Month: February 2025

The Benefits Trap

At our My tuppenceworth evening on the 19th February Mike Swadling spoke about the Benefits Trap.

“4.2 million working age people in Great Britain are receiving health related benefits which is 10.2% of the population”

I want to talk about the benefits trap and the problem particularly with sickness benefit in this country. Now, you might know that Fraser Nelson was speaking about this on Trigonometry this week. I think it came out Sunday. You will notice the difference if you have watched that between mine and his version. His is eloquent, whereas I’m me.  I did honesty write this before that came out, and frankly I just don’t have that quick of a turnaround to have written it after.

The unemployment rate in the UK is 4.4%. Currently, the employment rate for people age 16 to 64 is 74.8%, so there’s a bit of a delta there.  4.2 million working age people in Great Britain are receiving health related benefits which is 10.2% of the population.

“if families support themselves, it’s up to them what they do. But when we support them, we as taxpayers have a vested interest I think, in their choices”

There are people that are under 64 that are retired. There are people looking after children or other family members. And frankly, if families support themselves, it’s up to them what they do. But when we support them, we as taxpayers have a vested interest I think, in their choices.

As a reminder, in the last 30 years, we’ve had just three years not in budget deficit for the government. The last one of them was 24 years ago. Britain now spends more on sickness than on defence with £65 billion on health-related payments compared to just £54 billion for the military.

1.57 million unemployed people in the UK compares to 2.83 million people age 16 to 64 who are economically inactive due to long term sickness.  Unemployment, thankfully, is not (yet?) necessarily the major problem. It’s sickness benefit that is the big part of our benefit system. The cost of personal independence payments, which is the main disability benefit, is predicted to rise by 60% up to £35 billion in the next four years.

They reckon getting 400,000 people back to work would save £10 billion. If the Treasury cuts spending on disability benefits and universal credit to just pre-pandemic levels, and this is not some weird utopian ideal, just cut it to where we were five years ago, it would take 3p off the basic rate of income tax, 4p off higher rate tax and scrap inheritance tax. But that’s the financial side.

I think the major problem is the moral problem. A couple of quotes for you.

Lord George Bridges the Chair of The Lords Economic Affairs Committee said the system encouraged welfare over work, calling it “financially unsustainable” and a “waste of human potential.”

Quote Tony Blair – “You’ve got to be careful of translating those [challenges] into a mental health condition and losing your own agency, in a way, to govern your own life… Life has its ups and downs, and everybody experiences those. And you’ve got to be careful of encouraging people to think they’ve got some sort of condition other than simply confronting the challenges of life. We need a proper public conversation about this because you really cannot afford to be spending the amount of money we’re spending on mental health.”

I’m sure we’ve all seen family members or friends, who lose agency and drive though periods of unemployment.

“open up offices for the people to come into two or three days a week from nine to five. No longer would you be able to stay at home seven days a week as an option and get paid”

So, what’s my idea? Why am I speaking to you? What I would like to do is make sure that no one is allowed to stay at home seven days a week on benefits. Now, let’s qualify that a bit. No one who’s retired or in regular medical care or receiving a carer’s allowance would be expected to attend.

If you’re of working age, you’re not receiving treatment or caring for someone, you will need to come into an office, the unemployment office. I would like to open up offices for the people to come into two or three days a week from nine to five. No longer would you be able to stay at home seven days a week as an option and get paid.

Why am I saying this? Frankly, you are, what you do.

  • Staying at home makes you stay at home.
  • A lack of motivation keeps you unmotivated.
  • A lack of mixing with people keeps you bad at mixing with people.

Being made to do something you don’t want to do makes you much more likely to do other, better things you do want to do.

Now, I want to, for a moment, park what people do whilst they’re in the unemployment office. Mainly because I don’t think that matters much. It bogs us down in the wrong discussion. For the purpose of this, let’s just assume they’re coming to watch TV.

“No longer would they be simply staying at home, staying in a routine, they’re having to do something different, and it gives them the motivation to do something better”

Why do I want to do this? Now, I suspect, and it’s only suspicion, and I admit I can’t back up these numbers, but as soon as you make people physically, regularly, and for extended periods of time turn up, you will find:

  • 5% of the people on benefits simply don’t exist and drop off
  • 10% have full-time jobs, so drop off
  • Another 10% have another means of support or choose simply no longer to collect benefits.

I would call a 25% reduction a good start. Now, even if I overestimated that by 100%, I don’t think that was wild numbers I used there, 12.5% would still be a darn good start. And then you get to the more important part, the moral part. Starting to energise those people who have been out of work for extended periods. No longer would they be simply staying at home, staying in a routine, they’re having to do something different, and it gives them the motivation to do something better.

Every government seems to rename benefits and tinker around the edges of how to implement them. Experts come and go and implement different ideas to varying success. The benefit, I think, of this plan is its simplicity. You simply have to turn up.

But who turns up? The top 10 types of health conditions for people aged 16 to 64 who are economically inactive and in long-term sickness are depression, bad nerves and anxiety, impacting 1.3 million. Problems with legs or feet and problems with back or neck, affecting a million people. Mental illness impacts 900,000. Between 600,000 and 800,000 people have problems with arms and legs, heart, blood or circulation. And then other health conditions, chest or breathing problems, digestive problems, and diabetes impact about 360,000. And of course, some people have more than one of these.

The point is, whilst those might be very serious conditions, these are not people with stage 4 cancer. They’re not undergoing major surgery. No one would expect those people to be in the office, but literally millions who are currently receiving sickness benefits could be.

Assuming you end up targeting 3 million of the 4.1 million people on health benefits, at two days a week in the office, that would be equivalent to 2,000 people needing to be housed for each of the 600 job centres in the UK. That is a lot, and I won’t pretend that’s easy.

There are many empty buildings that could easily house 1,000 people in Croydon, and across the country. Many office buildings are half empty. This is not an insurmountable challenge and could be built up to. Schools are empty a third of the year. Towns are full of empty halls, churches and many other places that could be brought into use.

What will it cost? Frankly, a fraction of the savings you would make by getting Britain back to work.

“You can give them YouTube how-to videos. You can give them distance learning courses. You can invite charities in to help people…. You could do a multitude of things, but you’ve got to get them to turn up first”

What would people do? Now, I did park that, and I parked it because I think it’s much less important than forcing the change on people. But frankly, by default, people could watch the History Channel. You could stick on the Open University. You could make books available. You can give them YouTube how-to videos. You can give them distance learning courses. You can invite charities in to help people. You can organise litter picking giving people the day off after two hours of effort, et cetera, et cetera. You could do a multitude of things, but you’ve got to get them to turn up first.

What matters is you get people out, you increase their motivation, and you increase their ability to live life once again.

Main image generated using Grok.

Department of Government Efficiency – Croydon

At our My tuppenceworth evening on the 19th February Mike Swadling spoke about his ideas for a Croydon DOGE.

“As significant as stopping the waste in the £50 billion budget is, I suspect more savings are being made by the cultural impact that DOGE is bringing about”

I want to talk briefly about DOGE, Department of Government Efficiency. But I want to localise it a little bit and talk about a Croydon DOGE. We’ve all seen DOGE and Elon Musk’s team going to USAID and strip back huge amounts of government spending. 

As significant as stopping the waste in the £50 billion budget is, I suspect more savings are being made by the cultural impact that DOGE is bringing about.

Most government workers are not on the take. They’re not politically motivated. Most middle managers with an authority to spend will simply be going about their job and responding to the incentives and cultures of the organisation they’re in.  And I say this as a middle manager with an authority to spend most of my career. Overnight that culture has changed from one of ‘no one asked- questions regarding the spending’ to ‘don’t let what you signed off become the laugh line of the White House press secretary’.

I suspect that undocumented cultural change is saving many more billions of dollars than perhaps the direct work that DOGE is doing.

“Does anyone know who received £171,356.72 Borough of Culture Payments in 2024?

I can’t tell you. No one knows, because that’s the total amount of redacted payments that they’re not telling us who they gave it to”

I want to ask you a question.

Does anyone know what links, Savvy Theatre, The Enriched Kids CIC, SDNA LTD, and Fashion Meets Music Collective C.I.C.?

They all received £2,000 from Croydon Council last year as part of a Borough of Culture payment.

Another one.

Does anyone know what links, Talawa Theatre Company, THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH LIMITED T/A The Circus, Scanners Inc, and Double Take Projections LTD?

They all received payments between £40,000 and £65,000 from Croydon Council last year as part of the Borough of Culture.

Does anyone know who received £171,356.72 Borough of Culture Payments in 2024?

I can’t tell you. No one knows, because that’s the total amount of redacted payments that they’re not telling us who they gave it to.

Croydon, yes, the bankrupt borough of Croydon, was the London Borough of Culture in 2023.  All of those payments came in 2024, and many of them very late on.

“Whilst the £813,000 worth of payments from the Borough of Culture that I can find, barely touch the sides of this £136 million that the council needs, it does, if you pardon the pun, set the culture of spending”

Croydon is a de facto bankrupt borough and is requesting a £136 million bailout from the government after overspending by at least £98 million this year and is predicted to overspend by £83 million next year.  Whilst the £813,000 worth of payments from the Borough of Culture that I can find, barely touch the sides of this £136 million that the council needs, it does, if you pardon the pun, set the culture of spending.

One can hardly be surprised when a council officer providing actual services overspends their budget when they know the council has given £10,000 to the Brit School, or £6,000 to the Bureau Of Silly Ideas Limited, or £3,100 to The Poetry Takeaway Ltd. Often, of course, these funds are accompanied by a photo opportunity for a plethora of Croydon dignitaries.  What is their incentive to reduce spending if you’re actually trying to provide a real service?

The council, of course, has been quick to try and fix its financial problems by raising funds off the backs of the people of Croydon. In 2023, Croydon’s council tax went up 15%. Despite Mayor Jason Perry promising to scrap Low Traffic Neighbourhoods or LTNs, he backtracked and is alleged to have said because “£20m of future income … would have to be replaced”.  The council even floated the plan to impose a workplace parking levy on car park spaces, as if the people of Croydon needed more reasons not to return to the office or indeed invest in Croydon.

We need a cultural change in Croydon, and specifically at the borough.  Not everything needs to be hiking taxes or even sweeping cuts to services. We need a cultural change at Croydon Council to have it focus on key services, on the people of Croydon, and on not wasting money.

“Is there any chance the taxpayers of Croydon can get an Independence Day from all this spending? We need a DOGE Croydon to publicly, and perhaps more importantly, within the Council, ring the alarm at this waste”

If you look at Your Croydon, the newsroom for the Executive Mayor, Jason Perry, the top story is Croydon’s proposed licensing scheme to tackle rogue landlords. A quick flick down the page then boasts about a new flagship programme to support residents to be healthier. Are these two things needed? Are they even a good idea? Does a bankrupt borough need to be spending money on things like this?

In the past year, the Civic Mayor of Croydon has raised the flag outside Croydon Town Hall for Uganda Independence Day, Nigerian Independence Day, India Independence Day, Pakistan Independence Day, all with the accompanied photo ops and no doubt receptions for local dignitaries. Is there any chance the taxpayers of Croydon can get an Independence Day from all this spending? We need a DOGE Croydon to publicly, and perhaps more importantly, within the Council, ring the alarm at this waste.

“I would question whether the £10,000 to £38,000 payments for services were really fully costed, or whether that was just a number somebody decided to charge us”

We need to set the stall out that costs are being cut and that Croydon taxpayers’ cash is not some slush fund for Council officers to dip into. The Council will say, of course, that they are cutting payments and not wasting money, but I’m sure if we had a Croydon DOGE operating, they would have questioned the £7,550 paid to Emergency Exit Arts, the £10,000 paid to Sound Diplomacy Limited, the £13,200 paid to Giant Cheese Limited, or the £38,000 paid to Croydonites Festival of New Theatre CIC. All of these were made in one payment, no doubt for a well provided service, but isn’t it interesting how suspiciously round these numbers often are.

I would question whether the £10,000 to £38,000 payments for services were really fully costed, or whether that was just a number somebody decided to charge us. These all came from the Cultural Growth Fund at Croydon Council. That’s not the London Borough of Culture Fund I mentioned a moment ago.  That’s a different fund. Don’t worry, when they can no longer waste your money on being the London Borough of Culture, they can give it away in Croydon Cultural Growth.

On that note, another question for you.

Can anyone tell me what the Culture Growth Fund spent £55,625.98 on?

I’ve given you a clue already. That’s the redacted amount.  I can’t tell you what they spent it on. They don’t tell us. We live in a democracy.  We live in an era of freedom of information, and they don’t tell us who our money went to.

Now I should declare a slight conflict of interest here.  There has been a recent story on Croydon Council spending £3,077 of taxpayers’ money on teas, biscuits, sandwiches and other refreshments in 2024. I must admit to being the recipient of these. I have volunteered some time at the Council and received free tea and coffee for this.  I’ve even had some sandwiches and biscuits on an all-day training course to enable me to do such things. I don’t mind admitting that when I give up many hours of free time, frankly, I do expect a cup of tea in return.

But lastly, I will say if this cost is of concern to you, might I suggest the council simply in future hold back from funding Stuco Design Limited, Premm Design Limited, or Continental Drifts, no I’ve never heard of any of them either, all of whom received more than £3,000 from Croydon Council in 2024 for Cultural Growth.

Blueprint for Education

At our My tuppenceworth evening on the 19th February Crispin Williams spoke about his ideas for a blueprint for education.

“I have never had recourse to my knowledge of the cross-section of a rift valley in Africa, or, ever since, had to dissect a fuchsia”

O, for a muse of fire that would ascend
 The brightest heaven of invention!
 A kingdom for a stage, princes to act,
 And monarchs to behold the swelling scene!
Then should the warlike Harry, like himself,
 Assume the port of Mars, and at his heels,
 Leashed in like hounds, should famine, sword, and fire
 Crouch for employment.

I learnt the Prologue to Henry V by heart in my O Level year, 1968-69 and for some extraordinary reason, I can still remember it, despite not being able to remember what I had for dinner last night.

But what was the point?  Apart from impressing (!) my friends, it is completely useless.  As are probably 75% of the facts I supposedly learnt at school.  I have never had recourse to my knowledge of the cross-section of a rift valley in Africa, or, ever since, had to dissect a fuchsia.

No, the sole reason for learning such things was to pass exams.  And (the Shakespeare quote apart) I – like pretty much everyone else – forgot all this type of knowledge by the time the summer holidays started.

“Most children, of whatever ability, leave school without being taught how to boil and egg, wallpaper a wall, manage their finances, understand the small print of a loan contract or change a wheel”

I went to the best school in Croydon (when you could use the word best in a sentence about Croydon!).  But even then, and ever since, I have thought our whole education system to be ridiculous.

Most children, of whatever ability, leave school without being taught how to boil and egg, wallpaper a wall, manage their finances, understand the small print of a loan contract or change a wheel.  Surely, we should be teaching practical and useful everyday skills before academic niceties.

Of course there is a place for some ‘academic’ skills.  Basic arithmetic is essential: it is not very convenient or seemly to open the calculator on your phone to work out Tesco’s best deal on mince.  And it is hard to decide where to go on holiday if you don’t know the difference between Austria and Australia (mind you, I’m not sure they teach that anyway).

“We learn small periods in history in minute detail for exam syllabuses but, I for one, have never known the chronology of the kings and queens of this country, or the rough dates of major wars”

So, rather than focussing on very narrow aspects of individual subjects, we should first ensure that all children are taught a broad general knowledge.  I will give you examples:

History: We learn small periods in history in minute detail for exam syllabuses but, I for one, have never known the chronology of the kings and queens of this country, or the rough dates of major wars and other significant events throughout the past 2,000 years.

Geography: Yes, I did learn to draw a cross-section of a rift valley in Africa (arguably that’s geology anyway).  We should start by understanding the map of the world: where countries are, what their capitals are and then what they are like – hot, cold, mountainous, desert, rain forest, etc.  And this, above all other subjects, lends itself to being taught visually with the use of videos.

English Literature: Instead of forensically studying a few classics, we should be taught a broad overview of classic authors’ works.  Hence, although I know a lot about Henry V and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, I was given no idea what Hamlet or Macbeth are about.

And so on…  The same arguments apply to biology, physics and even, to some small extent, languages.

I have omitted English language.  Although language evolves over time, often through ignorance of correct grammar and spelling, in recent years it has been so bastardised by lack of knowledge of correct usage that it is often unintelligible.   And this ‘evolving’ has continued at such a rapid pace that, for example, adjectives are becoming nouns (“Unlock your happy”) and adverbs are disappearing in front of our very eyes (“He did bad”).

I have also omitted mathematics, or at least arithmetic, from the list although the teaching of this could be much improved by relating it to everyday matters.

“Artistic children should be encouraged along that route and scientifically minded ones in that appropriate direction.  And this may well mean transferring to specialist schools so that all schools do not try to be ‘one size fits all’”

Thus, by the age of thirteen, all children should have a broad general knowledge in every one of the traditional subjects, plus those unfashionable ones like cookery and DIY.  By then, a child’s particular interests and capabilities will have started to become apparent, and their continuing education should be geared to their individual talents and preferences.  Artistic children should be encouraged along that route and scientifically minded ones in that appropriate direction.  And this may well mean transferring to specialist schools so that all schools do not try to be ‘one size fits all’.

Physical exercise is very underrated these days in schools; children should have plenty of opportunity to let off energy as well as keeping fit, but this again needs to be done with an individual approach.  Some children, for example, love football while others are useless at it and hate it.  So, they should be allowed to take their exercise doing something they do like (or, at least, not hate).  Anything – hopscotch, even games of ‘It’.

The latter points of this article lead to a discussion of the structure for providing this type of broad, rounded education.  And that will form another document in due course…

Main image generated using Grok.

Maxine Fothergill, Reform UK candidate for Sevenoaks Rural North East in the Kent County Council elections

Maxine Fothergill is the Reform UK candidate for Sevenoaks Rural North East in May’s Kent County Council elections. We spoke with Maxine about her decision to stand.

“I have a strong track record of standing up for my community, both as a business owner for over 23 years and through my extensive experience in local government”

Can you introduce yourself to our readers, and tell us what made you decide to run?

I’m Maxine Fothergill, the Reform UK candidate for Sevenoaks Rural North East in the Kent County Council elections. I am leading the local campaign for Reform UK because I believe our area needs stronger representation, real action, and a fresh approach to tackling the issues that matter most to residents.

I have a strong track record of standing up for my community, both as a business owner for over 23 years and through my extensive experience in local government. I decided to run because I see the growing challenges in our area—from the threat to our Green Belt to the worsening state of our roads—and I want to be a strong, independent voice for local residents. Unlike the main parties, I’m not tied to Westminster politics; my priority is fighting for what truly matters to the people of Sevenoaks Rural North East.

I have a long history in local government, having lived in Bexley for 30 years and serving as a councillor in Bexley for eight years. After moving to Sevenoaks Rural North East, I became frustrated with the main political parties and their failure to put local communities first. This led me to stand as an Independent councillor, running on my own mandate—and in doing so, I made history. I successfully won a seat in Fawkham and West Kingsdown, taking it from the Conservatives for the first time ever. From 2019 to 2023, I served as Deputy Leader of the Independent Group on Sevenoaks District Council, working hard to challenge poor decision-making and push for real change. Unfortunately, I lost my seat in the last election due to a split vote, largely caused by paper candidates from the Conservatives and the Green Party.

Beyond local politics, I have long been a supporter of Nigel Farage and his efforts to challenge the establishment. I was actively involved in campaigning for the Brexit Party, particularly during the MEP elections and London Mayoral elections. I was also honoured to be selected as the Parliamentary candidate for Old Bexley and Sidcup, where, despite having just a four-week campaign, we achieved an incredible result—winning 10,384 votes and 21.8% of the vote share, significantly improving on the previous 6% result in the 2021 by-election.

My political journey has always been about putting local people first, standing up for what’s right, and ensuring that the voices of residents are not ignored. That is exactly what I will do if elected as your Kent County Councillor for Sevenoaks Rural North East, standing proudly as your Reform UK candidate.

“The condition of our roads is one of the biggest frustrations for residents. Potholes and poor maintenance are causing serious damage to vehicles, and many drivers have had to replace tyres or pay for costly repairs”

You’re the candidate for Sevenoaks Rural North East. What are the main concerns in the area?

As the Reform UK candidate for Sevenoaks Rural North East, I am campaigning on the real local issues that residents have told me matter most to them. These include:

• Protecting Our Green Belt – Our beautiful countryside is under threat from large-scale solar farm applications and inappropriate housing developments. At least five solar farms are currently proposed, which would destroy productive farmland and damage the rural character of our area. I will fight to challenge these developments and ensure local residents’ views are properly considered in planning decisions.

• Fixing Our Roads – The condition of our roads is one of the biggest frustrations for residents. Potholes and poor maintenance are causing serious damage to vehicles, and many drivers have had to replace tyres or pay for costly repairs. I will push for proper investment in long-term road maintenance rather than temporary patch-up jobs that don’t last.

• Tackling Fly-Tipping – Illegal dumping is a growing problem in our rural areas, damaging our environment and putting unfair costs on landowners and farmers who are left to clear up the mess. I will push for stronger enforcement, tougher penalties for offenders, and better waste disposal solutions to prevent fly-tipping and hold those responsible to account.

Beyond these key issues, I know that many families in our area are struggling. West Kingsdown has one of the largest food banks in the area, showing just how many people need extra support. Meanwhile, elderly residents who have lost their winter fuel allowance are finding it harder to afford heating, and many don’t have the technology or assistance to apply for financial help. I will work with local partners to secure more support for our community and ensure the most vulnerable are not left behind.

If elected, I will be a determined voice for Sevenoaks Rural North East, ensuring that local concerns are heard and acted upon.

“I won’t make promises I can’t keep, but I will work tirelessly to ensure that Sevenoaks Rural North East gets the attention and investment it deserves”

What do you see as the major issues more widely across Kent, and if elected, what do you hope to champion?

Across Kent, we are facing many of the same challenges—overdevelopment, failing infrastructure, and underfunded local services—but these issues hit Sevenoaks Rural North East particularly hard. As the Reform UK candidate, I will work to ensure our area gets the support and investment it desperately needs.

• Overdevelopment and Planning Concerns – Across Kent, overdevelopment is putting pressure on local infrastructure, roads, and services. In our area, this is particularly evident in the growing number of solar farm applications, which threaten our best agricultural land. I will fight to ensure that rural communities are protected and that sustainable planning decisions are made with residents’ concerns in mind.

• Investment in Local Infrastructure – Kent’s infrastructure is struggling to keep up with demand, and Sevenoaks Rural North East is often overlooked when funding decisions are made. I will push for better road repairs, improved transport links, and stronger investment in local services to ensure our area is not left behind.

• Better Waste and Environmental Management – Fly-tipping is a county-wide issue, but it is particularly damaging in rural areas like ours. I will push for tougher action against offenders, as well as better local waste disposal facilities so that people are less likely to resort to illegal dumping.

• Support for Vulnerable Residents – Many elderly residents and struggling families in Kent are not getting the help they need. I will work to secure more local funding for community support services, ensuring that those most in need—including those without internet access—are not left behind.

I won’t make promises I can’t keep, but I will work tirelessly to ensure that Sevenoaks Rural North East gets the attention and investment it deserves, standing proudly as your Reform UK candidate.

“I decided to run because I see the growing challenges in our area—from the threat to our Green Belt to the worsening state of our roads—and I want to be a strong, independent voice for local residents”

How can people find out more or get involved in the campaign?

I encourage everyone to follow my campaign for updates and ways to get involved:

📧 Email: [email protected]

📱 Twitter/X: @MaxineFothergil

📢 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573026454834

🌍 Reform UK Website: www.reformparty.uk

Conversation with Reform UK’s Scott Holman (Croydon East) and Alan Cook (Bromley Chair)

Local elections in London are due in May 2026.  Reform UK are making inroads across the capital with some polls showing them leading in Bromley & Biggin Hill, and Croydon East constituencies, among others.

Join us on Wednesday 19th March for our drinks and conversation with Alan and Scott.  We will be discussing where they are with their planning for the local elections and where Reform UK is more generally.

For drinks, a conversation and Q&A with Alan and Scott about the Reform UK local plans, come along Wednesday 19th March at 7pm

This is part of our #ThirdWednesday drinks and events, we hold these in association with Dick Delingpole’s #ThirdWednesday Libertarian drinks club, and POLITICS in PUBS a group of people from across the political spectrum who value the freedom to question and to speak openly.

politics in pubs

Join us Upstairs, Whispers, 5 High St, Purley CR8 2AF on Wednesday 19th March, from 7pm.

Facebook: https://fb.me/e/6bhhOZZO8