OK, who could have possibly predicted I'd use this space today to rant/praise the governments cuts? Everyone? Well congratulations everyone you were right!
Before I get started, I will say thank you Sky f**king News (keeping it clean-ish) for once again using my home town of Merthyr Tydfil as a demonstration of the 'bottom end of the barrel'. Really, they produced one biased, set up report once and now they want to turn the screw. Merthyr may be a dive, and believe me there are parts that would make your eyes bleed, but it's not the worst, not by a long shot.
Anyway to open, I work in the private sector, my job doesn't reply on the government, although the company itself has never been shy of a handout/grant etc which may not be quite so forthcoming in future, but generally despite yesterday, I'm confident my job is secure. However, I do feel for the 500,000 public sector workers who will be out of work once the condems are done. It could have been me, I had the opportunity of taking a job as an analyst with South Wales Police not long ago, but stayed where I was. I can be pretty sure if I had moved, I'd be right in the firing line now.
From scanning what's happened, I do feel it could have been worse. E.g. The NHS is getting rises (small ones really but at least it's not cuts, not even cuts against inflation) but for the most part, I can only say I'm feeling far from confident.
I've blogged previously on my thoughts for university changes and they've come to fruition, but other things such as cuts in police budgets and welfare budgets don't sound promising. Regarding benefit cuts, there are people out there who cheat the system, get more than they deserve and they've in no small way contributed to overspends, my concern is, with sweeping cuts are they going to really be able to filter out the deserving from the scrounger? I do have a horrible feeling the scrounger will continue to try and find ways around the system, while the genuine people will suffer. But that's the way of the world these days.
Also, I'm waiting to see exactly how half a million extra dole claimers will combine with less money available for them...
Police cuts are also a concern, 4% a year will hurt them, and at a time where their jobs are getting increasingly difficult. There's a risk that they may lose some front line officers (although doubtless savings can be made elsewhere too), while at the same time crime may rise in a poorer environment, leading too.. well not ideal circumstances. But I may be being a drama queen, we would have to wait to see what the police cut before jumping to conclusions.
Plus aren't interest payments going to rise for the next few years???
Generally it's not great news and, while I don't claim to be an expert as you can gather from reading above, it doesn't sit overly easy with me. But we'll wait and see, I might by an annual train ticket now before they go up by inflation + 3%...
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