Cameron seeks to help heal 'Breakdown Britain'
       |           

Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
Did you miss your activation email?
March 28, 2024, 10:06:15 AM
News: Election Simulator 2.0 Released. Senate/Gubernatorial maps, proportional electoral votes, and more - Read more

  Talk Elections
  General Politics
  International General Discussion (Moderators: afleitch, Hash)
  Cameron seeks to help heal 'Breakdown Britain'
« previous next »
Pages: [1]
Author Topic: Cameron seeks to help heal 'Breakdown Britain'  (Read 1497 times)
afleitch
Moderator
Atlas Star
*****
Posts: 29,833


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« on: July 05, 2007, 05:29:08 AM »
« edited: July 05, 2007, 05:32:49 AM by afleitch »

Or, 'It's society, stupid.'

It looks as if the next General Election will be fought along familiar lines, with one party dedicated to fighting terror, bringing in tough security measures and ID cards and supporting a sense of Britishness and national pride. The other party will be dedicated to fighting poverty and deprivation, supporting social justice and promoting community action. So a good, traditional fight. Correct?

If you were to take a wild stab at guessing which party will fight which platform you may be suprised. After a year long policy review, the Conservative Party have reported. They have concluded that 'breakdown Britain' and repairing Britains 'broken society' will be it's top priority, with an important community based approach to action. The effects of the tax burden and local crime will be also be identified as the party seeks to reduce social cost and promote social justice.

While the party has not taken on board my own favoured proposal; a raising of the income tax threshold to between £10k and £12k to lift millions of low paid and part time workers out of the income tax system altogether, coupled with the scrapping of the overcomplicated, and often misappropriated Working Tax Credit's scheme, overall taxation will be looked at which I am pleased with. Some are concerned that this is a change in emphasis away from crime and tax, but it is quite the opposite. It consolidates these issues with the framework of 'breakdown Britain.'

The policy identified that in many areas of Britain, society has broken down, the 'social contract' of welfare state is increasingly breaking down as children are denied the support in education and in housing that their parents had, and pensioners continue to struggle. Many young people are plagued with debt from pursuing an education, many more are dependent on welfare exacerbated by family breakdown and long term educational failure.

The Conservatives have said that they want to 'put an end to the economic cost of the social malaise.' It is noted, that the cost of maintaining welfare dependency and failed initiatives totals some £102bn. It further states that the effects of educational underachievement costs £18bn and crime £60bn.The effect of family breakdown costs £24bn a year.

So there we have it; a repositioning onto an strange but important new territory. The approach itself will be local and personal, with Cameron seeking to promote volunteering and local initiatives and targeting funding to alleviate problems. Labour's response had been distant under Blair; top down national schemes, headline grabbing initiatives and ASBO's. While I'm Labour friends will disagree with me, but I feel, to use an old political phrase, Labour's response has often been to 'throw money at the problem.' Funding is needed, but it has to be targeted by those who know best at a local level and funding has to be the response to social problems, not the assumed solution to them.
Logged
Democratic Hawk
LucysBeau
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 14,703
United Kingdom


Political Matrix
E: -2.58, S: 2.43

Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #1 on: July 05, 2007, 09:55:46 AM »

I recall a former Conservative prime minister saying that there "is no such thing as society". I disagreed with her knowing full well that a "broken society" would come to fruition courtesy of neo-liberal dogma. Families broke down as communities, and the industries on which they were based, declined heavily

I agree that the cost of welfare dependency is high, but that is something Labour inherited rather than created. There hasn't been enough done reducing that

In many respects what Cameron is saying ought to be pushing the right buttons with me, but it isn't. And I remain sceptical as to whether the Conservative Party has genuinely, or more importantly sincerely, changed for the better

Dave
Logged
afleitch
Moderator
Atlas Star
*****
Posts: 29,833


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #2 on: July 10, 2007, 12:13:32 PM »

The proposals are avaliable here;

http://povertydebate.typepad.com/home/2007/07/new-report-from.html

The 'marriage' issue appears to be the big story which is unfortunate but it's better people jump down Cameron's throat about it now than later.

I'm supportive of the 'promotion' of marriage proposals and they include same sex couples, but theres alot more meat in there Smiley
Logged
Michael Z
Mike
YaBB God
*****
Posts: 4,288
Political Matrix
E: -5.88, S: -4.72

Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #3 on: July 15, 2007, 06:11:40 PM »
« Edited: July 15, 2007, 06:13:39 PM by Michael Z »

I recall a former Conservative prime minister saying that there "is no such thing as society". I disagreed with her knowing full well that a "broken society" would come to fruition courtesy of neo-liberal dogma. Families broke down as communities, and the industries on which they were based, declined heavily

I agree that the cost of welfare dependency is high, but that is something Labour inherited rather than created. There hasn't been enough done reducing that

In many respects what Cameron is saying ought to be pushing the right buttons with me, but it isn't. And I remain sceptical as to whether the Conservative Party has genuinely, or more importantly sincerely, changed for the better

Dave

I agree with this - Cameron is basically addressing a social malaise that was primarily caused by Thatcherite policies. Not exclusively, of course, but definitely to a large extent.

In other words, why we should trust the Tories to sort out a mess that was predominantly caused by Tory policies* is beyond me.

(*I understand that New Labour did not help but they're basically a slightly altered version of the Thatcherites anyhow.)
Logged
Undisguised Sockpuppet
Straha
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 9,787
Uruguay


Political Matrix
E: 6.52, S: 2.00

Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #4 on: July 15, 2007, 11:11:24 PM »

Britain's problem is that it emulates the eurosocialists.
Logged
Serenity Now
tomm_86
Jr. Member
***
Posts: 1,174
Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #5 on: July 16, 2007, 09:06:04 AM »

Britain's problem is that it emulates the eurosocialists.

Actually, if anything he emulates European Christian democrats (through targeting welfare provision to uphold marriage and the traditional family unit etc.). A lot of what he is proposing has similarities with the "corporatist" French and German welfare models.
Logged
Undisguised Sockpuppet
Straha
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 9,787
Uruguay


Political Matrix
E: 6.52, S: 2.00

Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #6 on: July 16, 2007, 04:20:29 PM »

I meant the UK as a whole not Cameron. The UK would be MUCH better off if the BNP and the tories were the only legal parties.
Logged
afleitch
Moderator
Atlas Star
*****
Posts: 29,833


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #7 on: July 16, 2007, 04:22:54 PM »

I meant the UK as a whole not Cameron. The UK would be MUCH better off if the BNP and the tories were the only legal parties.

In that the Conservatives would rule Britain in pereptuity? Even I dont like the sound of that!
Logged
Tetro Kornbluth
Gully Foyle
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 12,846
Ireland, Republic of


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #8 on: July 16, 2007, 06:40:42 PM »

I meant the UK as a whole not Cameron. The UK would be MUCH better off if the BNP and the tories were the only legal parties.

In that the Conservatives would rule Britain in pereptuity? Even I dont like the sound of that!

The prospect of the BNP being in parliament in the only country bordering mine makes me wants to back off my bags and go to Canada.
Logged
bullmoose88
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 14,515


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #9 on: July 16, 2007, 08:20:22 PM »

I meant the UK as a whole not Cameron. The UK would be MUCH better off if the BNP and the tories were the only legal parties.

Who are you trying to impress with this crap? Are you dating a nazi?
Logged
Colin
ColinW
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 11,684
Papua New Guinea


Political Matrix
E: 3.87, S: -6.09

Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #10 on: July 16, 2007, 10:30:30 PM »

I meant the UK as a whole not Cameron. The UK would be MUCH better off if the BNP and the tories were the only legal parties.

In that the Conservatives would rule Britain in pereptuity? Even I dont like the sound of that!

The prospect of the BNP being in parliament in the only country bordering mine makes me wants to back off my bags and go to Canada.

Where the only country bordering it has Tom Tancredo in Congress. Wink
Logged
they don't love you like i love you
BRTD
Atlas Prophet
*****
Posts: 112,695
Ukraine


Political Matrix
E: -6.50, S: -6.67

P P
Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #11 on: July 16, 2007, 10:43:47 PM »

Know what's odd? Tancredo's counterparts overseas get most of their support from discontent blue collar worker types who normally support left wing parties. But Tancredo represents one of the most affluent and white collar districts around.
Logged
afleitch
Moderator
Atlas Star
*****
Posts: 29,833


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #12 on: July 17, 2007, 05:13:39 AM »

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/your_money/6901147.stm

Gap between rich and poor widest in 40 years. Number of households classified as 'poor' increased over past 15 years.
Logged
Pages: [1]  
« previous next »
Jump to:  


Login with username, password and session length

Terms of Service - DMCA Agent and Policy - Privacy Policy and Cookies

Powered by SMF 1.1.21 | SMF © 2015, Simple Machines

Page created in 0.042 seconds with 11 queries.