slakemoth

I love matt kennard, a serious journalist with a lot of integrity. Declassified is great.

The deep state here refers to the informal network of mates and lobby groups and secret service nut jobs. I don't see why the right should be the only ones able to criticise informal networks of power! The bourgeoisie are like a hydra after all.

I'm sure that some of the people in high level mi5 and military aren't operating cynically, they probably believe the ideology. This is Chomsky's great observation, that those in the 'deep state' or whatever are only able to be there because they hold certain opinions. The informal network would always select against those with views contrary to western ideology. It isn't about some nut job conspiracy.

Even if all claims of benefit fraud were true - would it matter? You always expect some free loading on any system. I mean have you ever had a friend who doesn't get the rounds in, why do you keep them around? I imagine its because you value them in some other way. The benefit fraud bill is low compared to the billions sitting about in tax havens and in property.

fine they might take the piss but its ultimately better that the system is there and the money is available in a dignified way. Do you really think getting those people back to work would be helpful to the economy? They aren't exactly going to be motivated are they? Or are you more concerned with punishment? Because that's a different matter altogether

Man i really hate being proved right about starmer - they aren't just as bad as the tories, they are literally making things worse. The problem is this lot actually believe in the nonsense they spout, the tories are just mates with capital owners, this lot are actually just boot lickers.

i dont understand people like you

how is giving people less money going to improve their mental health? do you really think they just need a kick up the ass?

the benefit bill is such a small amount of money compared to what could be gained by wealth taxes or corp tax. the only reason it comes up is it distracts people from the real issues and makes a convenient political football.

when will people stop believing this nonsense - governments aren't households balancing the books. the UK government has almost endless ability to borrow money.

what they don't have is the endless ability to do is spend money on public infrastructure as the IMF will decide the UK is no longer good for business and we would be outcast or strongarmed like Greece or Cuba.

Its perhaps politically not possible to go against the neoliberal consensus, but saying its do with economics is ideological clap trap

what tough choices? they are just ideologically neo-liberal, they love doing austerity. they probably genuinely believe that disabled people are just lazy scroungers

Use your brain - if they are cutting it by 5bil then they will make it harder for people to get PIP that is undoubtedly true as how else would they make savings.

Those people will no longer be able to afford essentials. Hence, could become homeless.

many of those on PIP already work bear in mind.

In order to make savings, they will have to force those unable to work to work which will either cause them to have worsened chronic health issues (which will cost NHS more), or cause them to be homeless as they cant work, or force them to rely on carers even further.

The idea that there are lots of people on PIP who could work with some encouragement is frankly ridiculous

Yeah totally agree

Even if that's true it doesn't stop them needing the money

The problem here is landlords not benefit claimant's

Get rid of landlords, they can simply sign on

The red tape being removed just means lower quality housing. Don't fall for sloganeering.

Isnt the main issues that voters have the cost of living, failing nhs, landlords?

Planning regulations aren't going to see any wins, nor is improving energy girds, important as those things are.

Its been shown that increases in housing stock has minimal effects on rent prices. A very cheap solution to this is rent control, it literally costs nothing. They could also build social housing if they wanted to invest money in something useful.

The NHS needs money, there is no getting around this unfortunately. All the fat trimming has been done.

Cost of living is obviously more complicated and i won't pretend to understand that level of macro. But you seem to be concerned that increases in deficit ie borrowing would cause debts to increase. This always happens when any government does anything remotely left wing, look at how the USA treats cuba. The political fact is that to be left wing you have to accept USA aligned countries making it more expensive for you to borrow. If Corbyn had won we would have been battered by this, but the trick is to nationalise the economy and become independent.

I can sympathise with some of what you're saying,but you make it out as if néolibéral policy is capable of doing those things as well as positioning it as the only route possible, which is disingenuous. You're making a political statement, not a descriptive diagnosis.

All i can see this cut doing is forcing carers to work extra jobs if they can, or forcing more people onto the street. It won't get any of these people into work.