Frank Field: Could You Make This Up?
Frank Field defects to Cameron’s coalition to be the nation’s ‘Poverty Tsar’
By Simon Walters
Last updated at 8:36 AM on 16th May 2010
Former Labour Minister Frank Field is to ‘defect’ to David Cameron’s new coalition Government by taking on the role of Britain’s ‘Poverty Tsar’, it was revealed last night.
Social conservative Mr Field is to lead a major review into poverty as part of Mr Cameron’s promise to tackle what he calls ‘Broken Britain’ – social breakdown, rising crime and the benefits dependency culture.
The move is a major boost in Mr Cameron’s attempt to show that his new Liberal-
Read more:
Ipswich Unemployed Action. 
The government have today published their coalition agreement that includes an overview of their plans for the welfare system, although it doesn’t offer any real details.
http://programmeforgovernment.hmg.gov.uk/jobs-and-welfare/
Average Joe
May 20, 2010 at 11:05 am
its down for me. I think they pulled it because of the comments
Click to access coalition-programme.pdf
http://www.flexible-new-deal.co.uk/2010/05/20/coalition-programme-uk-government/
Flexible New Deal
May 21, 2010 at 2:08 pm
He’s very right wing on welfare reform. Benefit claimants can expect to see the ball and chain if he has his way!
Funny A4e Photos
May 20, 2010 at 2:41 pm
I agree, I used to think he was OK but I have changed my views since I heard him on the radio a few months back, he had completely lost it and had turned into Digby Jones. He was talking utter cr*p about the young unemployed that was only worthy of the Daily Mail readership stuff like “I have young unemployed people visit my constituancy surgeries and it’s ridiculous they tell me they wan’t to earn three times their benefit level before they take a job” etc.
Maybe Mr. Field thinks they only have to pay junior rate electricity bills etc or he’s so out of touch he thinks they can claim MP’s expenses?
I would like to see him go to work for 3 X £55 a week, go on show them how its done Mr Field.
lowestoft's finest
May 20, 2010 at 3:31 pm
Lowerstofts’ Finest: Before he became a Labour MP in 79, he was a director of the Child Poverty Action Group AND the The Low Pay Unit. He’s written several books on poverty in Britain. Makes you wonder what happned to him!
Funny A4e Photos
May 20, 2010 at 6:23 pm
this will turn into another “stick the boot in” on those on benefits’ another “back the workers’ not the shirkers'” the workers’ soon found themselves on the dole in droves under her.
ken
May 20, 2010 at 11:09 pm
Just to give an example of welfare-to-work acts out.
A mate who is long-term unemployed has been told to go out to Holywells (a big park in Ipswich) next Tuesday to do tree cutting, shrub clearing and general tidying up.
Now if they want him to do a job fair enough.
But at the amount we get?
Pay the geezer!
He has a real problem because he doesn’t have steel-capped boots. Which you need for this kind of work.
That’s just to start with
Andrew Coates
May 21, 2010 at 10:33 am
Cutting trees for jsa?! wtf?! that’s the job of a tree surgeon… that’s a highly skilled jobs, as well as dangerous – a green party councillor was KILLED doing this a couple of weeks ago!! Your mate will need more than steel toe-capped boots, where is health & safety on this one? this country is the pits!
Art I Fact
May 21, 2010 at 11:42 am
This sounds dodgey as hell especialy from an employer liability insurance point of view as I doubt if your friend will be coverd. I had a friend who’s dad had a garden centre and when times were a bit hard started a bit of tree cutting as a side line but his insurers found out and went nuts calling an immediate stop to it as he was not coverd by his normal insurance as you need special insurance to do it.As for doing it with no safety equipment or recognised training he should report his placement to the health and safety executive.
http://www.hse.gov.uk/riddor/index.htm
lowestoft's finest
May 21, 2010 at 1:23 pm
this really is beyond ridiculous, you really can’t have peeps with no training swinging chainsaws about and climbing trees with no training. this reminds me of when working links sent a guy to work at the docks – he was DECAPITATED!!
Art I Fact
May 21, 2010 at 1:38 pm
you cannot just “stick” anyone into any job without the right training/clothing heath and safety training and procedures’.
it will be interesting to see what the adherence to the law is and if a fatality occurs in the future who is responsible this may well end in a legal wrangle between the job centre/the provider’s/the placement organisers was the person fit to carry out the work in the first place, his or her understanding of the routines and what was required.
no doubt the jobs centres attitude is blame them it always has been but they instigated the problem by fact of its processes.
ken
May 22, 2010 at 2:53 pm
outfits’like continental landscape’s would be very interested in this workfare with its ease of disposal of people,no strings attached,sending employees out weed killing with a back pack full of toxic weedkiller rolled up sleeves no respiratory equipment for repeated exposure and in close examination what appeared to be a trail of cigarette smoke from the operative.
no wonder they wanted it cut from the benefit busters series’.
workfare health and safety has been a point raised,given the cheapskate attitude to these forced labour/bullying programs’ with people under duress forced into unsuitable roles’ with cowboy outfits having a field day.
ken
May 21, 2010 at 12:03 pm
employer are having a field day alright. I saw a telesales ad in the job centre – “”work trial welcome”” wff!! – and the job centre will bung the employer a few grand for “”training”” lol
Art I Fact
May 21, 2010 at 12:35 pm
if you complained about inhaling toxic fumes though they’d turn around and say “it was part of the programme”, you are “being non-compliant”, “not participating”, “being disruptive”, guilty of “mis-conduct” how come unions like ba get to strike for better pay and conditions and the unemployed have to put up with all sorts of shit being thrown at them. time to down tools!!
Art I Fact
May 21, 2010 at 12:40 pm
It’s hard to believe that the provider is nelegent enough to expect your friend to turn up and do this work without first providing them with the required safety equipment.
I think your friend should go to the Jobcentre before Tuesday and explain the situation before he starts as its better to get things sorted out up front rather then at a later date refuse to do something and find your claim stopped.
It could be the jobcentre don’t realise this is going on,I think in reality they will be OK about it.
lowestoft's finest
May 22, 2010 at 3:45 pm
As people are saying we’ve told him that Health and Safety concerns should mean he shouldn’t have to do this…
Btw he is an ex apprentice tree ‘surgeon’ – do they still call them that?
Our mate who is crane driver down the docks got the words right, something about ‘appraisal of health and safety conditions in these conditions must be given priority’.
Andrew Coates
May 22, 2010 at 12:41 pm
Someone needs to start compiling a blackilist of companies like Continental Landscapes and put it on YouTube – name and shame!
We are not totally powerless, we can at least give them plenty of bad publicity. It’s up to each and everyone one of us to do their bit.
Funny A4e Photos
May 22, 2010 at 12:59 pm
this is the problem they can and do turn around and say what they damn well like.
its totally an oppressive environment to be in,there is really nothing they can do individual wise this is why they rely on these tactics’ they will try and size on anything they can to try and claim these schemes are a success,or if anyone has mislead them in the past they will remind everyone so who newly arrives.
what they wont mention is the cost of incriminating one individual,this in turn leads them to think and act if everyone is somehow stupid or somehow deserves to be treated with contempt.
they don’t seem to realise how stupid and ridiculous they sound in front of people when behaving like this,it can be clearly seen what micky mouse programs these are fooling no one.
ken
May 21, 2010 at 3:01 pm
Heard in training room yesterday.
YOU WILL COME HERE 5 DAYS A WEEK.
YOU WILL COME BETWEEN THE HOURS OF AND THEN GAVE A TIMES. I WANT 10 OUTCOMES FROM YOU 5 SPECULATIVE AND 5 KNOWN A DAY. I WANT THE PROOFS THAT YOU HAVE SENT THESE. ONE MISTAKE AND I WILL SANCTION YOU.
annie nonniemous
June 9, 2010 at 7:26 am
Heard in training room yesterday.
YOU WILL COME HERE 5 DAYS A WEEK.
YOU WILL COME BETWEEN THE HOURS OF AND THEN GAVE A TIMES. I WANT 10 OUTCOMES FROM YOU 5 SPECULATIVE AND 5 KNOWN A DAY. I WANT THE PROOFS THAT YOU HAVE SENT THESE. ONE MISTAKE AND I WILL SANCTION YOU. I also want proof if you have to have time off for any reason
annie nonniemous
June 9, 2010 at 7:29 am