Once more the Labour Council in Barnsley is robbing the poor to pay for the excesses of the rich.
Last year’s 8.7 per cent increase in council house rents was nodded through by Labour councillors. A year on and council house tenants are receiving letters to tell them that their rents are to be increased by yet another inflation busting 9.42 per cent.
The letter will tell them the increase is based on ‘government guidelines’. We expect a Tory government to take from the poor but what the hell is the Labour Party doing to defend the people for whom the party was created to represent? Absolutely nothing. On the contrary, they are acting as agents of Tory ideology, which is to abolish social housing altogether and to create a laissez-faire market for rents that will inevitably lead to homelessness.
The Tories are hell bent on ridding the country of social housing by raising council rents to the same level as private landlords. On top of this the Tories are to cap benefits, which will mean families will no longer be able to afford to pay the rents their private landlord demands and will not be able to recoup the increase through benefits.What the government should be doing is capping rents.
But then they ought to be capping the obscene earnings of bankers, company executives, Premiership footballers and other celebrities, not the public workers that our society depends upon. We know from history what to expect from a Tory government but it appears that we can expect much of the same from the Labour Party.
There is little wonder that people are staying away from the polling booths.Your readers must have noticed that however much your correspondents challenge local councillors and council officers, they simply do not respond. Recent issues such as the chief executive being ousted; Barnsley Black and Ethnic Minority Initiative being dropped by the council; decisions being taken at odds with the local people they affect; the lack of support for communities, groups and charities (except VAB). All have been raised in recent letters to the Chronicle and we have had no response.Barnsley Council does not have to adhere to ‘government guidelines’.
It may well get government funding for doing so, as it will for not increasing the council tax this year, but that funding will be a one-off payment and where will the council get the shortfall from next year?
From the same people who are paying for it this year through an increase in council tax, a further hike in council house rents and further cuts to services as the bulk of public sector job losses will then be made. Keir Hardie must be spinning in his grave.
© 2013 Barnsley Chronicle Ltd
Good article, precise and to the point. I'm afraid there's a culture of indifference from people given power to be in a position to better people's lives....apathy is the word. Seems that the bad news just piles up on the most needy....yet our councillors don't give a monkeys. The misery being created ongoing will lead to major social problems that could ignite just as it did last autumn. You can sense the tension by talking/listening to others .Younger people especially must be scathing of the system. There's nowt for them.....prospects practically zero. Only reason tories are so keen to get 'em packed off to university is to keep them off the politically sensitive jobless totals. They've nothing to look forward to once qualified.We never learn any social lessons in this country being content to just"muddle through" in hard times.
I'm of an age now where it's less important but I worry about the future of the younger generations...and equally important,our elderly,who have given everything to this country of ours(war service included) and yet are treated as a "nuisance" whilst the establishment tries every trick possible to milk as much money from anybody,poor or otherwise. We live in selfish times,fuelled by a greedy,unapologetic government.
Labour is no longer the party of the working class,be it at national or local level.all three main parties in parliament despise and loathe the working class,except of course, at election time.Promises are made to the electorate simply to get elected.I would advise any voter to look carefully at your town and then judge for yourself if your incumbent councillor really does listen to your opinions at all.If they got involved in debates with real people they would be shaken.
I'm on Twelve grand a year. I don't consider myself poor or rich. I get by. Council Tax £1250, Water £600, Gas/Electric £1200. Bills I have to pay or end up in dire straights, prison even. Oh and I've got a dog that costs me £500 per year. And all around me I see these poor folk claiming their benefits. Housing Benefit, Income Support, Child Tax Credits, Working Tax Credits, Council Tax whatever it is benefit. And do you know what, I see these selfsame people driving around in cars, decent cars (my car is 13yo). I see them smoking weed, having a good drink, popping off abroad for a well deserved holiday. Do ya know, I even know one person claiming benefits who keeps a couple of horses in stables, drives a fair car, takes a foreign holiday or two, and manages to have the odd break or three in this country. Skeggie on a bank holiday weekend, Glastonbury etc. I know another who has three kids by different Fathers. Gets it all, rent paid, council tax etc etc etc. Well she manages a couple of holidays a year, drives a decent car, likes her booze and weed. Well her latest partner lives with her and works full time, but she neglects to mention this on the claim form. And hey, I am not bulling here. I could go on and on and on. Just a thought - If the council crank the rents up, the average rent for the area will be higher thereby raising the amount that benefit claimants can claim in housing benefit. Happy days for some, but not for me perhaps, maybe my council tax will have to go up to pay for this...Some of you people should really look around you and find out what is really going on.