Post by nickd on Dec 22, 2012 23:33:28 GMT 1
Passion for welfare reform
Has given breed to a monster...
Last year I wrote a long but very popular article the 'Welfare Reform - Car Crash', I promised myself one day I would write some kind of sequel as to how it turned out. It is of course far too early to say how the welfare reforms have worked because they've barely begun, but we can take a good look at Iain Duncan - Smith's claims as he blindly persists his programme is still 'on time, on track and on budget'.
The man's deluded I tell you - he's absolutely stark raving mad to insist it's all going according to plan.
I've upgraded the 'car - crash' to a 'train crash', it really is high time IDS admitted his disastrous programme is showing signs of a catastrophic derailment. These treacherous reforms are already showing significant signs of failing spectacularly, he can buy himself some time by putting the brakes on and in truth that's exactly what he's done but the damage will be permanent.
Of course you will never get an admission of failure from IDS or his government because he's not telling anyone, well not you or I or any of the thousands of voters who the Tories have wilfully misled over its claims on welfare. The Tories don't have the answers on welfare - they are absolutely hopeless when it comes to welfare. One of the serious questions any recognisable failure on welfare would raise is that of the trust of the electorate.
If you can't trust them on welfare - How can you possibly trust them on the economy?
It's a question which will be on every voter's mind when it comes to the next election - the coalition is more than half way through its parliamentary term so the days of blaming it on Labour are gone. The Tories over-riding problem is they just don't 'do' failure; or rather they do but not such that they will admit it - conceding defeat is something the stiff Tory upper lip has yet to master. The Tories have been caught out by their very own 'transparency' agenda, more and more of us can plainly see that the welfare reforms they once showcased have now turned to a ridiculous charade; they once called it 'radical & revolutionary' reform.
IDS is I have no doubt passionate about his ambitious aims, I genuinely believe he researched his subject and developed an understanding of the real life problems which benefit claimants face but his prospects of making his reforms work are merely a 'vision', they will never become a reality. When IDS dreamt this up he didn't know the greatest obstacle which would stand in his way would transpire to be his chancellor, it's George Osborne who has imposed expenditure levels which IDS knows are far below that which is needed to turn his vision to reality.
IDS has already thrown the towel in, his passion has given way to anger - he's allowed himself to become a monster, shamefully he's stepped up to the usual Tory rhetoric and seemingly thinks nothing of devouring the lives of those affected by his reforms as well displayed by his contemptuous outburst on BBC Question Time when accused over the death of two real - life DWP reassessment victims.
Radical has given way to ridiculous and revolutionary has reverted to dangerous, it's how serious this has become. A car crash has become a train crash, we are just at the point of impact, there are already fatalities - as the rest of the carriages career off the track we will see many, many more.
So let's look at where its all going so horribly wrong.....
Has given breed to a monster...
Last year I wrote a long but very popular article the 'Welfare Reform - Car Crash', I promised myself one day I would write some kind of sequel as to how it turned out. It is of course far too early to say how the welfare reforms have worked because they've barely begun, but we can take a good look at Iain Duncan - Smith's claims as he blindly persists his programme is still 'on time, on track and on budget'.
The man's deluded I tell you - he's absolutely stark raving mad to insist it's all going according to plan.
I've upgraded the 'car - crash' to a 'train crash', it really is high time IDS admitted his disastrous programme is showing signs of a catastrophic derailment. These treacherous reforms are already showing significant signs of failing spectacularly, he can buy himself some time by putting the brakes on and in truth that's exactly what he's done but the damage will be permanent.
Of course you will never get an admission of failure from IDS or his government because he's not telling anyone, well not you or I or any of the thousands of voters who the Tories have wilfully misled over its claims on welfare. The Tories don't have the answers on welfare - they are absolutely hopeless when it comes to welfare. One of the serious questions any recognisable failure on welfare would raise is that of the trust of the electorate.
If you can't trust them on welfare - How can you possibly trust them on the economy?
It's a question which will be on every voter's mind when it comes to the next election - the coalition is more than half way through its parliamentary term so the days of blaming it on Labour are gone. The Tories over-riding problem is they just don't 'do' failure; or rather they do but not such that they will admit it - conceding defeat is something the stiff Tory upper lip has yet to master. The Tories have been caught out by their very own 'transparency' agenda, more and more of us can plainly see that the welfare reforms they once showcased have now turned to a ridiculous charade; they once called it 'radical & revolutionary' reform.
IDS is I have no doubt passionate about his ambitious aims, I genuinely believe he researched his subject and developed an understanding of the real life problems which benefit claimants face but his prospects of making his reforms work are merely a 'vision', they will never become a reality. When IDS dreamt this up he didn't know the greatest obstacle which would stand in his way would transpire to be his chancellor, it's George Osborne who has imposed expenditure levels which IDS knows are far below that which is needed to turn his vision to reality.
IDS has already thrown the towel in, his passion has given way to anger - he's allowed himself to become a monster, shamefully he's stepped up to the usual Tory rhetoric and seemingly thinks nothing of devouring the lives of those affected by his reforms as well displayed by his contemptuous outburst on BBC Question Time when accused over the death of two real - life DWP reassessment victims.
Radical has given way to ridiculous and revolutionary has reverted to dangerous, it's how serious this has become. A car crash has become a train crash, we are just at the point of impact, there are already fatalities - as the rest of the carriages career off the track we will see many, many more.
So let's look at where its all going so horribly wrong.....