ERIC PICKLES EXCELLS HIMSELF IN MEANESS
Once upon a time, when we had a government that "gave a dam", there was this organisation called the DSS, now it wasn't known as a caring thoughtful organisation but it did have a social fund. Realising from time to time that some people found themselves in great difficulties it had a fund that people could ask for help.
Then along came the organisation called the coalition (it was presented to the public as a partnership but was really the weak and ineffectual remains of the Liberal Party propping up the "Uber Capitalists" a fawning unbalanced relationship much like the one between Blair and Bush - I digress). They decided, or Eric decided, that the DSS was giving out the wrong message by helping people, so why not pass the job to Local Councils. Just to make sure that they were not too generous with their help, Eric decided to see what the DSS had spent the previous year, then despite the need increasing, cut the funds by 10%.
Local Authorities, though realising that the funds were insufficient (at least in the impoverished North of England) set about the task, supporting emergency grants, working with volunteer organisations and churches, supporting food banks, and advice agencies. The Government does not like food banks and even went so far as to turn down £22m from the EU to help fund them, they obviously believe that the poor should be forced to work for their Capitalist donors at a miserly minimum wage, or less.
Then along comes Eric.
The week before Christmas, after sticking the boot once more into Local Authorities in the North of England by taking their money to give to affluent (conservative) authorities in the South, he decided to enjoy himself a little more, after spending more than £1m on his fleet of Jaguars, that transport him the short distances he travels, he turned his attention to the poor.
