There are three recurring myths about EU rules on migration and benefits:
First, it is a myth that EU law gives all EU citizens an unconditional right to reside freely in the UK or another Member State. In reality, this right is subject to important restrictions, notably employment.
Second, it is a myth that EU law means that EU migrants are automatically entitled to claim benefits in the UK or another Member State. In fact, EU rules require migrants to meet stringent requirements before they can be eligible either for means tested “social assistance” benefits like housing benefit and income support or for social security benefits like child benefit, invalidity benefit or contribution-based Jobseekers’ Allowance. Remember, those that work here are contributing through their taxes.
The third, linked, myth is that EU rules somehow encourage so-called benefit tourism. In fact, the rules are designed to prevent “benefit tourism”.
The Euromyth Buster campaign is building quite a following… with plenty of Europhiles and Eurosceptics getting involved in the debate at www.facebook.com/EuromythBuster.
Tuesday, 14 May 2013
Monday, 13 May 2013
Adge - King of the Wurzels
A lovely little biography by John Hudson about Adge Cutler, leader of the "Scrumpy and Weston" band the Wurzels.
The Album - Cutler of the West (the third he recorded) is one I remember fondly from my childhood. A mixture of the comic and the heartfelt ballads.
In one sense, there is not much to tell about Adge Cutler - he died tragically in a car crash probably just of the verge of super-stardom (well in England anyway). The Wurzels carried on without him and had the big hits that had eluded him, for better or worse always being associated with Combined Harvester.
Never-the-less - it is an interesting life and a slice of 1950's/60's/70's England - tales of the early folk music scene, publicity stunts, trips to Spain, being a roadie, friendship with clarinetist Acker Bilk.
I love his quote "If Chuck Berry can write about Memphis Tennessee. why can't I write about Easton-in-Gordano, Somerset." So that is what he did.
His legacy of four Albums and around 30 songs is not a large one, but it is a great one. As each album was made he contributed fewer songs. Few comics are entertaining 40 years on, Adge manages it. He had something unique - or as his agent put it, they sing songs about cider and manure and stuff - do us a favour, give it a go.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7Ru-lLlGOU&feature=endscreen&NR=1
The Album - Cutler of the West (the third he recorded) is one I remember fondly from my childhood. A mixture of the comic and the heartfelt ballads.
In one sense, there is not much to tell about Adge Cutler - he died tragically in a car crash probably just of the verge of super-stardom (well in England anyway). The Wurzels carried on without him and had the big hits that had eluded him, for better or worse always being associated with Combined Harvester.
Never-the-less - it is an interesting life and a slice of 1950's/60's/70's England - tales of the early folk music scene, publicity stunts, trips to Spain, being a roadie, friendship with clarinetist Acker Bilk.
I love his quote "If Chuck Berry can write about Memphis Tennessee. why can't I write about Easton-in-Gordano, Somerset." So that is what he did.
His legacy of four Albums and around 30 songs is not a large one, but it is a great one. As each album was made he contributed fewer songs. Few comics are entertaining 40 years on, Adge manages it. He had something unique - or as his agent put it, they sing songs about cider and manure and stuff - do us a favour, give it a go.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7Ru-lLlGOU&feature=endscreen&NR=1
Thursday, 9 May 2013
Richie Havens RIP
When I first watched Woodstock, many years ago I didn't really appreciate this song, now it is one of my faves. He only improvised this song as he had played every other song he could think of.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fA51wyl-9IE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fA51wyl-9IE
I hope they haven't got any spare bedrooms
In total, the 71 MPs claimed £926,159.75 of taxpayer cash to cover mortgage interest over the 15-month period
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2013/may/09/mps-told-repay-profits-homes
For those without a calculator, that means the average claim per MP over 12 months was £10,435.60.
Or about equilvent to a years minimum wage.
Or twice the average Housing Benefit Claim.
The largest claims made by Labour's Michael Connarty – who received £34,168 relating to a property in London. Surely here's one MP who won't be supporting the benefits cap ?
David Miliband claimed £5,903 on a property in his former seat of South Shields. Well he's not short of a few pounds. The House of Commons register reveals that he has ben paid nearly £1 million – from outside interests since losing the party leadership to his brother, including £125,000 for 15 days’ work as a director of Sunderland football club owned by a super-rich businessman with interests in private equity. Approximately £60,000 has come his way from the UAE, a gulf state with an unappetising human rights record, and another hefty chunk from St James’s Place, a company that advises very rich people how to invest their money.
Greed pure and simple - the only explanation of why he would be claiming what to him is such a triffling sum.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2013/may/09/mps-told-repay-profits-homes
For those without a calculator, that means the average claim per MP over 12 months was £10,435.60.
Or about equilvent to a years minimum wage.
Or twice the average Housing Benefit Claim.
The largest claims made by Labour's Michael Connarty – who received £34,168 relating to a property in London. Surely here's one MP who won't be supporting the benefits cap ?
David Miliband claimed £5,903 on a property in his former seat of South Shields. Well he's not short of a few pounds. The House of Commons register reveals that he has ben paid nearly £1 million – from outside interests since losing the party leadership to his brother, including £125,000 for 15 days’ work as a director of Sunderland football club owned by a super-rich businessman with interests in private equity. Approximately £60,000 has come his way from the UAE, a gulf state with an unappetising human rights record, and another hefty chunk from St James’s Place, a company that advises very rich people how to invest their money.
Greed pure and simple - the only explanation of why he would be claiming what to him is such a triffling sum.
Tuesday, 7 May 2013
Friday, 26 April 2013
UKIP - Immigration
UKIP ran what I thought was a very professional and effective broadcast for the Local Elections. Except being UKIP it wasn't really about the local elections, it was about immigration.
In one sense I have some sympathy with the UKIP position, in that I think there has been a huge volume of immigration into the UK in recent years and it has put pressure on housing and services. At the very least, it could have been handled better and local councils could and should have been given more resources to cope with the influx of new people.
But, on another level, I think UKIP have got it all wrong on immigration. They were basically saying, leave the EU, get control of our own borders back, problem solved.
If only things were that simple. The USA has control of it's own borders. Has it solved the 'problem' of immigration legal or illegal ? No of course not, there are millions of people in the country illegally.
The fact is the world has changed - the typcical UKIP activist yearns for the past. Everything was better then. We weren't ruled by Brusells but by British MPs - the finest in the world - umm, yes, I can see the problem with this argument. Anyway - the world has changed, 32 million of people come to visit the UK every year. Even more trips are made by UK residents going abroad. Do you think any Government can check or control that volume of people ?
The second problem is that having 'control' of your own borders doesn't give you control of other people's. If you want to deport people "back to where they came from" you have to have the agreement of the country to which you are deporting someone. Surpring to some, but often they are not very keen on ahving people back, that is of course assuming you can establish where they came form in the first place. What you need is some sort of international co-operation, a sort of overarching body that can set rules everyone has to follow, something well, like the European Union.
In one sense I have some sympathy with the UKIP position, in that I think there has been a huge volume of immigration into the UK in recent years and it has put pressure on housing and services. At the very least, it could have been handled better and local councils could and should have been given more resources to cope with the influx of new people.
But, on another level, I think UKIP have got it all wrong on immigration. They were basically saying, leave the EU, get control of our own borders back, problem solved.
If only things were that simple. The USA has control of it's own borders. Has it solved the 'problem' of immigration legal or illegal ? No of course not, there are millions of people in the country illegally.
The fact is the world has changed - the typcical UKIP activist yearns for the past. Everything was better then. We weren't ruled by Brusells but by British MPs - the finest in the world - umm, yes, I can see the problem with this argument. Anyway - the world has changed, 32 million of people come to visit the UK every year. Even more trips are made by UK residents going abroad. Do you think any Government can check or control that volume of people ?
The second problem is that having 'control' of your own borders doesn't give you control of other people's. If you want to deport people "back to where they came from" you have to have the agreement of the country to which you are deporting someone. Surpring to some, but often they are not very keen on ahving people back, that is of course assuming you can establish where they came form in the first place. What you need is some sort of international co-operation, a sort of overarching body that can set rules everyone has to follow, something well, like the European Union.
Wednesday, 17 April 2013
damned by her own supporters - I'm incredulous about the people defending Mrs Thatchers legacy
The following quotes are from people defending Mrs Thatcher policies and legacy - really they ought to
"Scrapping rent controls for the private rented sector meant a reduced role for councils. Before there would be council Rent Officers telling landlords what rent to charge. Now the landlord and tenants are left to negotiate for themselves"
Except of course negotiations have been all one way - higher rents, huge cost for the tax payer in a rising housing benefit bill - what idiocy was this policy? It is a typical example of how a theoretical belief in the 'free market' continues long after the real world shows it has no basis in reality. It has probably done more to entrench poverty and dependency on benefits that anything else.
"Scrapping rent controls for the private rented sector meant a reduced role for councils. Before there would be council Rent Officers telling landlords what rent to charge. Now the landlord and tenants are left to negotiate for themselves"
Except of course negotiations have been all one way - higher rents, huge cost for the tax payer in a rising housing benefit bill - what idiocy was this policy? It is a typical example of how a theoretical belief in the 'free market' continues long after the real world shows it has no basis in reality. It has probably done more to entrench poverty and dependency on benefits that anything else.
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