It's the economy stupid!

Having been out all day and turning the television on to listen to the news, it appears the debate about welfare hit new lows with George Osbourne using the tragic deaths of six children to score points on welfare.

With all this excitement by the chancellor it is worth noting who receives welfare according to the Department of Work and Pensions in 2011/12 : 42.3% elderly, 20.8% low income, 18.4% families, 15.5% sick/disabled & 2.6% unemployed

But the debate about welfare is a sideshow, the real focus has to be on the economy, about real productive jobs and how Britain pays for itself in the world.

The economy stagnates, the government fails to invest in infastructure that will allow the country to flourish once the economy starts to grow, we only have to look at communications.

The government like those before the birth of the welfare state wish to blame the poor for their own circumstance, the figures supplied by the DWP shows that it does not fund the feckless and under the last labour government unemployment was low, the governments narrative on welfare is based on the odd case and uses it for the majority, it is easy sloppy politics, it is understandable when the majority are struggling, low or no pay rises, with living cost escalating and living standards falling, that when these people are told by leading politicans of the excesses of the poor, you can understand the outrage, but this outrage is based on largely urban myths.

Why does Iain Duncan Smith suggest he could live on £53 a week, when asked by hundred of thousands to do so, he then calls it a stunt.

The Labour Party must of course expose the misinformation being peddled by the Conservative and supportive Lib Dems, but they must argue for jobs and opportunity and education and training and people fulfilling each and everyones potential, welfare should be about protecting the vunlerable and sick, but it must also be only about protecting people in times of unemployment, but this has to be linked with job seeking and retraining.

The (any)government has to offer retraining opportunities and support, people cannot rot, this government should do less condeming and offering more opportunity.