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Tories to extend “unlawful” workfare schemes – Media and blog round up: February 11th 2013

February 13, 2013 11:02 am

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Tories to extend “unlawful” workfare schemes

“Iain Duncan Smith, the Work and Pensions Secretary, is said to have been left “frustrated” after Cait Reilly, a university graduate, won a Court of Appeal claim that requiring her to work for free at a Poundland discount store was unlawful. Senior Government sources have labelled the court’s decision as “odd” and said they want to toughen up the rules despite the criticism from the judiciary. Ministers are now expected to in the coming weeks outline plans to extend the use of sanctions and mandatory work for the unemployed.” – Telegraph

Squeezed Middle will be squeezed for another decade

“Ten million people on low-to-middle incomes will have to wait another 10 years before their living standards return to their pre-recession level in 2008, according to a study published today. The Resolution Foundation, an independent think-tank, said that many of Britain’s “squeezed middle” faced a “permanent hit” because it would be hard for them to fully recover the ground they have lost in recent years as earnings have risen by less than inflation.” – Independent

Other highlights

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  1. Clegg and Cable in talks with Miliband – Media and blog round up: February 11th 2013
  2. Labour set to back Leveson compromise? – Media and blog round up: February 11th 2013
  3. Tories leading in Eastleigh – Media and blog round up: February 8th 2013
  4. Mandelson vs Prescott? (again) – Media and blog round up: February 7th 2013
  5. A “Dirty tricks” campaign against Labour staff? – Media and blog round up: February 6th 2013
  • Monkey_Bach

    But prior to the so-call Job Guarantee wasn’t Labour, guided by the cold dead hand of David Freud, going to do exactly the same thing workfare-wise as IDS? Eeek.

    • robertcp

      There is no doubt that New Labour prepared the ground for policies like workfare.

      • Monkey_Bach

        Purnell was a self-aggrandising, gelid ideologue; a really, really nasty and pernicious piece of work. Cooper is more like a weather vane, her position forever determined by the direction of the strongest wind that happens to be blowing from one minute to the next. Both are a waste of protoplasm in my honest opinion. Eeek.

        • robertcp

          I agree.

  • Dave Postles

    JSA is Job Seekers’ Allowance – for those seeking work who conduct the requirements of seeking work. If you want unemployed people to work on these schemes, then (a) they must be offered realistic training to enhance their transferable skills (or in some cases, just to assist them in recognising the skills which they have – customer service, numeracy, initiative, responsibility, communication skills etc) to increase their prospects of decent employment, and (b) they should be paid at least the minimum wage for doing the same work as the other employees. In the latter case, if they are not, then there is discrimination.

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