Notices by Simon Johnson (simon318ppm@mastodon.sdf.org)

@aral absolutely, though it’s only the extreme extension of the ideology of the last 40-odd years that, by definition, the private sector should run everything because, of course, successfully exploiting your workers and customers to maximise shareholder returns uniquely qualifies you to know how to run a hospital / government department / benefits system / adult & child social care, etc, etc 🤷🏽♂️

“Those unable to work at all receive an extra £416 a month….

[T]he higher level of support has continued to increase during a long period in which basic benefits were frozen. Ministers believe that these two factors have driven more people into the group not working at all…”

If that’s the case, ministers lack a basic understanding of how Universal Credit works. Claimants don’t chose to be in “the group not working at all”, but are categorised by DWP decision makers

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/feb/08/labour-planning-radical-overhaul-of-benefit-system-as-rising-numbers-deemed-unfit-to-work

@taschenorakel @jwildeboer I think it’s much more than being on the streets expressing our outrage though. We need to be in our neighbourhoods when we can, doing whatever might help build community solidarity and human relationships

God knows it’s hard but even insisting on saying good morning to everyone we bump into is a start

And our fury should not just be directed at the far right but at the so-called mainstream parties who legitimise their policies

So guess what?

I just tried to take part in #ShowYourStripesDay on Zuckerberg’s site and…

…FB blocked my post, claiming it was spam