Globalisation:Centre for Social Justice: Funding and connections

Connections

George Osborne

George Osborne (The Chancellor of the Exchequer) wishes to reduce the current deficit and cut benefits and fellow conservative - Iain Duncan Smith (the man who created the Centre for Social Justice) wishes to get the more disadvantaged and poor people back into work. He wants to help them, help themselves by getting them back into work. For the welfare system to be reformed to save money in the future, alot of money will have to be spent now. Osborne believes that cutting the wealthy's winter fuel payments and scrapping child tax credits isn't enough. Osborne and Smith are working together - they have made a 'deal'. Osborne wants to cut benefits and Smith believes by cutting benefits it will give the poorer people in society an incentive to work.

Osbornes cuts affect the people Smith is trying to help with the Centre for Social Justice. Osborne is introducing a cap on every household in terms of benefits. Annually each household will only be allowed the Maximum of £26,000 in benefits. This will cost the most disadvantaged families in British society £93 a week. Child benefit will also be taken from families who are seen able to pay a higher rate of tax. This will affect 1.2 million households and will cost one child families £1,055 a year and approximately £2,500 for families with three children.

Tax Avoidance

It was recently revealed that the current Chancellor of the Exchequer (whos enforcing huge benefit cuts and caps with the encouragement of Iain Duncan Smith) is actually avoiding paying tax. George Osborne pays his accountants to help him find what is called legal tax dodges. It is approximated this saves him £1.6 million. Whilst the Government are fighting to curb Benefit fraud, they are doing nothing about Tax Avoidance which costs the country Billions.

CSJ Events

The following are people who were speakers at the 27 Globalisation: Centre for Social Justice events at the three main party 2010 conferences:

Rt Hon Iain Duncan Smith MP, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Con) Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP, Former Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Lab) Steve Webb MP, Pensions Minister (Lib Dem) Baroness Smith of Basildon, Former Third Sector Minister (Lab) Lord Dubs (Lab) Lord McNally (Lib Dem) Rt Hon Owen Paterson MP, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Con) Crispin Blunt MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Ministry of Justice (Con) Tim Loughton MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary for Children and Families (Con) Andrew Selous MP, PPS to Rt Hon Iain Duncan Smith MP (Con) David Burrowes MP, PPS to Rt Hon Oliver Letwin MP (Con) Kate Green MP (Lab) Camilla Cavendish, The Times Fraser Nelson, Editor, The Spectator

Yvette Cooper

Yvette Cooper (the Shadow minister for Women and Equality and the wife of Ed Balls the Shadow Home Secretary) has been quoted criticising the current Conservative Governments cuts, by Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne. She also pointed out that the cuts hit the poorest families in society the hardest, and inparticuliar women as £7 billion in direct support is being taken away from them for children. Yvette Cooper then was a speaker at one of the 27 CSJ events at the three main party conferences, which was set up for Iain Duncan Smith - a conservative who supports the cuts.

Andrew Selous Andrew Selous is the Conservative MP for South West Bedfordshire and in May 2010 he was appointed as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Iain Duncan Smith. Andrew Selous’s reaction to being appointed to this was positive; “I am delighted by this appointment which will enable me to continue with the work I have in this area over the last four years. Making sure that our benefits system encourages work and that jobseekers get the best possible help to get jobs is an urgent priority as is ensuring we build a strong pensions system.” He was a TA (Territorial Army) officer for twelve years and served in many countries such as: Germany, Cyprus, Netherlands and the United States. Amongst other things – Selous is the President of the Leighton Buzzard branch of the Parkinson’s disease Society and Patron of Leighton Linslade Homeless service. Along with being a speaker at one of the 27 Centre for Social Justice Events in three main party Conferences in 2010, he also at times volunteers himself. He worked at Watford New Hope Trust in 23rd and 24th of September 2008. Watford New Hope trust helps homeless people rebuild their lives in and around the area of Watford. They aim to help people who are socially disadvantaged through Welfare and accommodation services.

Andrew Selous: Voting

Like every Member of Parliament, Andrew Selous has to vote on certain issues. According to the public whip – Andrew Selous voted strongly for replacing Trident, strongly against the hunting ban, voted strongly for the Iraq war and voted strongly against equal gay rights.

Andrew Selous: Expenses

Andrew Selous is obviously not a man struggling to make ends meet, however as an MP it’s his legal right to claim an Administrative and Office. So Selous sees it as acceptable for tax payers to pay for his pencil sharpeners, which he claimed twice; once on the 2nd of July 2009 and on the 6th of August 2009 at the price of £2.79. Also on several occasions in 2009 he claimed expenses for his blackberry rental and calls at an average of £80 each time. £2.79 isn’t a lot to the individual – however there are 650 MP’s for 650 constituencies and they are all within their legal rights to claim the same as Selous. This is the man (along with Iain Duncan Smith) who is aiming to eradicate poverty by helping people back into work instead of being dependant tax payers money.