Get the unemployed working for benefits
Why don’t they implement the obvious? There is a way to get the unemployed into a work ethic that will not (a) affect their various benefits, (b) upset the unions, (c) provide much needed employment issues in the public/private sector, and (d) separate out the will not/cannot work recipients of the benefit culture.
And what is this grand scheme?
To commit the unemployed to carry out work at a rate of pay, up to the level of their benefit, and slightly above minimum wage, so there is no accusation of low wage exploitation.
If for example, their benefits (unemployment, housing, etc., total, for illustration purposes) are £150 per week, divided by, again for example, £7.50 per hour, then they would be required to work 20 hours per week.
Their work rota would be on a rotation basis, at various times of the week, so that a continuous schedule with other recipients would be maintained.
To avoid a mismatch of trades, eg, a redundant bank worker being required to do street sweeping, a building worker doing office duties, then common sense would prevail.
There must be many companies that could do with extra workers but can’t afford to take them on.
This would remedy the situation.
For those who have never been employed, they would be given a choice of options, something that they would like to do, or at least, to give it a try.
And who knows, it may give them opportunity to gain full employment with their sponsor.
George Bridle,
Hawkridge, West Hunsbury, Northampton.
Stop following the party line
Having read Mr Binley’s column which appeared in Saturday’s Chronicle & Echo (January 28), I could not make my mind up on whether to laugh or cry.
Like many politicians he appeared to be clutching at straws when it comes to the state of Northampton’s town centre. Fine, so employment is statistically higher than other areas, little consolation for those seeking employment. I often wonder if our politicians walk around the town centre, because if they did, then a sense of realism might hit home.
There appears to be lots of faith in the Enterprise Zone and it will be interesting to observe how this will develop over the coming years. An issue might well be a failure of Northamptonians to get the high grade employment in, for example, knowledge based industries due to poor education attainment levels particularly at third level.
But what gave me the greatest cause for concern was the usual Tory attack on the human rights court and blindly following the Prime Minister’s line. Perhaps, Mr Binley might like to share with us his misgivings and offer up some evidence rather than anecdotes and perhaps tell us what might replace this court?
No doubt what prompted Mr Cameron’s outburst was the latest court decision, which contrary to popular belief had little to do with deportation of a terror suspect, but had to do with torture. The Tory attitude appears to be there is nothing wrong with using evidence gained as a result of torture, providing that the torture took place overseas! They also appear to see little wrong in agents of the state being present in an ‘advisory’ capacity – how pathetic.
In 2011 the Human Rights Court ruled against the UK on eight occasions and these cases involved deportation to places of torture, DNA retention of innocent people and the rights of rape victims. These are hardly trivial matters, so come on Mr Binley think before you follow the party mantra!
Incidentally the court ruled against Russia on 121 occasions.
This court serves a useful purpose, in that it puts a brake on the excesses of government.
Thomas Mulhall,
Stourhead Drive,
East Hunsbury, Northampton.
Money available to binge drinkers
RE Binge drinking costing us all by Richard Edmondson (Behind The Headlines, January 28). Surely it is time for a complete sea change in the way a small minority of irresponsible people are costing this country billions of pounds.
Why is it care is being consistently reduced, on an annual basis, by the county council for the elderly, vulnerable and disabled and this group of people so deserving of care are paying more and more for less care?
Yet money is made available for the binge drinkers who obviously lack any common sense or responsibility for their own actions, to establish whether they have a problem and need help via Northamptonshire’s mental health nurses.
And to add insult to injury we are now having a “field hospital” set up on Friday nights, where volunteers are there to help the drunken, wounded and well plastered younger generation.
The sea change I suggest is that when anybody presents themselves at a “field hospital” or an A&E department because of their irresponsibility of consuming too much alcohol, demand their credit/debit card and that person then incurs a handling charge of at least £250.
This charge could be called a Retribution Cost and could be put towards the continuing care of those who in our society need it most.
Would politicians like to take note and perhaps one or more of you will be brave enough to set in motion a Private Members Bill to get this ‘Retribution Cost’ put into statutory law.
I shall not be holding my breath!
Roger Kinsey,
Carlow Street, Ringstead, Kettering.
Left behind in regeneration
I am a big supporter of the proposals to revitalise our town centre as I believe if we want Northampton to become a regional hub then we need a new and expanded Grosvenor Centre.
Of course the development has taken far too long but we must not give up as our economic future and well being depends on it.
Most city and town centres have seen big regeneration projects in the last decade or so but Northampton has sadly been left behind. The decision to spend £5.5 million on getting Stagecoach to vacate Greyfriars Bus Station has been controversial but I believe absolutely necessary because we can’t wait another 10 years for their lease to run out.
I agree with the view that Greyfriars Bus Station is no longer fit for purpose in the 21st century.
The only obvious way to expand the Grosvenor Centre is in the direction of Greyfriars. The proposed new Bus Interchange looks fantastic and is something we can all take pride in.
I can only plead for Northampton Borough Council, Northamptonshire County Council and the West Northants Development Corporation to make the town centre a much higher priority and work in close partnership with Legal & General to deliver the regeneration that we have all been longing for.
Northampton Labour Group hopes that in 2012 or early 2013 we will see, at least, “cranes in the sky” starting to deliver these big regeneration projects in the town centre.
Councillor Nazim Choudary,
Labour, St David’s ward,
Northampton Borough Council.
Church research
As part of an autobiography, I am writing some history of the Methodist Church in Northampton and especially the Henly Street/Towcester Road Churches.
I am asking for the dates when Eric Pigott was with the Chronicle & Echo and in what capacity. An information would be gratefully acknowledged.
The Rev Dr John C Neal,
128 Sevenoaks Road, Langney,
Eastbourne, BN23 7LY.
Email: JNEAL4@sky.com
Thank you for food donations
MAY I say thank you to all the people who donated food for strays over the Christmas period and the New Year. I wish to remind strays’ friends that it is ongoing. So please keep the tins of cat food rolling. I need dry food in the summer.
If you are feeding feral cats that have not been spayed, please contact me.
It is important the numbers are controlled.
Maureen Cook,
Wycliffe Road, Northampton.
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