I was listening to the radio this morning, the great debate taking place concerning changes to the Benefits system. I note that the coalition government refers to the system as 'The Welfare State' - as though they are somehow 'removed' or separate from the way the Benefits system is funded and controlled.
I do not pretend to know an awful lot about the economy or politics, although I am a great believer in the adage 'the personal is political' and one of the areas where this seems very evident is concerning cuts that have been instigated in benefits, and those that are to follow. In the late 80's Margaret Thatcher said:
"There is no such thing as society. There is living tapestry of men and women and people and the beauty of that tapestry and the quality of our lives will depend upon how much each of us is prepared to take responsibility for ourselves and each of us prepared to turn round and help by our own efforts those who are unfortunate".
Did Thatcher mean that we should take responsibility for ourselves while helping others? Are those who are born into poverty or with disability or who become ill the "unfortunate" whom we are meant to help? Surely by working and paying taxes we are doing just that.
The Coalition are putting their weight behind the idea of 'The Big Society'.
The website http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/big-society states:
"The Big Society is about helping people to come together to improve their own lives. It’s about putting more power in people’s hands – a massive transfer of power from Whitehall to local communities".
The only way that I can see some of the Benefit Cuts will change communities - so called transferring power is in the migration of people in receipt of Housing and Incapacity benefits to poorer/less affluent areas where the housing is cheaper (and therefore fall within the benefit limits). Leading to 'gettoisation'...
Semantics aside (you say society, I say society), what is the difference - what difference have the Lib Dems made? I don't see any great beauty in the tapestry that is 2012 Britain.
For an overview of the proposed cuts and their effects see Turn to Us:
http://www.turn2us.org.uk/information__resources_-_3/benefits/benefit_changes.aspx
Mrs Thatcher's vision of a tapestry entirely failed to take account of the structural injustices inherent within British society - it needs more than an odd stitch to be repaired, it's as though entire sections have been torn off.
ReplyDeleteBeveridge, the architect of the Welfare State, was a Liberal; his successors seem to have turned their back on him!
I had forgotten that Beveridge was a Liberal. It really makes the situation even sadder doesn't it.
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