Comments on: Making Laws Count, Together

By: Kath

Kath — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 19:11:42 +0000

Great article, and I’d also like to congratulate you on the new blog – I’m really enjoying it :)

By: Geoff

Geoff — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 13:03:58 +0000

In reply to Nicola Saward.

They expect the Private Sector to “pick up the slack” in the jobs market. That’s the big gamble in this Budget.

Of course the things you mention don’t hit Tory voters anywhere as bad as non Tories.

By: Sarah Cook

Sarah Cook — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 13:02:11 +0000

In reply to Nicola Saward.

On the “this budget does not add up” front there’s good points made here:

http://dontinterrupt.tumblr.com/post/1262506182/baby-baby-where-did-our-jobs-go

By: Geoff

Geoff — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 13:01:23 +0000

Good piece. Worth noting, as many have elsewhere on the blogsphere is that the vast majority of voters in May voted against the Tory cuts. Hell that was the primary reason I voted Lib Dem.

Fast Forward to October and we have Liberals voting for a Bil that hits women and the poor far worse. Some are more in this together than others.

By: Miranda

Miranda — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 12:55:57 +0000

I used to work at the Old Bailey. On the wall there, in the Grand Hall, is an inscription. It is:

RIGHT LIVES BY LAW AND LAW SUBSISTS BY POWER

Absolutely. So everybody must do what they can to ensure that laws do as much right as possible. We have to make sure that that inscription means something positive rather than something very dark indeed.

By: Nicola Saward

Nicola Saward — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 12:51:25 +0000

What I really don’t understand is the ‘get people off benfits’ stance. At the same time as they’re saying that not only are they cutting the number of available jobs, but pushing up the cost of getting to work, of food and basic living and in turn the amount of work people need to do to make ends meet by putting up VAT, petrol prices, just looking at the surface of things… I really do not see how this budget will work.

By: Michael S

Michael S — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 12:39:28 +0000

Absolutely right.

This budget also gives an absolute kicking to those with Disabilities (cf today’s Guardian comment section about mobility allowance), with Children and Children themselves.

Oh, and in pre-emptive response to anyone who says it should be settled by debate rather than law courts – on Tuesday the TUC organised a mass lobby of parliament. Conveniently, the Tories ‘happened’ to suddenly all have to go to a meeting the Cameron and so wouldn’t have to talk to their constituents. As I believe Dave Prentis put it “cowards”.

If they won’t even give their own electorate a hearing, this is what they get.

By: Stephen B

Stephen B — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 12:12:21 +0000

What I find really interesting about the 2006 Equality Act is that it exists at all. I’m not a fan of Labour right now, but can you imagine Cameron bringing in an act to “assess the impact on women of all policies and services, to promote gender equality and to mitigate policies and practices that will have an adverse effect on women”?

Sure, they claim to have done an assessment on how the cuts will affect *families*, but not women, which is the part that means it could genuinely be illegal. And (warning sirens) this is the Tory definition of “families”, which has been comprehensively anti-women in the past.

I think this is precisely the right time and reason to use the Equality Act to challenge these fairly indefensible cuts. (I was hoping someone would challenge it on economic stupidity grounds as well.) It looks like even though they started opposing it based on the earlier round of announcements, but this latest set will make the case stronger.