We are all in this togther... apart from the pampered elite

THE very severe economic climate which Britain is having to endure has resulted in many people losing their jobs.

Remploy, which not only employs but provides a whole new life for disabled people, is being made to close 28 of its factories and there are real fears the remaining 54 will also close in the near future with the loss of 2,300 jobs. Remploy is more than just an employer, it has provided disabled people with both social and work opportunities which they may never, especially in the current economic climate, be able to obtain or experience elsewhere.

Remploy is not alone in having to suffer Government cutbacks. About 10 fire stations are being closed with cuts of around 30 per cent in funding and with up to 300 full time firemen cast aside. Around 20,000 of our armed forces; one in10 police officers; thousands of nurses; many more thousands of public sector workers and unknown numbers of private sector employees are all being told their services are no longer required. Many small businesses have had to close with valuable employees put on the scrap heap.

The only very small comfort is that we understand “we are all in this together”, as we have been repeatedly told. Certainly,our MPs are not immune as they are also cutting their numbers... er, well, no, they are still talking about this.

In fact, they have now been talking about it for more than two years and do not seem to be making any progress.

Strange that sacking many, many thousands of other very valuable people didn’t require such a lengthy process. It is very clear MPs do not fall into the “we are all in this together” category. This is despite us having around twice the number of MPs which Britain’s population can justify or the fact that their current far reduced workload is due to they, themselves, having transferred a considerable amount of their previous work and responsibilities to Europe.

Their performances appear to confirm the saying that “too many cooks spoil the broth”. They have , however, made headway elsewhere in justifying an increase in their breaks from Westminster.

It would seem that “we are all in this together” simply doesn’t apply to all, and, indeed, is a blatant lie. Certainly, any cutbacks did not affect the directors of the recently defunct Yorkshire Forward. The taxpayer has been made to fund £11m in massive pay-offs for them with seven senior managers getting £50,000 each. Just why does the electorate put up with this gross unfairness, stupidity and sheer sickly incompetence?

The coalition Government seems to be devoid of all credibility, sacking ordinary and much valued people while others are given obscene rewards often for simply moving to different positions.

From: Dr Glyn Powell. Bakersfield Drive, Kellington, Goole.

SLAVERY in the UK was abolished in 1834, following anti-slavery campaigns led by William Wilberforce. Unfortunately, Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan-Smith chooses to overlook this fact, as his deptartment considers compelling jobless youngsters to work unpaid for three months before qualifying for any welfare benefits.

Such a draconian measure by this Government will, no doubt, be welcomed by unscrupulous small businesses, who will queue up to take advantage of the unfortunate kids. More alarming, however, is the lengths to which this backward looking Government will go to reverse progress and turn the clock back.

However, these latest measures from the DWP do not surprise me, as they follow on the heels of the harm done to thousands of disabled and sick people who have had benefits stopped at the behest of dubious assessments carried out by even more questionable assessors.