Why Occupy London Need some Workfare Experience

For months on end tourists, workers and visitors who travel through our great city have been stifled by the shambolic mess that is Occupy London. Although positioned as a ‘legitimate protest’ the placard waving anti-capitalist mob soon transformed into a squatters paradise peppered with syringes and junkies whose only purpose on the planet appears to be find a reason – any reason – not to work.

As they preach against the evils of capitalism whilst sipping on a Starbucks latte, the reality of their hypocrisy is crystal clear. For these passionate speeches are simply a smokescreen used to justify lazing around in a tent for half a year and sipping lager at the expense of the rest of us.

In this country we have a right to peaceful protest – and long may this continue. But the squatters who have camped out at St Pauls for the last few months are anything but.

What they could do with is a solid dose of work experience to get them into shape. Once they’ve rolled up their sleeves and done a hard day’s work, then they won’t have time to mess around for months on end.

With work experience placements open in many of the UK’s biggest employers, it’s time for those misguided ‘protesters’ to turn over a new leaf and choose Workfare over welfare.

The True Face of the Riots is Finally Exposed

By Steven George-Hilley

After months of weepy sob stories, academic reports, in-depth analysis and a series of absurd left-wing assertions, finally the UK gets to see the true face of last summer’s riots in all its ugly, selfish thuggery.

It’s not the oppressed teenager who was trying to scrape a crust, it’s not the innocent victim of a cruel and wicked society, it’s not the symbol of rage from the man on the street – it’s a selfish, ignorant, workshy thug who actually boasted about burning down a 145-year-old family store. I should know, on the night my town was effectively burnt to the ground I was attempting to leave the town centre and saw first hand the lines of rioters enjoying themselves by smashing windows and looting.

The human being in question – if we can call him that – was indeed the man that set the fire, putting members of the public and emergency services at risk of serious injury or death. Pathetically, he was also snapped nicking a couple of bottles of booze from Iceland just a few hours later on CCTV. I’m sure it was worth it.

The irony with this atrocity is that it’s even put socialists in a sticky spot to try and defend, as they so often do. I mean, here we have a man who chose to burn a locally run store to the ground – impacting members of his own community. It’s not exactly the evil empire of capitalism is it?

Some would argue that what he needed was a better society, more care and love from the rest of us. But his flagrant and arrogant disregard for the law and the innocent people who was hurting tells a different story. Why anyone would take such pleasure in wreckless destruction is conundrum indeed.

He doesn’t look quite so cocky now he’s standing in the dock awaiting a lengthy prison sentence. Maybe if the law was tougher in future he would have learned that actions like this have consequences.

Better a McJob than No Job

Iain Duncan Smith is absolutely right to draw attention to the creeping job snob culture engulfing our country and approach to working life. Over the past few years a worrying trend has emerged where people in so-called low-skilled work are mocked in the press and wider society with no real justification whatsoever.

We’ve reached a bizarre situation where in some cases it’s more socially acceptable to sit around doing nothing, than it is to get your foot on the ladder if it might be seen as the first rung.

Innovative employers like the much derided McDonald's – which, by the way, is set to create 2,500 new jobs in our country this year – should be praised not mocked for their efforts. The same goes for the hard working youngsters who have got involved in the Government’s work experience schemes. This gives young people opportunity to show employers what they’re made of and hopefully in many cases will lead to fulltime employment - at the very least it will provide a valuable record of experience on their CV.

Of course those on the left will brand any opportunity to get young people into work as ‘exploitation’ but the fact is Tesco’s former Chief Sir Terry Leahy started out his career by scrubbing floors at a Tesco store in his school holidays.

Boots, McDonald’s, Argos, Tesco, Primark and others should be praised for their efforts in providing fresh opportunities for young people. With a global footprint, huge career ladders and a wealth of training schemes, youngsters should be embracing the opportunity and left-wingers should be ashamed of themselves for trying to close the door.