Connected ? the destitution in the Valleys

[al**bear]

So the BBC news show 'The Editors' has covered destitution in the Welsh valleys , the whole area is dying , there is nothing , most shops closed and no jobs, Adult unemployment is over 25% , even worse for the Young. Highlight for many is when the FOOD PARCEL Van comes up the Valleys with handouts.

So how did the Daily Mail cover the same areas story ?

Well yesterday they had large headlines saying

'People in the Valleys, get Doctors to prescribe anti-depressants, so they can get MORE Benefits'

So did the Tories & Mail find out, what the Beeb exposé was covering ? and publish a pre-emptive smear ?

[bankhaunter]

One could certainly wonder, especially as the article was written by someone with so little knowledge of the benefit system.

Simply taking anti depressants does not automatically mean a person gets extra benefits and this statement proves the writer does not know there is no connection between DLA and the ability to work.

Only 232,000 of DLA claimants nationally — one in eight tested so far — were deemed to be have been too unwell to do any sort of work.

[cee-dee]

The area (and others) began with the mining of "Black Gold".

The Gold-Rush is over. Dawson City saw no influx of other industries and the prospectors moved on.

The rush for Black Gold lasted a lot longer than the Klondyke leading to houses being built of stone and brick rather than wood as in the Klondyke but what are you do do? Artificially import government backed industry which will be doomed to failure when the subsidies stop or...... what's your suggestion?

[lhasa.two]

First of all the government needs to invest in the physical and communications infrastructure in the area - pretty much a blank canvas I would think, so less costly.

Create a mini "celtic Tiger' (having learned the mistakes the Irish made) and offer attractive tax incentives to multi/pan nationals to set up subsidiaries. This has already happened in South Wales so no reason for it not to extend further inland. Or, create and boost tourism, plenty of areas of potential development with the beauty of the valleys.

[papko]

I agree , Food banks and the like sound emotive ,

 but I see nothing wrong with them .

 These people on long term benefits , are on the scrap heap , they have not got a days work in them .

 It calls into question the whole benfits sytem as all it creates is dependency and entitlement.

 Better we had the system thta many other countries do , where there is no safety net ,. and people have to rely on each other and their own wits , to get by , Nigeria and India , are two examples that come to mind .