Barlow's Beef: If they die before the election who cares?

According to BBC news government ministers should waste no time to make unpopular cuts to pensioner benefits, a think tank director has said.

Many of those hit by a cut to the winter fuel allowance might "not be around" at the next election, said Alex Wild of the Taxpayers' Alliance.

At the group's meeting at the Conservative conference in Manchester, former defence secretary Liam Fox said spending cuts must be "for keeps".

Mr Wild said the Tories could not wait until a year before the next election to make the necessary cuts to the winter fuel allowance, free bus passes, the Christmas bonus and other pensioner benefits.

If you are years away from pensionable age this may not raise any great concern unless, circumstances suggest you or a member of your family might also "not be around" at the next election.

I have real problem with governments targeting cuts for those who might "not be around" at the next election. Mr Wild, who is research director of the think tank says: "Some of the people... won't be around to vote in the next election. So that's just a practical point, and the other point is they might have forgotten by then." (So like dementia patients are fare game too?)

He added: "If you did it now (slash their benefits) chances are that in 2020 someone who has had their winter fuel cut might be thinking, 'Oh I can't remember, was it this government or was it the last one? I'm not quite sure.'

"So on a purely practical basis I would say do it immediately."

Not content with record deaths from hypothermia and more families using food banks than at any time since WWII Mr Wild urges the Tory Government to target the sick and elderly AND do it now.

Is this the kind of society we want where government ministers justify grotesque bonuses for failed bankers while slashing the benefits of the terminally ill?

There isn't a single Member of Parliament who would accept these terms in their retirement.

While the proposed cuts may be trivial to politicians whose family wealth insulates them from the vagaries of government policy for the most vulnerable in our society they are devastating.

There is an unpleasantness about targeting vulnerable people who might 'not be around' at the next election that carries the whiff of totalitarian thinking.

Any attempt to change the privileged pension benefits of MP's would be shouted down immediately so let them do their job and throw out these nasty proposals with the contempt they deserve.

Tackling the gaping holes in our system by which huge multi-national corporations avoid tax might be a good place to start raising revenue.

It won't be as easy as slashing the benefits of the sick and elderly as these monoliths have the means to fight back. But it will be just.

Targeting those who 'might not be around' is despicable and Alex Wild and his Taxpayers Alliance should be utterly ashamed.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of alderleyedge.com.

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Barlow's Beef, Vic Barlow