with second biggest group on benefits hard working parents do you begrudge them a telly or the latest phone ??
I don't have a mobile, what do you think my answer to that is?
the biggest problem is successive governments selling off the housing stock
The exucution of right to buy was a mess, but the principle was sound, get people to own their own homes, and they have incentive to work harder and save, keep them living in subsidised state homes, why bother working harder or saving?
why on earth do you say social housing is a sign off failure??
Of course the increasing need for social housing is an abysmal failure.
A huge part of the problem is many people get given social housing when they do need it, but later go on to work, but keep the cheap social housing, but then someone else get's "bad luck" and then needs it, the cycle repeats, and you have millions of "hard working families" living in social housing, who are perfectly able to pay private rents (but maybe not as good as what they got).
Hugely inflated costs are another issue, if someone is earning more than the minimun wage, they should be able to afford private rents/mortages, but issues of speculation, building restriction and lack of mortgage regulation cause the inflated costs, as well as an expectation for a bedroom for all children.
And of course there are all the social arguments about why the need for social housing is increasing. Far to many singles needing social housing, far to many feckless women getting pregnent blablaba.
The ever increasing need for social housing is a sign of utter failure, the amount that should actually be needed to service the few who get into trouble should be small, that's why selling off the housing stock should not have lead to any issues, it only has because of a host of other failures.