Poverty - Conservative Impact

The widespread poverty created by the Tory government is either a blind and pointless ideology or even worse a purposeful choice of government. The evidence of the detructive nature of their policies has been placed before them many times. This is denied by the Tories or simply ignored. If it is accidental then it amounts to manslaughter. If it is intentional then it amounts to social murder. Whether they are blind or purposeful choices, they remain choices made by this government. Ignorance is not a defence in law.

This section covers the level of poverty created by this government (and by the Lib Dems) since 2010. It may be something of a chiche, but there is always enough money for war. There is always enough money for MPs, but we are told that there is not enough money to ensure our people have access to adequate services, food and housing. One of the things that defines this government as compared to previous post-war governments is the level of in-work poverty and the complete collapse of the safety net.

Insecure Work


In Figure 1 it shows the growth in zero hours contracts where the individual has identified that they have no guaranteed hours. Since 2012 there has been a 358% rise in zero hour contracts.

Looking at the ONS business survey in Figure 2, the number of people on zero hours contracts doubles. This is where business reports on the number of people it employs with no guarantee of hours. The number peaked in 2015 at 2.1 million and fell off. 2017 saw the number begin to rise again upto 1.8 million.

In theory an individual on a zero hour contract has similar rights as an employee with guaranteed hours, but this much depends on how they are classified. There are two categories; "worker" and "employee". A worker while entitled to paid holiday leave and other rights typical of a employee, will not have the same rights over notice period and length of service. An individual employed on zero-hours as an "employee" has the full rights of a guaranteed hours employee in terms of employment rights, such as redundancy pay and a notice period. Of course if an employee is on a no guaranteed hours basis, the rights mean very little because the company can simply not provide the hours and avoid redundancy, hoilday pay etc. In effect zero-hours contracts cannot offer the employment rights guarantees by the nature of the agreement.

https://welfareweekly.com/amber-rudd-finally-admits-link-between-universal-credit-and-rising-foodbank-use/?fbclid=IwAR0CsorzR8uKyR5_i0KcbpdPCELG2xvOHt8BckUiZ2mhSahiLJEGNeIhLTk

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/jan/07/need-to-sign-on-youll-have-to-walk-24-miles-to-jobcentre?fbclid=IwAR1ZCzoYNiQ0rF2Pv-RHqfHbqoD4FPyUmhz1ai8X2Bqx38-kgQ7ZTnP3k04