The Con-Dem Nation Blues (And Yellows)

[patentdragon]

Work News... Kinda thinking I'm becoming indispensible at New Work - my more recent qualifications finally paid off, and I was able to correct a data input deficiency, much to the delight of my boss. Next week (and half of the following), of course, I'm working elsewhere, apart from Friday - a curious state of affairs, effectively having TWO jobs at once, but as the boss is happy with it, that's cool.

Meanwhile... We've got a government (of sorts), but people are still bitching. Do they really want another election? What part of "lost the Election" don't they understand? Do they need someone to draw them a freaking picture? If you voted New Liebour, your guys lost. It's that simple. They lost over ninety seats, people - if they were that great a Government (which they weren't), they would have won. They screwed things up royally, and they were punished for it...

Does this mean I'm a whole-hearted supported of the "Con-Dem Nation"? Hardly...

I've now seen the agreement made public between the two parties, and the section detailing their plans for the unemployed - my key election issue. Let's take a look:

"The parties agree to end all existing welfare to work programmes and to create a single welfare to work programme to help all unemployed people get back into work."

Goodbye and good riddance to "New Deal", then. Not a bad start. No mention of "workfare" - yet - but "one size fits all" doesn't work either...

We agree that Jobseeker’s Allowance claimants facing the most significant barriers to work should be referred to the aforementioned newly created welfare to work programme immediately, not after 12 months as is currently the case. We agree that Jobseeker’s Allowance claimants aged under 25 should be referred to the programme after a maximum of six months.

Now this sounds a lot like the LibDems' plans to "change the way Jobcentres work", which sounded very promising. The "newly created welfare to work programme" is still very thin on detail, in particular the real deal-breaker of details, what if any element of "workfare" this new scheme entails.

The parties agree to realign contracts with welfare to work service providers to reflect more closely the results they achieve in getting people back into work.

No more sitting in the office with coffee and donuts for the staff of "Fox River"? They'd actually have to get off their arses and do something for their money? Sounds good to me - sounds a lot like what's expected for the jobless...

We agree that receipt of benefits for those able to work should be conditional on the willingness to work.

Could that statement BE any more nebulous? WHAT does it mean? This is pure Tory, this part, and shades of "the unemployed should fear the re-election of New Labour" - how about YOUR willingness to remove the unnecessary barriers between the unemployed and work, such as that old nugget "give details of your past work history, ACCOUNTING FOR ANY GAPS", a.k.a. "tell us how long you've been unemployed so we can assume you're a lazy bastard, and bin your application without a second look"?

The Verdict... There's simply not enough detail to get a clear impression of what The Con-Dem Nation intends to do for, or to, the jobless. Real help, not harrassment, is very much needed - does "new politics" mean "a new approach"? Let's hope so...

We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.