There was uproar at the Conservative Party Conference this week when it was announced that Child Benefit was to be axed for Higher Rate taxpayers. In principle, PISTRVOR agrees with this step, which perhaps may go a very small way towards plugging the huge public finance gap caused by profiteers within the financial sector. However, the Tories rapidly backtracked by committing themselves to a nondescript tax break for married couples, removing any improvements to the budget made by cuts in Child Benefit. This “fag packet economics” and reactionary nonsense has to be challenged. The longer the coalition Government is allowed to steer the country towards economic chaos, the more difficult the recovery will be.

What is almost as disturbing was the media’s uproar regarding the loss of this benefit; compare this to the deafening silence when Surestart’s budget was to be cut. For those who are unaware, Surestart is a children’s services programme, specifically directed towards less well off parents. Similar was the complete media blackout of coverage with the axing of the Building Schools for the Future programme. This undoubtedly proves that the media, and indeed the Conservative Party, are more concerned about middle class England and their wealthy paymasters than the requirements of the neediest and underprivileged.

The most important duty of every single Government should be education. Without sufficient funding in education, especially for those who most need it, all other expenses will rise including the cost of law and order and payments in unemployment benefit. This Government has to realise that education is of paramount importance. Everything else, including social engineering and benefits for the rich, are not.