Friday, October 22, 2010

Poor suffer most from spending review cuts

Deputy PM Nick Clegg is very unwise and unmeasured indeed to launch such an outspoken attack on the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) - using words like 'frightening people' and 'airbrushing' - because it is very widely respected for its expertise, independence and authority. This is not good leadership and in fact both Nick Clegg and Chancellor George Osbourne praised the IFS highly during the summer general election! Take a look at why the IFS regard the spending review as on the whole affecting poorer people more than richer people here. For me it makes very good sense to conclude that the poor will suffer most because they are the ones most reliant on the public services and benefits that have been savagely cut - and even the government's own figures (see image), calculated in their own way, show that the bottom 10% are hit hard. Government attempts at making the cuts 'fair' are far too small.

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2 comments:

  1. David GouldFriday, October 22, 2010

    Wealth isn't dependent on income, but on our capacity to create what's best for us and the world.

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  2. Glenn VowlesSaturday, October 23, 2010

    Well, there is certainly more to wealth than just income but it is one important and interconnected feature of it given the way our society currently works! Our true wealth lies in the ongoing availability of and access to resources and opportunities - including land, natural and community services, work and so on. These have been made much less available, especially for the poor, by the spending review and emergency budget and so whether we are talking about a narrow wealth as income definition or a broader wealth as opportunity and resources defintion poorer people are suffering most.

    Interesting that you have made this observation Dave - are you defending the coalition govts massive spending cuts?

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