much they raise taxes; if they can’t create jobs and growth, their debt and deficit problems get even worse and market confidence falls further still.”

To me, it would seem logical that in order to stimulate growth, you have to create jobs. Austerity cuts just,excuse the pun, aren’t cutting the mustard. In Britain, the economy, which grew by 1.8 per cent over Q2 and Q3 2010, has not grown for the last six months. Thus it’s obvious that the cuts aren’t working.

Creating jobs doing what, you may ask? Well I have 3 words for you as a suggestion- BUILDING SOCIAL HOUSING. The housing charity Shelter stated that England is facing a housing crisis where “over 1.7 million households are currently waiting for social housing.” Thus wouldnt the construction of more social hosuing solve both a housing crisis and thus also create more jobs?

The fact that Johnson has publically attacked austerity measures in the light of events in Greece should give Osborne even more reason to look again at this. Let the home of democracy teach you another lesson apart from listening to the voice of the demos, austerity doesnt work!

DEMOS 

In Athens, the demos speaks,

Against austerity, against the axe,

 In the Acropolis’ shadow the people speak.

Take heed,

Take heed to the voice from the place of democracy’s birth,

You who take up the axe to cut with mirth.

You cut down the shoots whilst they delicately grow.

Take head of the iceburg lying ahead,

The demos speaks, not sheep to be led!

The rise of Ed Miliband- let his speech in the darkness shine

Today saw the budget, in which the myth of a budget for growth was blown out of the water with a revision of the growth forecast to 1.7%, hardly a ringing endorsement of Con-dem policy. To me, the cuts to corporation tax and inheritance tax seem to show the true priorities of this government as purely ideological statements especially on a day that also saw my university in Manchester announce the rise of their fees to £9000, surely a well educated workforce would fuel growth one would think.

However despite this doom and gloom one ray of sunshine emerged, a new improved Ed Miliband mach 2! In his article http://www.progressonline.org.uk/articles/article.asp?a=7843 , Stephen Twigg MP states that in the Libya debate, “he combined the authority of a statesman with the passion of a true internationalist… his speech on Libya was one of the best House of Commons performances I have ever witnessed.” I must agree as I couldnt help but be moved by his passionate support for the UN resolution and him stating our responsibility to help civilians. Today, he also showed great leadership in a powerful rebuke of the Chancellor’s budget stating that “after this Budget, it’s not the Chancellor who is rescuing the country, it is the country that needs rescuing from the Chancellor. Mr Deputy Speaker, when families look at this Budget, look at the squeeze on their living standards, look at the job losses in their communities, they will conclude: it’s hurting but it isn’t working.” My god, powerful stuff!

Whilst I must admit I have long had the feeling that Ed hasn’t exactly inspired since his elevation as leader but over the last few days I have definately witnessed a welcome change, an inspiring change in a dark time.

Ed, you have shown incredible leadership in these last few days! Continue to be the sunlight, break through the clouds and through the silence, continue to be our voice!

The dark clouds engulf us again,

To their true purpose the fog of lies descends again,

Yet a golden glimmer catches my sight,

Breaking through the clouds a beam of sunlight,

Standing tall, into the heavy crown he grows,

His speech, such passion, a light in the darkness glows,

A spark, a small flame to blazing inferno it grows.

Lets toast to the warrior charging just in time,

May your words, your passion in the darkness continue to shine!

Nice day for a bloodbath! Gideons massacre commences!

Yes today Gideon got out his axe and cut cut cut- the spending review, the dark cloud on the horizon has finally unleashed a thunderstorm, and what a thunderstorm it was!

Here is a link to the BBC website that has the key points in some depth- http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11569160 but here are the main figures

• About 490,000 public sector jobs likely to be lost
• Average 19% four-year cut in departmental budgets
• Structural deficit to be eliminated by 2015
• £7bn in additional welfare budget cuts
• Police funding cut by 4% a year
• Retirement age to rise from 65 to 66 by 2020
• NHS budget protected; £2bn extra for social care
• Schools budget to rise every year until 2015
• Regulated rail fares to rise 3% above inflation
• Permanent bank levy

490000 public sector jobs gone, 490000 lives affected, these arent just numbers they are people, with no plans on how to create more jobs.

However one measure that has met with widespread condemnation is the seeming abolition of the EMA which according to to the report:

 ”The Spending Review removes Child Benefit from families with a higher rate taxpayer and replaces EMAs with locally managed discretionary funds to target support.”

As to what this means, the report doesnt elaborate, but to me this seems to be a case of postcode lottery for support with some authorities giving it, wheras some may not. This is a travesty along with the HE eductaion cuts of 40%. EMa was a lifeline to my friends who couldnt get part time jobs in such a competitive market. Without this, they wouldnt have had money for books, or even bus fare to get to college.

As I said when the Browne review was announced, withdrawing  support for young people who want to better themselves, in many cases escape the cycle of poverty is wrong and immoral, and even worse shortsighted! Yet shortsighted is what this whole review seems, a gamble with the economy as Alan Johnson states and no plans, no alternative= no growth. COME ON GIDEON, think for a second!

  

 Funny how the sun shines on this dark day,

Deceptive, the calm before the coming storm.

The axe falls with ferocity,

Few escape it, Gideon slashes with glee,

Blood flows covering the land,

Thousands of jobs lost, thousands of lives blighted,

Thousands bereft of hope.

Where there was harmony, they bring discord,

The light of hope snuffed out by the cold wind of despair.

You decipitate the future,

A fragile shoot withered in the harsh winter,

You sign the warrant with your gamble,

No hope for growth,

Grim Reaper, you condemn us to death!

This just gets worse and worse!

I thought i’d take the opportunity to bring your attention to the blogpost of a good friend Andrew Gwynne MP about the Osborne child benefit plans whih he unveiled yesterday, http://tinyurl.com/36r5d5m .

Due to the complete rashness of yesterdays child benefit policies with its big anomoly regarding the single earner or single parent earning £44000 and not getting their benefit whilst a combined income of £80000 could possibly still get it, I didnt think things could get any worse. Well they did it again today!

Today it was announced by BBC that the coalition plans to introduce a tax break for married couples before the 2015 election. FACEPALM MOMENT! I can see it now, people getting married or possibly staying with abusive spouces, just for a tax break! Seriously what are they thinking. As someone on twitter said before, what a stupid moralistic waste of money and I echo his sentiment. People in our modern age live in all sorts of relationships, we don’t have to be married in order to have a family. It seems they are shoving their old fashioned morailty down our throats. I say no, they should stick it somewhere else! God only knows what mad cap scheme they will come up with next!

The war has started,

Bombarded as we are,

Shaken as we are,

We must fight back,

Defend what is our right before nothing is left,

Nothing!

 

Money their only obsession,

Their passion, their only joy,

We made to suffer while they play with the treasury,

Their shiny new toy.

 

If ever we needed a light in this darkness, the time is now.

Will our new messiah stay silent?

Will he step forth to defend us, to lead us?

Time is running out i fear!

Tick tock!