The government’s response to its defeat in the Lords last night over benefit caps has been notable for its lack of substance. Iain Duncan Smith has taken two lines: that the policy is enormously popular, and that Bishops and left-leaning peers ought to be as concerned by the people paying for the benefits as they… Continue reading Why aren’t landlords “in this together” as well?
Month: January 2012
Why Zoe Williams’ tale of Tesco subsidies only tells half the story
Zoe Williams makes a good point in the Guardian when she questions why the taxpayer effectively subsidises companies like Tesco by paying out tax credits which would be unnecessary if they paid decent wages, whilst executives reward themselves massive bonuses from the profits they make as a consequence. There is clearly something wrong here. But… Continue reading Why Zoe Williams’ tale of Tesco subsidies only tells half the story
Why Charlotte Henry’s purity test of “real” liberalism is misguided
Charlotte Henry has a curious article on the Total Politics blog, suggesting that Clegg’s speech on a more participatory form of industrial democracy will help us to seperate the “real liberals” from the “SDP-statist-sandal wearers”. There are several problems with this diagnosis. For one thing, the famed “sandal wearers” and the SDP members are very… Continue reading Why Charlotte Henry’s purity test of “real” liberalism is misguided