AND I THOUGHT SLAVERY HAD BEEN ABOLISHED, I WANT AN APOLOGY

[jojo]

Just in case you missed this (bbc news front page)

This is what DB comes up with when he's not cavorting with married women - and socialising with the Tories.....


[quote]David Blunkett

David Blunkett said people should keep active 'to the point of our incapacity'

Older people should carry on working as long as they are physically capable, ex-minister David Blunkett has said.

In a speech to the Counsel and Care charity in London he said it should not be assumed the government had "prime responsibility" to support the elderly.

Mr Blunkett also said people should use equity release schemes to raise money from their homes to pay for care.

The former work and pensions secretary said it was important to raise the debate over the UK's ageing population.

Mr Blunkett said]

Well and I thought Nu Labour were supposed to help the workers!! So as well as paying tax all your life and not earning enough to save anything, we now have to work till we drop dead thus saving the gov paying out any benefits!

[Guest]

I wonder at what point in your life-cycle you're allowed to slow down and relax, when you're in your coffin from the look of it .

[Lazydaisy]

My husband has an uncle who had tp retire a few years ago, aged 58, due to severe rheumatoid arthritis. He had worked really hard all his working life, but never paid in much to a pension plan, due to small income. HIs wife had to give up work a couple of years before that due to ill health also. They still had part of their mortgage to pay, and have really struggled to get by.

My father has also worked all his life. He retired at age 55,(had a golden handshake and voluntary redundancy), and has always had a good pension plan, due to his employers. He has no worries now or in the future.

Neither of these two men has sat back and let others work for them, but due to circumstance, my husbands uncle has to live in poverty, while my father can live like a king,if he wants to. David Blunkett is being extremely arrogant making speeches like he has done.My husbands uncle and aunt are the only family who have ever supported us in our lives, and been wonderful both with our disabled son, and our younger children when they were young Carers.They may not have had much money, ever, but they have done a lot for others, including doing secreterial work in their local scouting community, and caring for their neighbours.

We should be saluting people , not making them feel inferior.

[Myrtle]

We all pay for our state pension in the not unreasonable expectation of being able to retire and, hopefully, enjoy a few years of doing some things we never had the time for because we were working, even if that is only to sit in the sunshine on a workday!
Our current pensioners have gone through wars, depressions, recessions and appalling hardships throughout their lives. Some have been 'lucky' enough to retire in comfortable circumstances. Some, while working equally as hard, have not.

And who is Davaid Blunkett to say what is 'meaningful' in people's lives?

But then he is not likely to be struggling filling shelves in his local supermarket when he is 80

[g.herschel]

So he says the government are not responsible for looking after the elderly if thats true who is ??? lets take this a bit further who is resopnsible for looking after disabled children or children who`s parents for what ever reason cant care for them what about children who may have been born blind who should care for them ? does he think they the elderly / disabled young /disabled are the responsability of their family if so thousands of people would have to give up work to care for their relatives .
Why should just the elderly remain in work for as long as possible taken jobs from young people lets get the kids back down the mines or even up chmney`s.

iam a wee bit tounge in cheek but his statements are well out of order .
dont think he has thought this out at all or if he has he`s a mad man .

GEORGE======
we are entitled to help from the cradle to the grave or as someone said the other day from birth to earth .

[lookingafteru]

Its always the same "Dont do as I do.....do as I say" these people cannot engage their brain before they open their mouths, they're so used to their cosseted world there is nothing else for them but to denegrate the masses ..................so its a DING DING I'M ON THE BUS mentality.

[Guest]

The full text of Blunkett's speech is available here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/ ... t.fulltext

[jojo]

IS DAVID BLUNKETT FIT FOR PURPOSE???

[billyd601]

Strange that hes wanting the people who have most likely worked all their life to continue working, have we not paid enough into the pot? His remarks would be better aimed at the population that has never worked and dont ever intend to.