Archive for category Social Security
The 2011 Budget – a response
Posted by David Merlin-Jones in Economics, Politics, Social Security, Tax and Spend on 23/03/2011
‘The Budget for Growth’ was how Chancellor George Osborne described it. Really? Of timid growth perhaps, but not the real growth Britain needs to see. Moreover, it has prioritised unrealistic green targets over economic development – a highly unwise manoeuvre. Below, the good, the ok and the really bad points of The Budget are unravelled. Read the rest of this entry »
All you need is love?
Posted by Stephen Clarke in Politics, Social Cohesion, Social Security, Tax and Spend on 14/02/2011
It is perhaps fitting that on Valentine’s Day David Cameron attempted to stoke up love for the Big Society in the face of recent criticism. It is perhaps doubly fitting because the success of the Big Society may depend upon love, or largely altruistic feelings, in the short term at least.
Is the minimum wage holding back job numbers?
Posted by Nick Cowen in Economics, Social Security on 25/01/2011
The always interesting Chris Dillow castigates Sam Bowman for his glib ‘econ 101′ answer to youth unemployment: abolish the minimum wage and allow youths to offer their labour for any price to employers. Chris has a point. The minimum wage, especially as it is currently constituted and enforced, probably has little impact on employment levels. However, combined with other labour market restrictions and the costs of compliance, it could still be having a deleterious effect that should be addressed given recent job losses.
Money for social housing can be found
Posted by Nick Cowen in Social Security, Tax and Spend on 19/10/2010
The £6 billion council house budget is likely to be one of the major casualties of this week’s spending review. The National Housing Federation has said it is expecting “doomsday” cuts that will severely slow down the construction of affordable housing. But there are a few ways of cutting this budget while saving housing construction, writes Carolina Bracken.
So long, and thanks for all the work
Posted by David Merlin-Jones in Family, Marriage and the Culture, Immigration, Social Cohesion, Social Security on 12/08/2010
A recent survey by Aon has found that only 43% of Britons want to retire and enjoy their golden years in this country, the lowest satisfaction rate in Europe. However, the figures involved don’t add up to anything worthy of pessimism, as they are merely fantasy and ideals. Read the rest of this entry »
Just a wee loan
Posted by Anastasia de Waal in Social Security on 21/06/2010
“New York City is the world capital of banking. They do the banking for the whole world, but they don’t do the banking for their neighbours.”
Mohammed Yunus created the Grameen bank in Bangladesh to encourage enterprise by offering microcredit loans to those with no recourse to financial services.