Jeremy Corbyn: Will Scrap Universal Credit.
Labour Leader: Jeremy Corbyn.
Jeremy Corbyn has promised to scrap the Conservative welfare benefit, known as Universal Credit. It is reckoned by the year 2022, most people will then be on this controversial benefit, for one reason or another.
The benefit incorporates all benefits into one, whether you are unemployed, unable to work because of illness, etc. Unemployed people for example, once they have made a claim online, they are called in for an interview, expected to sign an agreement saying they will look for work for 35 hours a week. Each fortnight, they are called into the jobcentre, to see their job coach, and are supposed to present evidence, they have been keeping to their agreement, that is looking for work. If the job coach decides the claimant has not been doing enough to look for work, they are sanctioned, which usually means they receive a drop, in their benefit.
Benefits used to be paid fortnightly, however, thanks to former Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith, claimants are paid monthly, in line with monthly payments, in the working world. Claimants have to wait a maximum of 5 weeks before receiving their first payment.
Jeremy Corbyn is going to make announcements in the very constituency that is Iain Duncan Smith's, namely, Chingford. Ducan Smith was the architect of UC (Universal Credit) and whilst, on paper, UC sounded good, it has, in reality, put many into poverty.
Mr Corbyn is expected to announce that UC, will be scrapped for a much fairer welfare system. The new system, will respect the dignity and humanity of the claimant and give true support, to those on welfare.
Under the new system, Labour will introduce, if elected, a system where claimants will not have to wait 5 weeks. Mr Corbyn is expected to announce also, that the cap on benefits, introduced by the Tories, will also be scrapped. The limit of having two children, for families dependant on welfare, will also be scrapped, it is expected. Mr Corbyn has said that doing this will release 300,000 children in the UK, from poverty. Many families on low wages or no benefits have been going to food banks while waiting for their first UC payment.
Gingerbread the one parent charity has applauded the expected welfare announcement from Jeremy Corbyn.
Meanwhile, the Conservative current Work and Pensions, Therese Coffey, has condemned and deplored the Labour statement on welfare.
Could Universal Credit be The Tory Weakness?
The Labour party right now, like the Tories, is a troubled and some would say divided party. Divided on the leadership, of the very man at the helm, Jeremy Corbyn. Divided over Brexit, Although officially now, the Labour party, is a remainer party. Also, despite Corbyn making the Labour party, a bastion of the far left, there are right-wing Blairites still lurking. Then there is the creeping and continuing allegations of Anti-Semitism within the party and Corbyn's attitude to nukes. Corbyn's ties to the IRA, Hamas and Hezbollah will not go away either.
Despite all this, Jeremy Corbyn has survived and seen off leadership challenges too. In the 2017 general election, which May called when she thought she was popular, Labour was not expected to do well. With so little time to prepare, Labour threw together a manifesto, entitled 'For the Many, Not the Few'. Labour had thousands of young supporters and although Labour did not win, they reduced the Tories majority to almost nothing. May was left hanging by a thread and had to do a deal with the Northern Irish DUP, to stay in power.
At some point all agree, a general election is coming soon. Labour from the start must highlight and attack the Conservatives track record on austerity. Cuts to services that ordinary people need, whether that be the Police, Fire Service, NHS, Council services, etc. They must highlight the injustices of Universal Credit and the degradation it has brought to peoples lives. Obviously, and perhaps, unfortunately, the general election will be about attacking the integrity of each party leader. No doubt, Dominic Cummings, Boris's right-hand man, will be trawling around for any dirt on Jeremy Corbyn. Labour probably will respond in kind, on issues concerning Boris Johnson. At one time, there was never any clear blue water between the Conservatives and Labour on policy, now a with hard-right Tory party and a far-left Labour party, there is a vast ocean, on political thought and difference, between them.
Of course, Brexit will come up and it may take, all political parties, eye off the ball, instead of concentrating on the state of our nation on bread and butter issues. The Lib-Dems and the Brexit Party will be the dangers for both the Tories and Labour.
It is unlikely, given the scale of change, in British politics, if we will ever have again, one party ruling in government. If Labour becomes the largest party in Westminister, after any general election, they will hopefully form the next government. If not, they could form a minority government or cobble together a coalition with other parties.
Whatever happens, I hope the Tories are pushed from office, and obviously, no political party is perfect, but if Labour became the government, maybe we might see a brighter day, in some things, at least.
