George Galloway speaks to supporter of housing benefit cuts

[locutus12]

I am 29, i moved into my rented home 5 yrs ago. Renovated it with my own money from derelict in return for long term below market rent. lost my job (office manager 3 yrs) due to the downturn and am on housing ben. 12 days before xmas I recieved a letter that told me they are cutting my rent support in half (400pm to 200pm) as I am under 35. I own everything in the house, no money for moving, and frankly my blood & swet is in this house and I am now losing it due to these twats. I`m worried sick

[TerryAshfields]

Riot in the streets as talking to these tory bastards is a waste of time. theya re rich bastards who dont give a fuck about anyone bar themselves. cameron is just another tory cunt

[gwangjuboy1]

We like big families? Is Mr Galloway nuts?

[iBeep2009]

In bournemouth, we already have families with chidlren sleeping in caravans some landlord has shoved in the back gardens o ftheir hmso's , and one family who were discovered trying to live in an ASDA tent - adn got in trouble for 'neglecting their children' - why not cap rents? Why not stop all these billions of HB being shunted out of the country to Tax Exile Landlords.

The Tories are trying to reinvent live in butlers and housemaids. Lets stick kids up chimneys again !

[iBeep2009]

Why dont they bring  backaFair Rent? Landlords should not be able to keep pushing rents up - they should be in line with the price index like they used ot be.

[golsno147]

Council houses are built and owned by local government authorities based on the principle that,, because profiteering from housing shortages is not a motive, fair rents are usuallycharged.

What is missing from argument by those who condemn high rental private tenants on housing benefit, is that, particularly in London, most have no choice if they are to be housed close to their places of work. By all means make the workshy move elsewhere but high rent levels are set by greedy landlords..

[Plato86]

I am a yank so can somebody explain what "council house", is it similar to housing projects we have in the states?

[Wh47n0w1517]

@Plato86

Council houses are housing that are owned and maintained by the local authorities for renting for those that normally can’t afford to buy their own homes. The right to buy the council houses by the same people that were renting the council houses has created a shortage of council housing, therefore creating less places to live with affordable rents for the low paid.

[Wh47n0w1517]

@Plato86

The money from selling the houses through the right to buy was meant to be used for building new houses for local authorities to rent, but the Tory government stopped local authorities building new homes.

[Wh47n0w1517]

@Plato86

Whoops, "new houses for local authorities to rent." was meant to be "new houses for local authorities to rent out." =)-

[gilesgbradley]

QUILTINGUK how do you know what the public are in favour of? What is for sure though is, Cameron stole £40000 before the g.election, thieves should go to prison, even when they apopogise and pay it back.NOT BECOME THE PRIMEMINISTER. You might want to be controlled by a crook, but I 4 one don`t.

[sugarraygras]

@gilesgbradley It is also costing the tax payer Millions per week in paying corporations 'quangos' to make everyone redundant and then find them all jobs in a job market that has 500 000 available which are mostly part time. It costs the tax payer £36 000 to get someone into a three month work placement with no guarantee of full time employment. It will usually be short term agency work. This is just a way to raid the welfare state and to put the money in the hands of offshore corporations.

[Quiltinguk]

The general public are in supportive of the decision to cap housing benefit.

The media like to pedal sob stories.

[sugarraygras]

@Quiltinguk The public are not properly informed of the true facts pertaining to it. Tthey also dont consider the distress and upheaval that it will cause to the vulnerable. What of the people who lose their jobs next year. They have paid into the system and wont be supported by that system. The poor , old and sick are paying for an American subprime morgage crash. I know three degree educated good earners who have been laid off this week, who will need support and wont get it. Open your eyes.

[sugarraygras]

@Quiltinguk I wonder how long it will take you to change your mind if your family are on the breadline. To criminilise the unemployed in the way it is being done makes me ashamed to be an Englishman and if my 4 great uncles one great Grandad had known what was to come they may not have wished to die in foreign mud so our nation could be sold to offshore investers for pennies in the pound for the poor to pay for the losses of private companies. You support this and should be ashamed.