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Millers Banter: Unofficial Rotherham United Fans Forum / Message Board → OT Discussion → Bedroom Tax
 

Topic: Bedroom Tax

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smiler
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Bedroom Tax
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Ruled unlawful today - albeit on a couple of narrow points.  Quite right too.  It is a clumsy, heavy handed and ill-thought-out policy that the government thought could be railroaded through because it's impact is (typically under this administration) on the weakest and most vulnerable members of society, who have no voice in the lobbying rooms at Westminster.  Thankfully (and perhaps contrary to popular belief) we still have a judiciary that on the whole has independence and a role to play keeping government in check.  With it's scandalous plans to restrict access to justice by restricting legal aid further, introducing massive court fee increases and making it harder to bring judicial review cases (the vehicle for the man in the street to hold government accountable) the government seems intent on making itself less accountable in the future - something we should all be very concerned about. 



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Towdlad
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If the Tories hadn't flogged off the nations housing stocks in the first instance, and then not allowed councils to build more, we wouldn't be in this position where the Tories are forcing people to 'downsize' in the first place. Not that there is anywhere for them to downsize to. Its always the vulnerable and least well off who they attack, time after time. If savings need to be made they ought to go after the big name tax dodgers and big city fraudsters.

Encouraging to see the judiciary, who can generally be relied upon to support the Establishment corner, do at times exhibit some common humanity.

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smiler
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Spot on about the housing stock Towdlad. Maybe some of the people being forced to leave their homes of many years to downsize could move into the 'affordable housing' planned for London. Only £400k required. Nice juxtaposition today with the reports of Google paying £130m in tax to cover a 10 year period. That amounts to corporation tax of around 3% - a relative pittance. Attack the poor and leave the rich alone. On the matter of the judiciary, insofar as judges are capable of uproar they are in uproar at the moment. This government has decimated and is trying to decimate further a legal system that had its flaws yes but that could at least be accessed by anyone who needed it. No more. We are moving towards a system that second world countries would be embarrassed of when once we could be rightfully proud of it.

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Heman
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Well I am no anti-tory our pro-Tory but the whole tax stinks. Not just for abused or disabled but for all.

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Towdlad
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smiler wrote:

Spot on about the housing stock Towdlad. Maybe some of the people being forced to leave their homes of many years to downsize could move into the 'affordable housing' planned for London. Only £400k required. Nice juxtaposition today with the reports of Google paying £130m in tax to cover a 10 year period. That amounts to corporation tax of around 3% - a relative pittance. Attack the poor and leave the rich alone. On the matter of the judiciary, insofar as judges are capable of uproar they are in uproar at the moment. This government has decimated and is trying to decimate further a legal system that had its flaws yes but that could at least be accessed by anyone who needed it. No more. We are moving towards a system that second world countries would be embarrassed of when once we could be rightfully proud of it.

 With regards to the Legal system issue Smiler, it could be argued that even 'justice' is being privatised.

I grant you it is not quite the same as flogging off a national asset to your friends and Tory bankrollers at mates rates, but the outcome is the same, i.e, its there if you want it, but if you cant afford it, tough.

Justice is more than an asset, commodity or whatever it is they like to buy and sell in the chase for the high alter of mammon, neither is it an 'ideal'. We are talking here about a 'human right' a moral obligation to allow everyone the freedom to pursue justice or a defence.

We've already sold off 'Democracy'  in its true definition to media barons and wealthy lobbyists, although we do go through a process that convinces most that we live in a democratic society. It seems as we know the price of everything but the value of nothing as the saying goes.

As you say, we could at one time feel proud of our legal system as we could with our NHS but dont get me started on that argument



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Exetermiller
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Its a disgusting policy. Especially when you factor in the fact that the Housing Act is abhorrent in its use of age versus gender in sharing rooms and that it includes kitchens and living rooms as potential sleeping space - how Victorian is that!

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ian
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Nailed in a few posts. Why can't the government be ran so effectively.

Bias!

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