Iain Duncan Smith to live on £53/week fastest petition ever?

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 02 Apr 2013, 16:41

I personally wouldn't wish a mere £53 a week on anyone in this day and age, including your man. But it's quite possible IDS could manage on it, given the expenses that he could claim and the perks and subsidies MPs enjoy.

A better idea to pursue would be to pay elected reps the "industrial average wage" plus receipted expenses. It's enough for anyone and better than most receive. You should not go into politics for money.

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 03 Apr 2013, 08:27

Iain Duncan Smith seems to be able to make more money from one after dinner speech than the £53 per week man gets in a year.

His wealth is estimated at £1 million, much of which has been acquired by after-dinner speaking

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iain_Duncan_Smith

PS_RalphW · Post by **PS_RalphW** » 03 Apr 2013, 09:15

The BBC is showing a new class calculator, based on wealth, socialising and interests.

I came out as elite, which is ridiculous, based largely on value of my (wifes) inherited property. I probably best fit the technical middle class.

Little John · Post by **Little John** » 03 Apr 2013, 09:24

RalphW wrote:The BBC is showing a new class calculator, based on wealth, socialising and interests.

I came out as elite, which is ridiculous, based largely on value of my (wifes) inherited property. I probably best fit the technical middle class.

Whenever the MSM come out with some bollocks about how we are all classless now or, at least, we can no longer rely on old class descriptions I am immediately inclined to think they are worried we might to starting to become class conscious again.

stumuzz · Post by **stumuzz** » 03 Apr 2013, 10:24

Mrs stumuzz came out as elite and I came out as technical middle class.
I enjoy social media (I have never used it) Tend to live in the south east (Anglesey) and have few social contacts ( I have a huge web like social structure)

Mrs stumuzz is very disappointed as she is from a very middle class background and wants to be working class. Me, from a sub working class background couldn't give sh*t about the working class.

Funny old world.

extractorfan · Post by **extractorfan** » 03 Apr 2013, 11:13

I came out as Established Middle Class. I don't think I am as I work for "the man" but it did say:

Enjoy a diverse range of cultures - Yes
Went to University - Yes (but not a good one)
Comfortably off, secure and established - Most definitely not, who is in todays world?

I mean compared to a third worlder, yes, but compared to who?

Tarrel · Post by **Tarrel** » 03 Apr 2013, 12:20

Interesting how many people have chosen to do the test. Something compelling about it I suppose.

(I came out as Elite by the way. I put it down to my liking for Jazz.)

Little John · Post by **Little John** » 03 Apr 2013, 12:26

If you have enough money or other asset put by such that you will never have to work to pay your way and can always use other people to do your work for you, you are a member of the rentier class

If you work directly for the people in the class above by managing their assets for them and enjoy many of their privileges, but only on the back of your allegiance to them, you are member of the middle class.

If you have to work for a living and you are always only ever a few pay packets away from being able to pay your way, you are working class. Most people are working class. They've just been bamboozled into believing they are not.

A bit like the Yank "middle class".

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 03 Apr 2013, 12:41

Nah, it didn't work for me. Because I entered a really low income (I'm retired) it put me as traditional working class, despite ticking all the elite boxes on the other questions.

JohnB · Post by **JohnB** » 03 Apr 2013, 16:02

I'm Traditional Working Class too, probably because these things never ask the right questions! I must get off the computer, put on me cloth cap, and get back down t'pit where I belong!

Tarrel · Post by **Tarrel** » 03 Apr 2013, 16:04

JohnB wrote:I'm Traditional Working Class too, probably because these things never ask the right questions! I must get off the computer, put on me cloth cap, and get back down t'pit where I belong!

In these days of energy scarcity, you could become the new Elite!

(Come to think of it, I wonder what post-collapse social classes would look like?)

extractorfan · Post by **extractorfan** » 03 Apr 2013, 16:13

Tarrel wrote:
(Come to think of it, I wonder what post-collapse social classes would look like?)

the same roles as before, just different actors.

Little John · Post by **Little John** » 03 Apr 2013, 16:34

Tarrel wrote:
JohnB wrote:I'm Traditional Working Class too, probably because these things never ask the right questions! I must get off the computer, put on me cloth cap, and get back down t'pit where I belong!
In these days of energy scarcity, you could become the new Elite!

(Come to think of it, I wonder what post-collapse social classes would look like?)

I doubt it.

The entire financial sector bailouts and all of the other monetary shennanigans currently underway are all in the service of ensuring that the current elites stay the elites into the resource scarce future. And they will get away with it so long as people do not wake up to the fact.

RenewableCandy · Post by **RenewableCandy** » 03 Apr 2013, 16:44

Well, they're buying land with it. But in the end they're going to have to buy Protection and all if they expect to actually do anything with that land (like collect rent from it).

Totally_Baffled · Post by **Totally_Baffled** » 03 Apr 2013, 17:00

http://news.sky.com/story/1073431/dunca ... -challenge

Of course this guys figures need verifying (he is a tory MP after all!)

But it turns out the market traders income is nearly 3 times the £53 a week.

This is what I find difficult with all these issues, its so difficult to get the facts.

All sides lie and obfuscate.

Like others have mentioned what do the figures include or exclude!?