Thought Id start this one going because its rather dead on this board at the moment and I suppose all my usual muckers are either at the Stella tennis event watching Dim Tim (lose again) or at Henly Regatta eating cucumber sandwiches (they wish,...NOT).

Anyway please feel free to just talk to yourself blast away and let it go on any company or subject you wish. Just wish Id thought of this one before.

cheers GF.

SNP have announced a further 55,000 have joined the party since the referendum. Labour are history in Scotland. Every cloud! :0)

Fred it is voluntary work. Hays in a deperate attempt to recycle old history.

From what Ive heard tonight late on Nick Clegg and the Liberals are going to go fully out tomorrow all guns blazing and try to force Fraud out.

Should be interesting TV.

Tory work and pensions minister: Disabled people ‘not worth’ minimum wage

Harry Readhead for Metro.co.uk
Wednesday 15 Oct 2014 12:45 pm



A Conservative minister has suggested that disabled people are ‘not worth’ the minimum wage.

Ed Miliband called on Lord Freud to resign from his post as work and pensions minister after his disparaging remarks, made while answering questions at a meeting of the Resolution Foundation, a living standards think-tank, during the Conservative Party conference.

The comments, which were recorded, came after a question by a Conservative councillor relating to the disabled and the National Minimum Wage.


‘There is a group – and I know exactly who you mean – where actually as you say they’re not worth the full wage,’ said Lord Freud.

‘I’m going to go and think about that particular issue, whether there is something we can do nationally, and without distorting the whole thing, which actually if someone wants to work for £2 an hour, and it’s working can we actually…’

This afternoon, however, he backtracked saying: ‘I would like to offer a full and unreserved apology.

‘I was foolish to accept the premise of the question. To be clear, all disabled people should be paid at least the minimum wage, without exception, and I accept that it is offensive to suggest anything else.

‘I care passionately about disabled people. I am proud to have played a full part in a Government that is fully committed to helping disabled people overcome the many barriers they face in finding employment.’

He added: ‘I am profoundly sorry for any offence I have caused to any disabled people.

Ed Miliband used today’s Prime Minister’s Questions to raise the issue, prompting a terse response from David Cameron, who dismissed Lord Freud’s comments as unrepresentative of his party, adding that he ‘didn’t need any lectures about looking after disabled people,’ apparently referencing his son Ivan, who had celebral palsy and epilepsy and died aged six in 2009.

A Labour source later told Sky News that Lord Freud ‘should go.’

‘These are not the words of someone who ought to be in charge of policy relating to the welfare of disabled people,’ they said.

‘Surely someone holding those views can’t be in government?’

Lord Freud has since apologised for his comments. In a statement, he said:

‘I would like to offer a full and unreserved apology. I was foolish to accept the premise of the question.

‘To be clear, all disabled people should be paid at least the minimum wage, without exception, and I accept that it is offensive to suggest anything else.

‘I care passionately about disabled people.’

Gaffe-prone Lord Freud has come under fire before for saying that families hit by bedroom tax should ‘go out to work’ or use a sofa bed when children come to stay.

THE TORIES HAVE HISTORY.........

Tory MP Philip Davies: disabled people could work for less pay
Shipley MP describes criticism of his remarks that disabled people could work for less than minimum wage as 'leftwing hysteria'

Allegra Stratton, political correspondent
The Guardian, Friday 17 June 2011 18.51 BST



A Tory MP has sparked anger by suggesting that disabled people should work for less than the minimum wage to increase their chances of being taken on by employers. [s

Philip Davies told the Commons: "If an employer is looking at two candidates, one who has got disabilities and one who hasn't, and they have got to pay them both the same rate, I invite you to guess which one the employer is more likely to take on.

"Given that some of those people with a learning disability clearly, by definition, cannot be as productive in their work as somebody who has not got a disability of that nature, then it was inevitable that, given the employer was going to have to pay them both the same, they were going to take on the person who was going to be more productive, less of a risk.

"My view is that for some people the national minimum wage may be more of a hindrance than a help.

"If those people who consider it is being a hindrance to them, and in my view that's some of the most vulnerable people in society, if they feel that for a short period of time, taking a lower rate of pay to help them get on their first rung of the jobs ladder, if they judge that that is a good thing, I don't see why we should be standing in their way."

The mental health charity Mind dismissed the Shipley MP's comments as "preposterous". Richard Hawkes, chief executive of disability charity Scope, said the MP had got it "seriously wrong". "This reveals a lot about how we value disabled people – and what we think they have to offer when it comes to work," he said. "In fact disabled people can contribute as much to a workplace as anyone else.

Davies has a history of making controversial statements out of sync with his party high command. A Conservative party spokesman said: "These comments do not reflect the views of the Conservative party and do not reflect government policy."

In the debate, Davies was challenged over his remarks by fellow Tory MP Edward Leigh, who told him: "Why actually should a disabled person work for less than £5.93 an hour. It is not a lot of money, is it?"

But Davies said criticism of his remarks was "leftwing hysteria".

He said he had talked to people with mental health problems when he met recently with the charity Mind, and he said they agreed with his analysis.

Labour's Anne Begg, chair of the work and pensions select committee, called the remarks "outrageous and unacceptable".

"To suggest that disabled people should be treated as second class citizens is shocking and shows just what a warped world some Tories demonstrate they inhabit," she said.

If people insist on the minimum wage then disabled people won't get work in many cases.

hays very true. and would lose other benefits which would cost them more and reduce their benefit hand outs . the disabled need to look at the big picture getting better pay would cost them more and a drop in income long term .they would then get no further help

Plenty of voluntary work. Not tied to a contract. But yet again Hays you miss the point and are stigmatising disabled people as 2nd class citizens.

Lib Dems are going to be firing on all cylinders today, they want Fraud kicked out.

I dont as he will become more and more of a liability moving up to the GE.

Surely the wage for the job depends what the work person concerned is expected to do?

Someone who has a severe disability and cannot even move anything other than his eyes might actually be worth a very high salary and a good expenses package too. And here, I'm thinking of, say Professor Stephen Hawking.

But I wouldn't pay him at the rate of the minimum wage, if the job concerned was doing a Paper Round.

But I don't think he would apply for it anyhow so the problem sorts itself out.

These comments do not reflect the views of the Conservative party and do not reflect government policy."

I wonder what does?

"We are everything for everybody!"

"we are everything to all you hardworking fools who vote for us!"

"We will say anything to stay in power to cover up our mistakes!"

"We are the posh boys in the sweet shop!"

"we don't know what we are doing and neither will you!"

Don't forget that Freud also said at the same time that their benefits could be topped up to make up the difference if they didn't get the minimum wage. That would enable companies to take on disabled workers.

Question.....

Is diabetes a disability?
Discussion in 'Diabetes Discussions' started by bluboy, Aug 8, 2008.
bluboy

Can anyone tell me if diabetes is classed as a disability under currant government guidelines? and if so, why are we not told this so that we can claim benefits.

Answer.....

I beleive that diabetes is included under the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act in that employers can't exclude someone from a job just because they have diabetes. I think the only acception to this is the armed forces although don't quote me. I am fairly sure your employer is acting illegally in stopping you working nights just because of your diabetes and if he/she won't listen to your reasoned argument then it may be worth talking to your union rep if you have one or taking legal advice.

Although diabetes comes under the Disability Discrimination Act, I don't believe it automatically qualifies you for benefits (and believe this is the same for any registed disabled person) unless you are physically having difficulty caring for yourself or unable to work. I think there are lots of good resources on this site and on the http://www.diabetes.org.uk where you can get more advice or there's always the Citizens Advice Bureau. Good luck with your employer

Talking of Cleggy.

He was on the wireless this morning (LBC)

Asked about the (convicted rapist) footballer playing for Sheffield...and, would he shake his hand?


Ducking and diving, wouldn't commit one way or the other.

What a wanker!

Although diabetes comes under the Disability Discrimination Act, I don't believe it automatically qualifies you for benefits

disabled in the workplace
obviously it depends on the level of disability and how that might or might not affect the ability to do a certain job
however, if the job can be done sufficiently well by a disabled person, why on earth should they not be paid (at least) minimum wage?

There is a principle that once people have served their punishment then they should be treated the same as anyone else. Not sure I feel that way about paedophiles though.

Freud was only being asked about people who could not much work at all and would not usually get a job.

diabetes
generally speaking, diabetes can be well enough controlled, though it presupposes that the patient also looks after himself
my late biz partner patently did not and therefore died well before his time
however, another chap of my acquaintance is terrifyingly fit and my dentists children, who also suffer, also manage to keep this pernicious disease well under control

In that case, why didn't cleggy defend the guys human rights?


And what about the victims human rights?

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