Them and us fishes, photo Suzanne Beishon

Them and us fishes, photo Suzanne Beishon   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

Poverty Pain

Three-quarters of frontline family support workers have witnessed increases in extreme poverty and destitution among the people they work with, according to a survey published by poverty charity Buttle UK.

But the government has ignored what the workers doing the work say, and claim the opposite is happening. With both Tory leadership candidates promising more tax cuts for the rich and austerity for us, we need a general election to kick them out.

Poverty, photo TaxRebate.org.uk (Creative Commons)

Poverty, photo TaxRebate.org.uk (Creative Commons)   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)


Tory-fuelled tragedy

London mayor Sadiq Khan has rightly said there is a link between poverty and the tragic rise in youth violence, and promised £360,000 to fund community projects.

But Labour councils have dutifully passed on Tory cuts. Youth services have been cut by 40%, rising to 91% over three years in some areas.

Sadiq Khan has pushed gentrification, forcing poor people out of London, and attacked striking workers. These politicians should refuse to attack communities or stand aside for anti-cuts candidates.


Parking space property

Landlords are making millions of pounds from flats the size of car-parking spaces, the Times has discovered. It’s yet more evidence that capitalism is incapable of providing proper homes or a decent standard of living.

We need rent control and council homes now, and the construction giants should be nationalised so we can democratically plan building cheap, sustainable, suitable homes for all.