Brown's speech

[_angel_]

Huh? How did you work that out?

Do you seriously think what prompted this was care and concern for teenage parents, or an attempt to look like they're "getting tough"? It's being presented as the former but I know what inspired it (middle England whingings about girls being "given" houses, even when it doesn't actually happen)

 

[Kizmet]

Do you seriously think what prompted this was care and concern for teenage parents, or an attempt to look like they're "getting tough"? It's being presented as the former but I know what inspired it (middle England whingings about girls being "given" houses, even when it doesn't actually happen)

I think it's clearly both.

 

[Wolveryeti]

Some mums will need the help and others won't. Plenty of girls/ women have children under the age of twenty five without needing "help" though!

Sure, I'm not suggesting all mums under 25s should be corralled into these centres. But if you can't manage to put a roof over your head and support your kids unaided then you obviously do need some help, and that's what these centres should provide - a stepping stone into adult life and empowerment to move away from dependency.

And I do think the idea is punishment, especially if you see who it's aimed at trying to appease. Why not supervision and education for the boys that father the children for example?

I agree with doing something like that as well, but the current system which seems to encourage an immiserating path of client-state dependency has got to go.

Do you seriously think what prompted this was care and concern for teenage parents, or an attempt to look like they're "getting tough"?

Politicians doing what the public want. Unforgivable.

It's being presented as the former but I know what inspired it (middle England whingings about girls being "given" houses, even when it doesn't actually happen)

Of course it happens. Having babies massively bumps you up in priority on the list for social housing.

 

[_angel_]

Sure, I'm not suggesting all mums under 25s should be corralled into these centres. But if you can't manage to put a roof over your head and support your kids unaided then you obviously do need some help, and that's what these centres should provide - a stepping stone into adult life and empowerment to move away from dependency.




I agree with doing something like that as well, but the current system which seems to encourage an immiserating path of client-state dependency has got to go.


Politicians doing what the public want. Unforgivable.


Of course it happens. Having babies massively bumps you up in priority on the list for social housing.

But they don't appear to be giving tenancies to under 18's at all!

It sounds a bit of a con - suggesting a policy that is more or less basically happening anyway.

I do think it needs saying how few houses are getting given to teen mums and like Paulie posted, the small % they make up of parents on benefit, because otherwise "getting tough" looks a bit stupid in that context. Things are pretty hard enough already.

And single mums do still wait ages to get housed, we've had people on here who work in housing attest to that (as well as knowing it through personal experience) it just does not give you an automatic council house or even a priority no matter what people keep saying! (Esp dependent on the area you live in)

 

[Kizmet]

But they don't appear to be giving tenancies to under 18's at all!

It sounds a bit of a con - suggesting a policy that is more or less basically happening anyway.

I do think it needs saying how few houses are getting given to teen mums and like Paulie posted, the small % they make up of parents on benefit, because otherwise "getting tough" looks a bit stupid in that context. Things are pretty hard enough already.

And single mums do still wait ages to get housed, we've had people on here who work in housing attest to that (as well as knowing it through personal experience) it just does not give you an automatic council house or even a priority no matter what people keep saying! (Esp dependent on the area you live in)

The point isn't that they are going to get everything right first time. That would be ridiculous and impossible. The point is that systems and measures are being tried out that will eventually, via trial and error, get it right.

That's the most you can hope for - and that's what the speech delivered.

Baby steps in the right direction... but there are so many directions to go in.

 

[trevhagl]

Do you seriously think what prompted this was care and concern for teenage parents, or an attempt to look like they're "getting tough"? It's being presented as the former but I know what inspired it (middle England whingings about girls being "given" houses, even when it doesn't actually happen)

it's quite amusing all the tough talk, then what happens, The Sun drops em anyway!!