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Politics, politics, politics

What's the reasoning behind that? Are all payments lumped into one sum or is there a separate "house modification" payment that for some reason continues on?

Depends on so many factors, like if you have X savings etc.
But with the cutbacks there is very little money available for home adaptations especially for disabled children and the infirmed.
Most don't get any monetary help now. It's a mine field of red tape and bureaucracy and now no budgets.
 
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@scaramanga how do you feel about Hitchens becoming a lefty commie?

Not everyone can be a polymath.

His ability to debate religion and write books doesn't really have any bearing on his understanding of economics.

Edit:
I'd also like to point out that he has previous. He found GHod from atheism, so finding socialism having previously had a grasp of economics is no more or less ridiculous.
 
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Not everyone can be a polymath.

His ability to debate religion and write books doesn't really have any bearing on his understanding of economics.

Edit:
I'd also like to point out that he has previous. He found GHod from atheism, so finding socialism having previously had a grasp of economics is no more or less ridiculous.

Hahaha, very good. I find his Thatcher bashing all these years later a bit disingenuous to sya the least.
 
I think Peter Hitchens is more of a contrarian than a commie. His brother also liked to be a bit contrarian, I think the arguments it causes allows them to flex some intellectual muscle.

So, I suppose those who are very vocal about renewing Trident because "we don't know the threats we could face 30 years from now" aren't all that keen on us retaining the ability to produce our own armaments and weaponry with..erm...steel. I'm ambivalent about Trident, I think we should have a steel industry though.

But wait! You can only have industries that 'The Market' dictates are viable. What if the market is rigged by a nation state subsidising it's own industries to the extent that they can destroy competition that actually tries to play by the mythical rules of free markets? The Tories have faught against the EU placing tarrifs on Chinese steel and seem happy to watch out own steel industry die -- I don't think that is a good thing for the long-term security of our country and it's a measure of the incompetence of this government.

The pendulum is swinging back from the politics of Reagan and Thatcher imo. Hitchens won't be the last to start singing a different tune.
 
I think Peter Hitchens is more of a contrarian than a commie. His brother also liked to be a bit contrarian, I think the arguments it causes allows them to flex some intellectual muscle.

So, I suppose those who are very vocal about renewing Trident because "we don't know the threats we could face 30 years from now" aren't all that keen on us retaining the ability to produce our own armaments and weaponry with..erm...steel. I'm ambivalent about Trident, I think we should have a steel industry though.

But wait! You can only have industries that 'The Market' dictates are viable. What if the market is rigged by a nation state subsidising it's own industries to the extent that they can destroy competition that actually tries to play by the mythical rules of free markets? The Tories have faught against the EU placing tarrifs on Chinese steel and seem happy to watch out own steel industry die -- I don't think that is a good thing for the long-term security of our country and it's a measure of the incompetence of this government.

The pendulum is swinging back from the politics of Reagan and Thatcher imo. Hitchens won't be the last to start singing a different tune.
How much steel do you need to build some drones and a few nukes?

I'm pretty sure the answer is less than what throwing handouts to worthless industries will create.
 
I think Peter Hitchens is more of a contrarian than a commie. His brother also liked to be a bit contrarian, I think the arguments it causes allows them to flex some intellectual muscle.

So, I suppose those who are very vocal about renewing Trident because "we don't know the threats we could face 30 years from now" aren't all that keen on us retaining the ability to produce our own armaments and weaponry with..erm...steel. I'm ambivalent about Trident, I think we should have a steel industry though.

But wait! You can only have industries that 'The Market' dictates are viable. What if the market is rigged by a nation state subsidising it's own industries to the extent that they can destroy competition that actually tries to play by the mythical rules of free markets? The Tories have faught against the EU placing tarrifs on Chinese steel and seem happy to watch out own steel industry die -- I don't think that is a good thing for the long-term security of our country and it's a measure of the incompetence of this government.

The pendulum is swinging back from the politics of Reagan and Thatcher imo. Hitchens won't be the last to start singing a different tune.
Problem is youngsters don't want to work in heavy industry anymore. It's been drummed into them "get a degree". Well you don't go to uni to work in a steel mill, building ships or go down a mine.
 
Problem is youngsters don't want to work in heavy industry anymore. It's been drummed into them "get a degree". Well you don't go to uni to work in a steel mill, building ships or go down a mine.
It also pays brick - with the UK cost of living, why would anyone aspire to work in such industries?
Blah blah, capitalism, wages a factor of the market etc - but if people can't achieve a decent standard of living then they are not going to aspire to be in those sectors.
Something capitalism has rounded failed to understand or respond to.
 
It also pays brick - with the UK cost of living, why would anyone aspire to work in such industries?
Blah blah, capitalism, wages a factor of the market etc - but if people can't achieve a decent standard of living then they are not going to aspire to be in those sectors.
Something capitalism has rounded failed to understand or respond to.
Not a failing of capitalism, it's caused by intervention from the government.

If the government doesn't prop up wages and massively inflate living costs with high benefit payments then living costs don't grow and those jobs do cover a decent standard of living (or at least the standard they always have covered).

I understand that markets (sometimes) can't be left entirely to themselves, but if you interfere in this way then the consequences are obvious.
 
Not a failing of capitalism, it's caused by intervention from the government.

If the government doesn't prop up wages and massively inflate living costs with high benefit payments then living costs don't grow and those jobs do cover a decent standard of living (or at least the standard they always have covered).

I understand that markets (sometimes) can't be left entirely to themselves, but if you interfere in this way then the consequences are obvious.
Living costs do grow when the market and gov fail to act to stop bubbles that create price inflation massively outstripping wage inflation over a prolonged period. So yes the market does have a responsibility. Aspiration has to be attainable and something to actually aspire to if you want people to fill the lower paid parts of the economy and work up. If you need to enter the middle ground in the economy just to tread water, then the lower end will suffer.

Anyone guess which part of the UK economy I'm talking about?!
 
Living costs do grow when the market and gov fail to act to stop bubbles that create price inflation massively outstripping wage inflation over a prolonged period. So yes the market does have a responsibility. Aspiration has to be attainable and something to actually aspire to if you want people to fill the lower paid parts of the economy and work up. If you need to enter the middle ground in the economy just to tread water, then the lower end will suffer.

Anyone guess which part of the UK economy I'm talking about?!
Assuming you're talking about housing, there's plenty of affordable housing in the UK - piles of it.

Some people just don't want to live in those places, they want to live in central London and the South East with all the people who have lots of money.

Edit:
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-56969939.html
When I made that comment I didn't realise just how cheap housing is up that way - I was expecting somewhere between £100K and £150K.
 
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Assuming you're talking about housing, there's plenty of affordable housing in the UK - piles of it.

Some people just don't want to live in those places, they want to live in central London and the South East with all the people who have lots of money.

Edit:
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-56969939.html
When I made that comment I didn't realise just how cheap housing is up that way - I was expecting somewhere between £100K and £150K.
Holy crap.
That is ridiculous.

But then, like you say, anywhere outside the SE is a brick hole (except Edinburgh)
 
Problem is youngsters don't want to work in heavy industry anymore. It's been drummed into them "get a degree". Well you don't go to uni to work in a steel mill, building ships or go down a mine.

Plenty of youngsters don't want to go to uni and would rather 'work with their hands.'

Assuming you're talking about housing, there's plenty of affordable housing in the UK - piles of it.

Some people just don't want to live in those places, they want to live in central London and the South East with all the people who have lots of money.

Edit:
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-56969939.html
When I made that comment I didn't realise just how cheap housing is up that way - I was expecting somewhere between £100K and £150K.

And, if by some miracle, there were plenty of jobs up there for people, so that they could work and buy the houses on sale, then they wouldn't remain cheap for very long. There are plenty of absolute brick-holes in London that are still very expensive to live in, the difference being there are more jobs and more money there.
 
Plenty of youngsters don't want to go to uni and would rather 'work with their hands.'



And, if by some miracle, there were plenty of jobs up there for people, so that they could work and buy the houses on sale, then they wouldn't remain cheap for very long.

I don't think you quite get how market forces work. The price of the houses will only go as high as people can afford to (or are willing to) pay for them. If the houses aren't selling, then the prices will come down.

There are plenty of absolute brick-holes in London that are still very expensive to live in, the difference being there are more jobs and more money there.
I don't see any problem with that. Remarkably, things people want tend to be more expensive than things people don't want. It's why tailored suits cost more than shell suits, why Maseratis cost more than Mondeos and why houses in London (the South East) cost more than houses in Wigan. If you can't afford the expensive things, buy the cheaper version or earn more money.
 
@scaramanga Market Forces...everyone moves to Wigan to buy cheap houses...houses no longer cheap.

ok, I'll edit it...

You can live in a brick part of Wigan, or a brick part of Harlow. The brickyness factor is about the same bar one thing - one of these areas is in a region of greater wealth, and therefore better employment opportunities. Therefore, there's more demand to live in the equally brick area, which pushes up the cost of housing there.

If the cost of housing in an area like Wigan is so much cheaper, I would suggest that it's not to do with the unwillingness to live in a brick area (see a brick part of Harlow). But it is due to the economy of the area not being able to support enough workers that create a high demand for the housing there.

So there is a lack of cheap housing in the UK, because people need to be where the work is. It's disingenuous to simply say "move to Wigan."
 
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