Comments on: Clark and Poverty: who says newspapers spin? http://edvaizey.mpblogs.com/2006/11/23/clark-and-poverty-who-says-newspapers-spin/ MP for Wantage and Didcot Tue, 6 Jan 2009 09:41:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: Louise Warhurst http://edvaizey.mpblogs.com/2006/11/23/clark-and-poverty-who-says-newspapers-spin/#comment-237 Thu, 23 Nov 2006 18:43:55 +0000 http://edvaizey.mpblogs.com/2006/11/23/clark-and-poverty-who-says-newspapers-spin/#comment-237 What a silly analogy. Sounds like a pretty comfortable net if only 10% of people "trapped" in it have the motivation to escape. So social mobility has decreased over the past five decades. Five decades ago, the welfare state was introduced. Coincidence? Or just the fact that if you pay people enough not to work, no-one would work. Can I ask how comfortable you are planning on making the net? What a silly analogy. Sounds like a pretty comfortable net if only 10% of people “trapped” in it have the motivation to escape. So social mobility has decreased over the past five decades. Five decades ago, the welfare state was introduced. Coincidence? Or just the fact that if you pay people enough not to work, no-one would work.

Can I ask how comfortable you are planning on making the net?

]]> by: Tim Almond http://edvaizey.mpblogs.com/2006/11/23/clark-and-poverty-who-says-newspapers-spin/#comment-235 Thu, 23 Nov 2006 12:29:21 +0000 http://edvaizey.mpblogs.com/2006/11/23/clark-and-poverty-who-says-newspapers-spin/#comment-235 Everyone can wish for free ice cream, beer and less relative poverty. The problem is that wishing for it doesn't make it happen. France has adopted policies that have led to lower relative poverty. They've also got lower per capita GDP than the UK and higher unemployment. Ireland has much higher relative poverty than it had 20 years ago. Yet they're a more prosperous nation. The real question is what policies you think would lead to less relative poverty. I'd be interested to hear them. Everyone can wish for free ice cream, beer and less relative poverty. The problem is that wishing for it doesn’t make it happen.

France has adopted policies that have led to lower relative poverty. They’ve also got lower per capita GDP than the UK and higher unemployment.

Ireland has much higher relative poverty than it had 20 years ago. Yet they’re a more prosperous nation.

The real question is what policies you think would lead to less relative poverty. I’d be interested to hear them.

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