Sunday 13 June 2010

Tory tosh about caring for rural areas - 1

Anyone who thinks the Tory-Lib Dem Govt will actually care about - or even understand - rural issues may want to re-think.

One month into the new Govt and here's the first revelation.
Rural poverty will be tackled by voluntary organisations which will help to rescue people from being "stranded on benefits" and get them into work.
Don't ask what work, since it is clear to me when meeting young people across Central Devon that finding a job which lets you live in your own village is nigh on impossible.

Buried in his House of Commons speech on tackling poverty Chris Grayling, Tory Minister for Work and Pensions, made this startling admission
when challenged by one of his own Party's MPs to be mindful of rural poverty,  "As we prepare the work programme, I shall seek to ensure that it includes scope for the voluntary sector organisations that specialise in local communities and individual groups in our society that can make a difference. Groups that best understand rural areas can make the biggest difference to ensure that we help people in rural communities into prosperous and successful working lives, and not leave them stranded on benefits".

As if the rural voluntary sector were not as hard-pressed as any other in rural areas!

What is this rural rescue from being "stranded on benefits" going to be called?
Operation bootstraps?

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