Tory minister accused of 'insulting' the poor, go without your telly, she said! Options

[Andy Capp]

I understand she said:


'I think at the end of the day one of the kindest things that we can do is try to help people to support themselves and work around their finances. Some of my most heartbreaking cases are those that come to me saying that they are struggling and then you go through with them their expenditure and income – I'm not generalising at all, I'm talking about some very individual cases – and actually they just haven't realised some of the savings that they need to make themselves. You know it can be… things like paid subscriptions to TVs and you just sit there and you think you have to sometimes go without if you are going to have people make ends meet.'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-33...l#ixzz3rOylvmiO



I can't really see what she has to apologise for? It seems to me that she is speaking common sense.

The only thing I see wrong is Labour trying to make capitol from it.

[Berkshirelad]

Sounds like common sense to me to.

Satellite or cable TV subscriptions, the latest smartphone, booze, fags and dare I say it, illegal drugs are all 'luxuries' when you are short of money

[je suis Charlie]

Sounds like common sense to me to.

Satellite or cable TV subscriptions, the latest smartphone, booze, fags and dare I say it, illegal drugs are all 'luxuries' when you are short of money

Not to mention tattoos!

[spartacus]

Unfortunately the dregs of society at the trailer trash end of our society (and sadly the trailer trash don't exclusively live in trailers) seem to think that certain things are essential items of existence rather than luxuries. They get a bit too precious and sensitive when a few home truths are pointed out while they stub out their fags and are asked to turn off their 50" HD telly.. Good on T Crouch MP for voicing what many think. Shame that some misguided Labour drones seem to have misread the silent majority mood.

[Andy Capp]

Unfortunately the dregs of society at the trailer trash end of our society (and sadly the trailer trash don't exclusively live in trailers) seem to think that certain things are essential items of existence rather than luxuries. They get a bit too precious and sensitive when a few home truths are pointed out while they stub out their fags and are asked to turn off their 50" HD telly.. Good on T Crouch MP for voicing what many think. Shame that some misguided Labour drones seem to have misread the silent majority mood.

When you have nothing, little luxuries kind of turn into essentials; however, my main beef is with the misrepresenting of the MP by Labour. Whether on this forum, or elsewhere, people are very quick to make up their minds before listening (or reading). In

[je suis Charlie]

I understand she said:


'I think at the end of the day one of the kindest things that we can do is try to help people to support themselves and work around their finances. Some of my most heartbreaking cases are those that come to me saying that they are struggling and then you go through with them their expenditure and income – I'm not generalising at all, I'm talking about some very individual cases – and actually they just haven't realised some of the savings that they need to make themselves. You know it can be… things like paid subscriptions to TVs and you just sit there and you think you have to sometimes go without if you are going to have people make ends meet.'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-33...l#ixzz3rOylvmiO



I can't really see what she has to apologise for? It seems to me that she is speaking common sense.

The only thing I see wrong is Labour trying to make capitol from it.

Its called 'living within your means' if you can't afford it, don't have it. Something most people, the council and this government fail somehow to be able to get there minds round. What my dear Mum used to understand as 'housekeeping'. Or if you prefer, economics 101.

[On the edge]

Sadly, these political truisms often get bent and mangled so the message gets missed. Look at all the fuss created about a fairer way of assessing benefits and then squeals about a mythical bedroom tax; sensible suggestions for managing just get trashed. This is just another example; it's nothing new.

[Simon Kirby]

Is this where we are as a sociery: the poorest can't afford television - and we despise them for wanting it? Are we content that the living standards of the Daily Mail readership goes up while the poorest are expected to enjoy their post-war austerity? I'm not.. Even if morality and common decency weren't enough, enlightened self-interest will tell you that a substantial difference between rich and poor will strain the social fabric and then everyone suffers when that rips.

[spartacus]

Is this where we are as a sociery: the poorest can't afford television - and we despise them for wanting it? Are we content that the living standards of the Daily Mail readership goes up while the poorest are expected to enjoy their post-war austerity?

The difference is that they want the televisions without having to work for them. They hold out their hands for their freebies and seem to think benefits should be paying for smart phones and their 40 fags a day habit.

[newres]

I see Brighthouse have a stand on Northbrook Street today.

[On the edge]

Spart, that's why all these immigrants keep coming, because the British working class are just content to sit about grabbing whatever benefits their way. The same reason they took no notice of Norman Tebbitt's suggestion - get on your bike and look for work.....most of them have cars. It's always been the same, when anyone suggests people should take responsibility they are shouted down. One of the biggest takes for welfare benefits is single mums - but what happened when we tried to get idle dads to cough up?

[Simon Kirby]

The difference is that they want the televisions without having to work for them. They hold out their hands for their freebies and seem to think benefits should be paying for smart phones and their 40 fags a day habit.

Sure,decent people wouldn't be comfortable with this situation if they empathised with their situation and thought of them as decent people such as themselves - psycopaths can do this, but generally decent people have empathy, and the trick is to de-humanise the poor and cast them as undeserving ingrates - the Hate Mail has made quite an industry out of just this.

[Andy Capp]

TBH - my irritation was on the political abuse, rather than social comment. Parties issuing strawman arguments to land political punches. The Monster Raving Tories did it a while back with their Corbin feels sorry for Osama Bin Laden initiative.

[On the edge]

Sadly, that's now the state of British politics. It's what we want because that's what we vote for.

[newres]

Aren't you all making the assumption that she is talking about the unemployed rather than the low paid?

[Simon Kirby]

Aren't you all making the assumption that she is talking about the unemployed rather than the low paid?

I wasn't assuming anything past the fact that they couldn't afford television - I don't find that just whoever it is, be they pensioners, low-paid, or whatever.

[Cognosco]

Aren't you all making the assumption that she is talking about the unemployed rather than the low paid?

One certain poster appears to think that anyone who does not have such an high powered job as herself should be sacrificed for the good of such as herself if needs be..............and to keep WBC ticking along nicely of course?

[newres]

I wasn't assuming anything past the fact that they couldn't afford television - I don't find that just whoever it is, be they pensioners, low-paid, or whatever.

Well some were assuming. In general, is it possible to get credit if you're unemployed? I'd have thought the people that this MP is referring to as those on low pay. Personally, I think anyone that works full time ought to be able to afford the odd luxury. Perhaps the issue is employers not willing to pay a living wage? There will always be people living beyond their means. You don't have to be poor to do that.

[On the edge]

Well some were assuming. In general, is it possible to get credit if you're unemployed? I'd have thought the people that this MP is referring to as those on low pay. Personally, I think anyone that works full time ought to be able to afford the odd luxury. Perhaps the issue is employers not willing to pay a living wage? There will always be people living beyond their means. You don't have to be poor to do that.

Oh please, you aren't supposed to be noticing that, anymore than you should be noticing that our grocers employees need tax subsidies to make a wage to exist on! Still, they get staff discount! I suppose the odd luxury like being just about able to rent a flat, if your mate is willing to share, is worth having. People always want more don't they?

[blackdog]

I wasn't assuming anything past the fact that they couldn't afford television - I don't find that just whoever it is, be they pensioners, low-paid, or whatever.

I wouldn't assume that either, I understood her to be saying that Sky, Netflix, Amazon Prime subscriptions were not basic needs. I don't think she was questioning having a TV to watch free TV.