A modern conservative joined up policy

Remember the year 2012, in an allegedly modern civilised society celebrating the monarchy sixtieth year on the throne, a tale that Charles Dickens would of been proud to write.

The tale of Close Protection UK is a modern example of Conservative thinking, if you disect the Tory DNA, this story is what they are all about.

Mr Beecroft wants a no fault, fire at will policy for workers, Osbourne and Cameron are attracted to this policy.

The Tale of Close Protection UK then takes the fire at will to the next step.

With full time employment decreasing and youth unemployment over one million at over 20%, young people are particularly at risk of employers who see an opportunity to exploit the youngs willingness to work.

It would appear instead of using police for security for the Royal boating event on the River Thames for the Diamond Jubilee, government chose to use a private company, this was obviously done to reduce costs, with at least 30 job seekers working for free and another 50 "apprentices", who were paid £2.80 an hour.

Some of these people who worked unpaid stated they were deposited from Bristol and elsewhere in the middle of the night before the pageant and they had to camp under London bridge overnight, to change into security gear in public, had no access to toilets for 24 hours, and were taken to a swampy campsite outside London after working a 14-hour shift in the pouring rain on the banks of the Thames on Sunday.

One woman said there was no access to usable toilets for 24 hours. They were given a paper bag in the morning, with a sandwich and a bag of crisps and told not to eat it because it was their lunch. In the sheeting rain, without any sleep, their lunch disintegrating in their hands.


John Prescott told BBC Radio 4's Today programme, "it's a breach of the responsibility of the company under the security kind of agreements in the industry to have some proper regard for their employees. Not only was it under the bridge, but they were then sent to a camp which they described as 'swampy and wet' after this event."

Molly Prince, managing director of Close Protection UK, said errors had been made but insisted the conditions reported had been exaggerated.  "It was badly handled and for that we've extensively apologised. We're not in the business of exploiting free labour."

But this is what is going on, government demonises the unemployed, government weakens employment protection and companies exploit the "business opportunities" because Labour is seen as a comodity, to quote Winston Churchill "bad employers will be undercut by the worse".

The next business opportunity is to bid for the contract at the Olympics, at which they will be paid £8.45, because it's the minimum wage but which conditions will they be paying for? How will they be sleeping? Who is responsible? This government that exploits cheap labour.

The demonisation of the poor and unemployed has been the Conservative government's achievement, the government believe that it is the unemployed that has caused their own problems, they have shifted the responsibility of training away from a civilised society and onto the individuals training at below minimum wage rates.

Whilst the Conservative friends in the hedge funds propose even worse working conditions for employees and cuts to welfare, they carry on as normal, it is a truly modern conservative policy.