The Tories are on the brink of announcing new welfare reform. It will be recorded by the Hacks as another momentum-gathering move by Cameron and left merely at that. But this reform is something much more important. Reform is a word frequently used and abused by Gordon Brown. However, reform in the true sense of the word (the sense I feel DC wants us to embrace) would terrify Gordon and his old-school socialist cronies.
Of course, Cuddly Cameron can’t call it a Welfare War as I have in the title. But his reforms will be strong, and they can take down the stagnated luddite-based attitude of the Labour government with a wrecking ball. Personally, I want to help him swing it.
Welfare is deeply important, when used correctly. As in every democracy, we have a duty to help those who cannot help themselves. But when so many people on welfare could help themselves, and instead are allowed not to, the whole processes languishes, and the people who really need our help, are all too often left wanting. If Cameron can gage this correctly, the tone of his message will be that we must reform welfare not just to give the scroungers a well-deserved kick up the backside, and not just to save honest hardworking types some money that could go into other more important public-funded areas. He should say that we must reform to help those who really need help.
Welfare increased and dished out to as many people as possible, through grants, credits, etc. (as is the current way), makes more of us servants of the government. So many of us are eligible for tax credits, working families’ credits, etc. All the red tape and cost involved makes me wonder why can’t we just keep the money that is being ‘given back to us’ in the first place? One of the tricks of changing things this way, means that less of us will actually bother finding out what we are entitled to. Thus, extra money left for the government to waste.
But there’s something more important here. Welfare excess isn’t just bad because it costs too much, or because it leaves people in the servitude of the government. It’s bad because it’s fundamentally at odds with the way that human beings are able to live happy lives. Being able to stand up on your own two feet and earn money that supports yourself and your family, makes you a happier person. And a more fulfilled person. You are the master of your own destiny, and nothing feels more exciting than that.
One of the key elements of the Tory plan is to give incentives to the private sector (which Gordon Brown will hate), that makes it more beneficial for businesses to employ more people. This could get a significant number of the 3.1 million currently listed as “long-term unemployed” in this country back into work. Happier, more productive, better citizens, and it’ll save the rest of us a great deal of money. Perfect.
Single parents frequently have a very hard time of things. The money they make working part-time means they lose all their benefits, and the actual amount of benefits are way too low to support their kids. They end up suffering from a lack of social interaction by their peers and the pressure on their heads can be modestly described as far too taxing. DC and his crew want to give huge incentives for single parents, insisting that they get back to work by the time that their youngest child is in primary school. Does that sound harsh? Well, if a single parent were to work in an unskilled job (i.e. a job where training was provided, like an office administrator or something), based on the average wages that are given for these sort of things, if they worked 4 hours a day, 4 days a week, they’d earn more than sitting at home on welfare.
That means that they can work say, between 10am-2pm, while their kids are at school. They would still have plenty of time to shop, clean, etc. while the kids are at school, and they’d only have to work Monday-Thursday. And they’d be making friends and socialising with other workers, many of which will be in the same situation. As well as making more money that way, I feel most single parents would get an added benefit, one not measured in money times, but very, very valuable: pride. With the policy of making it more tempting to employ more people in private businesses, there’d be even more of these jobs available. And the best bit? It costs us very little. Actually, no; the best bit is that it would actually work.
Does David Cameron have what it takes to make the case for this reform, and all the other reforms Britain needs? With Gordon Brown and his cronies on the ropes, now is the best time. And to build up a momentum to that time in “a year and a half”, (to quote Ed Balls’ recent slip), when the Tories may well regain No. 10 again.
A government, with an elected mandate, totally committed to the betterment and liberty of the UK? Sounds like a plan to me...