LETTER: Unemployment is an emotive issue

I agree with Peter in around 95% of what he says - the jam tomorrow merchants are a stain on all of us, the bankers who frankly betrayed us, and who in my view should be looking at the world their greed and lies has caused from behind some bars, and condemn the failure of the politicians for sitting back and letting them cause mayhem.

Where I have a little difficulty in giving wholesome support is where he indicates that balancing the nation’s books at the loss of self-respect of many i.e. putting them on the dole is wrong, is on the face of it quite right, but it’s emotive.

I give but one example. Eighteen months prior to the last election, the Labour Party leader, Gordon Brown, created nearly a million civil service jobs, mostly in the North East.

Please remember we had got along quite well without all these new civil servants up to this time. In real terms and accepted by all except the hard line lefties, what friend Gordon was doing was not creating jobs, but hopefully buying votes.

Now I have no problem in paying my taxes or council tax to give a proper wage to people working in the civil service who are doing a job we all need them to do (I may have a tiny grump or nine on the pension issues, but leave that for another day).

I even include a tax inspector with my fingers crossed behind me on needed jobs.

I do, however, object to paying my taxes just to provide a wage, and there is a difference, paying somebody for work done, certainly for invented work.

For nonsense titles on non-jobs, I cannot afford them. I am feeling the pinch like everybody. Paying for non-jobs is out. Also paying £50m. to MoD pencil pushers in bonuses for actually doing their job is obscene, while the lads and lasses on the front line lose jobs, kit, and get 1% pay rise.

So in this instance, I hope to read the unemployed in the public sector and MoD civil service is rising in the North East and Whitehall, and my taxes paying for a million non-jobs is being reduced. I also hope the jobs in the private sector are also seen to grow in the North-East. I want nobody out of genuine work.

However, may I finish with food for thought with an article by a man called Dr Adrian Rogers written in 1931 and oh so relevant today?

You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom.

What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving.

The Government cannot give to anybody anything the Government doesn’t first take from somebody else.

When half the people get the idea they do not have to work, because the other half is going to take care of them.

And when the other half gets the idea it does no good to work, as somebody else will get what they work for.

That, my friends, is about the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.

With the exception of the aforementioned leaners to the left, few will, I think, have too much difficulty in agreeing both with Dr Rogers, and, of course, Peter Copestake.

As for agreeing with me, well, as usual, I will take my chances. Oh yes, Happy New Year everyone.

MICHAEL SUTCLIFF

Kibble Grove, Brierfield