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| Five meanings of fair Prime Minister David Cameron has spoken of the need for a fair approach to cutting the UK's spending deficit. But what exactly is fair? bbc.co.uk |
Bad behaviour 'caused by mixed ability classes' Mixed ability classes may be fuelling bad behaviour in schools, MPs have been warned. telegraph.co.uk |
Hugh Muir's diary Sell, sell, sell. Aunty knows how to make ends meet✒So we've crossed the rubicon. Things Can Only Get Better was the Labour theme. The Con-Dems tune is Buddy Can You Spare a Dime. It was bad. Real bad, and having suffered a 16% budget cut, the BBC knew it was going to be that bad, hence the decisions they made even before George Osborne took his wrecking ball to the public sector. Following detailed coverage on BBC2, they scheduled the selling-off-your-heirlooms show: "Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is". After that? A knick- knack valuing programme called Flog it!✒ Yes, the axe has swung and across government everyone has less than they did before. At the Department of Culture, they don't even have each other. Half of them, as we know, are likely to lose their jobs. Still, they have their slogan, sent out with every email. "We are one DCMS – We respect one another – We are professional – We empower one another. ENRICHING PEOPLE'S LIVES." Inspirational. They be chanting it as they leave.✒ Stressful times for everyone, not least at the Treasury. Yes, they are responsible for the cuts. But no one likes to be unpopular. On Monday, activists from Greenpeace turned up, demanding a well-funded Green Investment Bank. And while four climbers scaled the building, others below distributed leaflets. Most entering the building took them, including Vince Cable and Danny Alexander. Just one declined. "I don't work here," she explained. "I'm only here to give massages."✒Yes the people are angry, but who will give them voice. As much as anyone, it seems likely to be the poets. One hundred of them opposed to benefit cuts and Big Dave's "big society" reforms, including Jeremy Reed, beat poet Michael Horovitz, and academic Ken Worpole have compiled the anthology Emergency Verse. It was published online last month(www.therecusant.org.uk), but how to get it into the shops? Step forward one very angry contributor to the collection, the former children's laureate Michael Rosen. He is paying half the publication costs to fuel protest against an agenda he says will take Britain back to the 19th century. "Cameron's 'big society' is an attempt to switch from universal provision to piecemeal charity provision," he says. "And that meant begging, humiliation and, for many, rejection." Writers routinely experience that and more. That's why they are so angry.✒ Yesterday we wondered whether Lib Dems like Simon Hughes are getting a bit fed up with the Con-Dem policies. Today the question is, are they getting a bit fed up with life in general. A tweet from Martin "Lev" Eakins, Lib Dem councillor and past parliamentary candidate for Wythenshawe and Sale East. "Trapped in residents meeting, slide show, flood risks. 30mins in and onto questions from floor. Please someone, shoot me in the head!" Sorry, you need Switzerland for that sort of thing.✒Twitter is also proving perilous territory for the fieriest occupant of the Dragon's Den, Duncan Bannatyne. Having decided to commune with the people, he has found himself on the sharp end of a row with employment lawyers about the likely consequences of the Equalities Act. It will leave employers open to all sorts of ridiculous litigation from vexatious employees, said Bannatyne in a succession of why oh why articles in the Mail and Telegraph. No it won't; you're just scaremongering said the lawyers taking him to task on Twitter. Oh not I'm not said Bannatyne robustly. But should anyone be scared, he can help. He is, after all, a very public advocate for Peninsula, a firm which sells its services to small businesses; protecting them from employee litigation.✒ A thought for the day, finally.. And the issue of forced deportations, specifically the death of Angolan Jimmy Mubenga, who died after being restrained on a deportation flight prompts reflection from BNP sage "Dr" Stuart Russell, a.k.a Phil Edwards. "The only people who might give a fig about this man are the weirdos and Commies who read the Guardian," says "Dr" Stuart. "Once again you accuse the authorities without acknowledgement that blacks are very violent people who have a tendency to expire through their own exertions against powers of discipline and restraint." And, it's true: we wrestle for a bit, and then we just keel over. It's always been the same.diary@guardian.co.ukHugh Muirguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Eleven quizzed over murder of boy Ten males and a woman are arrested after a 17-year-old boy is shot dead in Mill Hill, north-west London. bbc.co.uk |
David Cameron refuses to back down over housing benefit cap Prime minister tells Commons he is sticking by controversial policy as Labour steps up campaign against cuts and lobbies Lib Dems for supportDavid Cameron today dismissed speculation that the government would climb down over its cap on housing benefit, despite claims that the policy could drive 200,000 poorer people out of major cities.The prime minister made clear his determination to stand firm on the controversial proposals at prime minister's questions.His comments came as Labour stepped up its campaign against the decision to cut housing benefit for people who have been out of work for 12 months and lobbied Liberal Democrat MPs concerned by the plans.Cameron dismissed accusations that he was "out of touch" and made it clear that the coalition was "sticking by" its proposals, insisting it was not "fair" that claimants lived in properties that many workers could "only dream of".He insisted there was "no reason" why anyone should be made homeless as a result of the changes, and said there were plenty of jobs for those out of work for more than 12 months in high-rent areas such as London.The prime minister admitted to MPs that welfare reforms were "difficult", but said they were necessary to protect other areas of spending, such as schools and the NHS, from austerity cuts.The coalition announced a range of housing benefit changes via the June emergency budget and last week's spending review, including limiting housing benefit for a four-bedroom home to around £400 a week and cutting payouts by 10% when people had been on jobseeker's allowance for more than a year.Cameron stressed that the cap would still leave claimants able to receive around £20,000 a year for housing."We are going forward with all the proposals we put in the spending review and the budget," he told the Commons."I know you don't like the answer that we are sticking to our policies – but we are sticking to our policies."The point everyone in this house has got to consider is: are we happy to go on paying £30,000, £40,000, £50,000? Are constituents working hard to give benefits so people can live in homes that they can only dream of? I don't think that is fair."Opposition to the coalition plans is mounting, with the Lib Dem deputy leader, Simon Hughes, criticising the proposals as "draconian" and saying ministers would have to "negotiate" to get parliamentary approval.The Labour frontbencher Chris Bryant yesterday told MPs the housing benefit cuts would lead to "cleansing" of poorer people from areas with high rents, such as London, while some Conservative backbenchers with urban constituencies have also voiced concerns.Today, Ed Miliband used PMQs to hit out at the prime minister over the plans, which the Labour leader described as "a complete shambles".Cameron was also confronted by Bob Russell, a Lib Dem backbencher, who warned that the proposals were "no laughing matter" for the thousands of children who faced the prospect of homelessness as a result.Miliband referred to the unease over the policy as he told Cameron: "Isn't the truth the prime minister just doesn't get it? He is out of touch – other people will pay the price for his cuts. Isn't it time he thought again on housing benefit?"He added that Cameron had "dug himself in" over the 10% cut and asked what advice he would give to a family facing "such a large drop in their income".The PM told him: "We will be having, in the work programme, the best and biggest programme to help those people back into work."The prime minister referred to the situation in London, where he contrasted the 37,390 people who had been on jobseeker's allowance for more than a year and would be affected by 10% housing benefit cut with the 30,000 new vacancies which he said arose in the capital each month."That is 400,000 vacancies a year – we want to get those people back into work," he said.Miliband fired back that 500,000 workers in the public sector alone were expected to lose their jobs as a result of the cuts."It's clear that your policy on housing benefit is a complete shambles," he told Cameron. "In London alone, councils are saying 82,000 people will lose their homes. They are already booking the bed and breakfast accommodation."He pressed Cameron on how many people he expected to lose their homes as a result of the policy, to which the prime minister replied: "If you are prepared to pay £20,000 in housing benefit, there is no reason why anyone should be left without a home."The Department of Communities and Local Government is to grant £10m from its homelessness budget to councils' funds in the Greater London area to help households affected by housing benefit changes.Funding may be used to provide financial advice, renegotiating rents and, where necessary, helping people to move to more affordable accommodation.The money will go to town hall discretionary funds, which can be used in special cases. Authorities could dip into the pot if, for example, a family's rent was more than £400 but one of their children attended a local special school. Cameron faced further Commons pressure when Russell, the Liberal Democrat MP for Colchester, urged him to "look again" at the changes."Earlier, you and the leader of the opposition had fun and games over housing benefit cuts," he said."This is not a laughing matter for the thousands of children who could well become homeless. I'm confident that this was an unintended consequence, because the cost of putting children in bed and breakfast accommodation is greater than housing benefit. Will you look again, please?"Cameron agreed that the policy was an "incredibly serious issue" and said the housing benefit bill was "out of control", up 50% over the last five years for working-age adults."The fact is there will be many people working in Colchester, or working in Doncaster, or working in west Oxfordshire, who are paying their taxes, who could not dream of living in a house that cost £20,000 to rent each year," he said.Douglas Alexander, the shadow work and pensions secretary, said after the Commons exchange that Cameron had "further raised the stakes" and divided his coalition by confirming his policy to hit those who cannot find work by cutting the cash they get to help with housing costs.He said he had written to thousands of Labour members urging them to join the campaign against the reforms, and had also spoken to Lib Dems MPs in the last few days.Alexander will hold a summit with representatives of housing organisations and charities tomorrow to hear their views.He said: "Although he is clearly not listening to the Lib Dems, we are ready to work with all sides of the house to defeat these unfair plans."But not everyone is opposed. Tory-led Westminster council reiterated its backing for the cap today, saying more than 1,000 households in the area were currently receiving in excess of the limit being mooted. The authority's housing allowance is currently £1,000 a week for a four-bedroom house and £2,000 for a five-bedroom. Philippa Roe, who deals with housing issues for the council, said: "The intention of the cap is not to force claimants from central London and other city centres, but to support the reduction of the national housing benefit bill that was spiralling out of control and restrain a system which was driving up and distorting private sector rents. "Of course, those people who have a genuine need to be housed in their local area, those on low incomes, pensioners who have lived in their neighbourhood all their lives and pupils sitting their exams, should be prioritised." But Mark Field, the Tory MP for the Cities of London and Westminster, warned that the April 2013 date for introducing the changes could be too soon."The speed at which the cap is being put into place does perhaps ignore some of the huge logistical problems for some local authorities in arranging for more accommodation, but also coping with an influx of new claimants," Field said.The MP added that 80% of the households currently handed the benefit in his constituency were receiving more than the cap level.Liberal-Conservative coalitionSpending review 2010Tax and spendingConservativesHousingHousing benefitCommunitiesPMQsEd MilibandDavid CameronHélène Mulhollandguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |