I had been planning today to write about either Iraq or Nigel Farage (again), but I have chosen instead to comment on a news report concerning a private landlord called Fergus Wilson who is evicting (or has evicted) two hundred tenants.
If I read the situation correctly, the tenants in question are all in receipt of housing benefit. What is not made clear is whether or not they are all in arrears. Is the landlord evicting only those tenants who are in arrears? Or is he evicting all of his tenants who are receiving housing benefit? I'm not sure.
It is also not clear whether or not this landlord has made any enquiries as to why exactly many of his tenants in receipt of housing benefit are in arrears. Might there be a case for clemency here?
Mr Wilson is quoted as saying that private landlords run their properties as a business and have to make decisions based on economic factors. It is also stated that Mr Wilson and his wife had been "on the brink of financial ruin in 2008 after banks stopped lending". Presumably they believe that banks should operate as a business, and make decisions based on economic factors. In other words, presumably they believe that banks should show no mercy towards private landlords who have run up too much debt.
Previous related posts include:
Is it legal to hate private landlords?
A rent arrears crisis in London
Rough sleeping: when will it be you?
To build on debt is to build on sand
Another victim of the bedroom tax
Stop being nasty to those less fortunate
Monday, 6 January 2014
Friday, 3 January 2014
Questions for the warmonger Gove
Education Secretary and warmonger Michael Gove has written an essay about changes to the GCSE history curriculum in schools. He notes that:
... the changes we’ve made to the history curriculum have been welcomed by top academics ...
... the changes we’ve made to the history curriculum have been welcomed by top academics ...
Wednesday, 1 January 2014
Happy new year? We'll be lucky ...
One news item dominates the headlines today, which is of course the arrival of large numbers of economic migrants from Romania and Bulgaria.
If you are not sure whether or not this is good news, then read this news item about immigrant crime in Staffordshire. If the people of Staffordshire have a problem with this, then they can always JOIN a political party which will take crime seriously. Can you think of such a party?
Another useful link is this one about homeless immigrants in Westminster.
But let me give some friendly advice to the new arrivals. Make for Paddington Station. It's just off the Edgware Road. Take a train to Gloucester. The journey takes less than two hours, and there are trains roughly every hour during the day. On arrival in Gloucester, take a bus to Coleford.
When you alight in Coleford, tell local people that Mark Harper let you in.
In another news item, it appears that the Archbishop of Canterbury wants us all to act like Nelson Mandela. Does that mean he wants us to murder people? I merely ask.
If you are not sure whether or not this is good news, then read this news item about immigrant crime in Staffordshire. If the people of Staffordshire have a problem with this, then they can always JOIN a political party which will take crime seriously. Can you think of such a party?
Another useful link is this one about homeless immigrants in Westminster.
But let me give some friendly advice to the new arrivals. Make for Paddington Station. It's just off the Edgware Road. Take a train to Gloucester. The journey takes less than two hours, and there are trains roughly every hour during the day. On arrival in Gloucester, take a bus to Coleford.
When you alight in Coleford, tell local people that Mark Harper let you in.
In another news item, it appears that the Archbishop of Canterbury wants us all to act like Nelson Mandela. Does that mean he wants us to murder people? I merely ask.
Monday, 30 December 2013
Will we now have to pay for hospital treatment?
The government is planning to make people pay to use NHS hospitals - even though they are supposed to provide treatment free at the point of use. Some of you may think I have got it all wrong. The government is planning to make immigrants pay to use some NHS services. That surely is only right and proper.
Actually no it isn't. The government wants to crack down on illegal immigrants getting a job, and so now we have to be able to produce a passport in order to get a job. The government wants to crack down on illegal immigrants getting a home, and so now we have to be able to produce a passport in order to rent a house ... or even perhaps a room. Now it seems that we will need a passport in order to get hospital treatment.
Some of you may think I am exaggerating the problem. Earlier this year my passport ran out. I applied for a new one, and the new passport duly arrived in a matter of days. Where is the problem with that?
The problem is that the renewal fee plus the cost of passport photos plus the postage set me back nearly a hundred pounds. I am lucky. I can afford that. But many people are struggling to pay for basic essentials like food and heating. How are they supposed to afford to renew their passport when it runs out?
Update: it has occurred to me since I originally wrote this that a British passport does not prove your right to treatment on the NHS. Nevertheless I can only assume that David Cameron envisages a system whereby you either prove your entitlement to free treatment or else pay a fee.
I fail to see how I can prove my entitlement without producing a document of some kind, and I would be interested if David Cameron would tell us what that document would be, how to obtain one, how to renew it, and what costs if any might be involved.
Actually no it isn't. The government wants to crack down on illegal immigrants getting a job, and so now we have to be able to produce a passport in order to get a job. The government wants to crack down on illegal immigrants getting a home, and so now we have to be able to produce a passport in order to rent a house ... or even perhaps a room. Now it seems that we will need a passport in order to get hospital treatment.
Some of you may think I am exaggerating the problem. Earlier this year my passport ran out. I applied for a new one, and the new passport duly arrived in a matter of days. Where is the problem with that?
The problem is that the renewal fee plus the cost of passport photos plus the postage set me back nearly a hundred pounds. I am lucky. I can afford that. But many people are struggling to pay for basic essentials like food and heating. How are they supposed to afford to renew their passport when it runs out?
Update: it has occurred to me since I originally wrote this that a British passport does not prove your right to treatment on the NHS. Nevertheless I can only assume that David Cameron envisages a system whereby you either prove your entitlement to free treatment or else pay a fee.
I fail to see how I can prove my entitlement without producing a document of some kind, and I would be interested if David Cameron would tell us what that document would be, how to obtain one, how to renew it, and what costs if any might be involved.
Saturday, 28 December 2013
On benefits and in debt
A national newspaper is reporting the case of a young single mother who is living on benefits with her two children, and who owes a lot of money to various loan companies. The comments are generally far from sympathetic, but I wonder how many of these comments are from people who are sensible about borrowing money.
Let me repeat what I said in a previous post: I believe that we are all morally obliged to live our lives free from debt if we can.
It is easy for someone who is earning a comfortable salary to borrow money and be confident of repaying the loan in full, but almost anyone can suffer a reversal of fortune. Nevertheless while I believe that people should think before borrowing, I also think that lenders should perhaps think more before lending.
While I wonder why anyone should want to borrow money to buy Christmas presents, I also wonder why anyone would want to lend money to someone to buy Christmas presents. Children like presents at Christmas, but they benefit from having parents who are sensible with money.
Previous related posts include:
To build on debt is to build on sand
A rent arrears crisis in London
Let me repeat what I said in a previous post: I believe that we are all morally obliged to live our lives free from debt if we can.
It is easy for someone who is earning a comfortable salary to borrow money and be confident of repaying the loan in full, but almost anyone can suffer a reversal of fortune. Nevertheless while I believe that people should think before borrowing, I also think that lenders should perhaps think more before lending.
While I wonder why anyone should want to borrow money to buy Christmas presents, I also wonder why anyone would want to lend money to someone to buy Christmas presents. Children like presents at Christmas, but they benefit from having parents who are sensible with money.
Previous related posts include:
To build on debt is to build on sand
A rent arrears crisis in London
Thursday, 26 December 2013
The new power house in Europe
It is predicted that the United Kingdom is on course to become the economic power house of Europe by the year 2030. Apparently the British economy will overtake that of France in the next few years, and will then go on to overtake that of Germany.
These predictions are based on current trends which may or may not continue in the future. For example, there is no reason at the moment to think that the Labour Party will not form our next government. Also, the socialist government which is currently ruining France may not be in power much longer.
Some readers might think that David Cameron and the Tories deserve to continue in power after the next general election if we are indeed on course for economic glory, and it is certainly true that the most recent figures for the British economy are impressive. The claimant count for October fell by 36,700 to 1.27million. At this rate, the claimant count could be eradicated within just three years.
Nevertheless there are many people in this country who are struggling financially, and that includes working people as well as people on benefits. Food banks are opening every week as more and more people risk starvation in this supposedly wealthy country.
I have no problem with the British economy growing under any government, but I will never vote Conservative, and neither will anyone who cares about people not having to starve.
These predictions are based on current trends which may or may not continue in the future. For example, there is no reason at the moment to think that the Labour Party will not form our next government. Also, the socialist government which is currently ruining France may not be in power much longer.
Some readers might think that David Cameron and the Tories deserve to continue in power after the next general election if we are indeed on course for economic glory, and it is certainly true that the most recent figures for the British economy are impressive. The claimant count for October fell by 36,700 to 1.27million. At this rate, the claimant count could be eradicated within just three years.
Nevertheless there are many people in this country who are struggling financially, and that includes working people as well as people on benefits. Food banks are opening every week as more and more people risk starvation in this supposedly wealthy country.
I have no problem with the British economy growing under any government, but I will never vote Conservative, and neither will anyone who cares about people not having to starve.
Monday, 23 December 2013
Another teenager dies in pre-communist Britain
Tom Acton was just sixteen when he committed suicide. He had been upset for some time after rumours were posted online about him being a sex offender. He had also been assaulted.
The thug who assaulted him has escaped a prison sentence, and so far as I can make out nobody has been prosecuted for spreading the rumours which led to the assault and to the suicide.
Compare this with the treatment of Liam Stacey. He posted an offensive comment about someone online, then deleted it once he realised he had caused offence. His target was a grown man who was unlikely to kill himself because of just one short-lived nasty comment. Nevertheless Stacey was prosecuted and jailed.
The difference of course is that Stacey made a racially abusive comment about a black man (Fabrice Muamba). I do not condone his stupidity, but a prison sentence was surely an overreaction on the part of the authorities - but such is the way of things as Britain slides ever deeper into the morass of communism.
Far more serious however is the failure of the authorities to protect Tom Acton. Tom was not the first young person in this country to commit suicide as a result of internet bullying, and I do not expect that he will be the last.
If you value the lives of Britain's teenagers, then stop voting Labour or Tory or LibDem. Those parties are led by communists who will always put their ideology above innocent human life.
Related posts include:
Ryan French is dead
Hannah Seeley is dead
Poppy Rodgers is dead
Who killed Katie Littlewood?
The thug who assaulted him has escaped a prison sentence, and so far as I can make out nobody has been prosecuted for spreading the rumours which led to the assault and to the suicide.
Compare this with the treatment of Liam Stacey. He posted an offensive comment about someone online, then deleted it once he realised he had caused offence. His target was a grown man who was unlikely to kill himself because of just one short-lived nasty comment. Nevertheless Stacey was prosecuted and jailed.
The difference of course is that Stacey made a racially abusive comment about a black man (Fabrice Muamba). I do not condone his stupidity, but a prison sentence was surely an overreaction on the part of the authorities - but such is the way of things as Britain slides ever deeper into the morass of communism.
Far more serious however is the failure of the authorities to protect Tom Acton. Tom was not the first young person in this country to commit suicide as a result of internet bullying, and I do not expect that he will be the last.
If you value the lives of Britain's teenagers, then stop voting Labour or Tory or LibDem. Those parties are led by communists who will always put their ideology above innocent human life.
Related posts include:
Ryan French is dead
Hannah Seeley is dead
Poppy Rodgers is dead
Who killed Katie Littlewood?
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