Return To The Workhouse! Poem by guy lipmore

A damn disgrace, an outrage,
In this modern day and age.
Food banks, and charities,
Soup kitchens and volunteers.
Our country is one of the richest,
Nevertheless, with areas that are the poorest.
It is a sheer indictment,
Of any party of government.
Is it, 'Evidence' of the big society?
Coming together of the community.
So says a coalition spokesman,
Is austerity part of a ‘business plan’?

They're creating of a ‘Dickensian’ society,
A government agenda and policy?
In addition, their political ‘excuse’ and ruthless will.
To reduce at any cost the welfare bill.
Along with the ‘bed room’ tax,
Benefit changes, delays and cuts.
Welfare reforms, they‘ve made the call,
However, not ‘one size fits all.’
The criteria or ‘process’ is on a general basis,
No merits given for a case by case.
Thousands of claimants are genuine,
Now find their lives turned upside down or in ruin.
Reforms are necessary and over due,
Reflecting a fairer system like it should do.
Benefits should not be a ‘life style’ that’s agreed,
Sift out the UN deserving, support the ones in need.
The process has to be thorough but fair,
Instead of cold, calculated without care.
Sentiment, fairness, circumstance don’t really count,
Saving and ‘making’ money are taken in to account!

Making work pay, is their mantra,
As portrayed on the media.
And work should be the emphasis,
However, the issue is this…
There will always be some, who will shirk,
Jobs, at the expense of those that want work.
Not all on benefits should be demonized,
Made to feel guilty and almost marginalised.
Media focus on ‘scroungers’ this tars most an outcast!
Stigmatising the poorest like the Victorian past.

Millions of working families did get tax credits,
They have been hit by ‘changes’ in welfare budgets.
Credits, they no longer qualify,
Thresholds lowered no need to apply!
Forcing many to repay benefit money,
That does not help the low paid of the country.
So even the employed are being penalised,
How can this be justified?

Those employed, their incentives should be increased.
The unemployed incomes should not be decreased,
Tax cuts for the rich, more income cuts for the poor,
Squeezing the 'middle’ incomes also for sure.

The gap between benefit and any vacancy,
Is becoming ever wider, quite clearly.
Are they making that ‘gap’ wide as possible?
Creating conditions even more unbearable?
Cutting holes in that safety net,
No adjustment time do folk get?
Income sources are abruptly cut,
Leaving families with the door shut.
Creating dire financial situations,
Forcing people in to the lowest paid positions.
No help, yes, work it does ‘encourage’!
However, straight into the minimum wage.
Which the Labour government did instigate.
Moreover, this becomes the company rate,
Critics say that a point can be made,
Regards to the mentioned low-paid.
Better, to work surely, is it not?
Be grateful for any job and what you have got!
Whilst the minimum wage becomes the norm’ a base rate,
Poorest workers kept down, and those on the welfare state.
Tax credits for the 'low paid’ business further subsidised
The private firms, again allowing profits to be maximised.

Private company, medical examinations,
Examiners with suspect qualifications!
Targets to accomplish, more cash to earn!
Assessing the disabled and the temporary infirm.
Getting many as possible off disability,
Ignoring genuine cases with credibility.
Dismissing notes, letters from doctors and consultants,
Is their criteria designed just to get monetary results?
Criteria designed to block, remove or restrict,
Claimants qualifying or still getting any benefit.

Other private sector firms get rewards,
Claimants used as ‘points’ scored.
To get many a body off the dole,
Cash is the incentive, which is their goal!
That incentive gets even stronger,
Keeping people off claiming even longer.
Unaware are the general populous,
And the private functions of Jobcentre plus!
Is the person is a commodity?
Almost 'traded’ for money! No, definitely.

In roads, chipping away, planned, deliberate?
Therefore, business can benefit and consolidate.
With ‘zero’ hour contracts, part-time and agencies,
Easier to hire and fire, costs down, profits up for companies.

The health service, publicly morphing in to private,
Contracted out more and more. Is it too late?
Top trust chief execs, ’ each with an obscene salary,
Are well okay, amid cuts in the economy.
The once public sector run departments,
Are now gradually sold-off in segments.
Sold-off or franchised to varying degrees,
Hospital television and car parking charge fees!
They are 'cherry-picking’ the best bits,
For sale or restructure for the best profits.
MP’s, Lords and Peers have hidden agendas,
With interests in private companies and tenders.
In regards to the health service and competition,
Bit by bit eroding of a national institution.

Councils are being carved up as well,
Re branded, part privatised, if they can't sell..
Large item for collection used to be free,
Now there is a fifteen quid fee.
Removal of pests’ bees or wasps,
Again used to be free, now there are costs.
Clamping firms and parking fines,
Only ‘half price’ if paid within the required times!
Private companies unregulated,
However, to the council, they are still affiliated!
Charge for anything they can, along with council tax.
We are seldom or not informed of the facts.

There seems to be little transparency,
Therefore, it seems less accountability.
Built by the tax payer, sporting or public venues,
Costing a fortune and sold for a fraction, run for private revenues!
Selling off publicly owned bodies,
Some are ‘morphing’ in to private companies.
The selling of the utilities, water, gas, electricity,
Giving stakes to the public for returns privately.
The taxpayer is unaware, some are still subsidised,
In addition, the promise of low prices never materialised.
It goes for firms of the buses and railways,
Again only for the private sector it pays.
Salt in to the wounds, sheer annoyance,
When ‘record profits’, they announce.

When public services are privatised,
The ‘sales’ are rarely scrutinised.
When ‘deals’ have been done in the past,
Then the private firm’s profits did not last.
Government ‘buy back’ sort out, then stick it on the market!
Selling shares to create a private entity, bought by the public!
The Governments always insists,
That it is in the ‘public interests‘.
More in the interests of the ‘over seeing’ ministers,
In addition, their cronies who become directors!
Of the very newly privatised firms,
Only down the line, when the public learns.
The ‘revolving door’ syndrome,
Same faces in power, then seen in the firms they own!
Therefore, what is really happening?
They are slowly but surely privatising.
Bit by bit with the system and welfare,
It is becoming a 'private’ affair!
The public, are we aware?
Is it apathy, if not do they care?
And that is the connection here,
Though it seems to be 'kept’ unclear!
The line between public and private is merging,
A deliberate policy of blurring?

Many areas are suggested then proposed,
Plans already made, kept undisclosed.
Plant the ‘seed’ in the public mind,
Years down the line, another ‘deal’ is signed!
More toll roads, bridges, tunnels and prisons,
Air-sea rescue, care homes, school meals and possibly fire stations!
Within a few generations, what will be next?
Yes in the future, what can we expect?
Maybe the national parks, museums, schools and nurseries!
And the police, councils, the beaches and mortuaries!

All the austerity measures going on,
Is it all to do with the so called recession?
All down to the previous government,
Not the party, which are current.
Yes, the current incumbent blames the one before for the debt,
Poor management and deregulation prior twenty ‘o’ eight,
Therefore, financial institutions and banks, the public bail,
After all, they had to be saved, they were ‘too big to fail’!
What was ‘saved’ by the state?
No other than companies that were private!
This is the major cause of it, the problem,
The exposure of the 'fiat’ and fractural reserve system!
Countries do not have boarders when money is involved,
The issue of money by central banks has to be resolved!
These institutions are privately run,
Each masquerading as a public organisation!

Money is the common denominator,
Proposed then implemented via the private sector!
Profit, commerce, capitalism, markets,
The elite and corporations filling their pockets.
Whatever they call it, it is all the same,
Healthy profit turning to greed under another name.
Public money being transferred blatantly and subtly,
Health, education, transport, defence, finance and energy.
Also 'fronted’ and funnelled by some ‘trusts’ and ‘foundations’,
In addition, the ‘non-governmental’ and charitable organisations!
Keep the masses ignorant or in confusion?
Is it all a coincidence? No in conclusion.
After all the government talk of ‘partnership’,
Between private and public!
Whoever gets in power, whatever colour party?
The status quo largely remains in reality.
Money rules the elected and the PM is not king!
It dictates polices with almost everything! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

28/06/13