7

brass neck

you just have to admire the brass neck of some tories.

pretty much ever since the coalition took power there has been an underlying attack on those on benefits, mostly it has been aimed at the poor.

george osborne has been quick to talking of the shirkers and spongers.

in a rare move the con/dems are cutting child benefit to households with incomes of more than £60,000 a year. this has caused a certain amount of consternation among those who do have more than £60k (many of whom will be the same sort of people who will claim that teenage pregnancy is a result of wanting to get a council place and child benefit).  the reason why the con/dems have made this move is to help cut the welfare bill and to show that those with the broadest shoulders will bear their share of the pain.

noble words.

you may not know this but george osborne is worth some £4 million pound. he doesn’t have this from all his years of hard work (he hasn’t really had much experience in the world of work – so perfect choice for chancellor); it is as a result of a trust fund.

you could say that mr. osborne is not a classic striver: he was born into wealth.

his current salary is in the region of £145,000 a year. his wife is a successful author.

in short: they have spare cash, and then some.

yet the osbornes have been claiming child benefit on their two kids, because they were entitled to it.

given the changes he has brought in mr. osborne has decided that he no longer feels that he should be getting child benefit. so he had waived his right to collect it. they say that timing is the essence of comedy and perhaps it is the same when it comes to sacrifice – you make a big song and dance about giving something up just at the point when you have brought in rules that say those over £60k can’t have it. “i renounce my right to this benefit i am no longer entitled to!”

it must be a great skill to be able to attack people for being spongers and abusing the benefit system when you have been needlessly claiming child benefit because it is an entitlement. while he has been talking of cutting the benefits of the poor he has been trousering his child benefit. you have to admire his ability to do that and look at himself in the mirror every morning.

no wonder he always has that smug grin on his face.

no wonder he has always claimed we are all in it together.