Austerity Intensifies.

[Theland]

News item. Now we have baby banks. Food, nappies cots and toys.
Disgraceful.

I wish we could have retrospective prosecutions for the bankers and the other elites responsible for the 2008 crash, including the so called regulators who failed us all.

These Tories are shameless.

[Rockrose]

Link please

[Theland]

BBC News.

[Theland]

BBC News at 5 with Clive Myrie.

[Rockrose]

Can you please provide a link because I don’t get news at 5.
It is common practice to supply links providing information to your claims for discussions

[Mamyalynne]

A lot of news outlets have covered this recently, though this kind of help isn't particularly new.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/dec/08/baby-banks-london-volunteers-mothers-povery

[Mamyalynne]

All communities used to share and hand on such things as prams,babywear and toys as their children grew - certainly where I lived they did.

[naomi24]

How is what happened in 2008 responsible for any hardship suffered in 2018 by people who have babies they can't afford to take care of?

[Peter Pedant]

// retrospective prosecutions for the bankers and the other elites responsible for the 2008 crash, including the so called regulators who failed us all. //

erm no sorry
they have all retired on Very Large Pensions and after well deserved visits to the Palace !

[Rockrose]

Thank you mamya.
Well theland the woman covered in that story if I may be so bold can’t afford a child so common sense suggest she shouldn’t have got pregnant

[andres]

What about the Sure Start maternity grants? I'm sure that I read something about this ages ago---£500 that didn't have to be repaid! Maybe someone can do a link?

[Rockrose]

I think that’s finished now but you’re correct it existed.
Perhaps Theland would like to explain how we the taxpayers can support all these children being born to people who cannot afford them.

[naomi24]

The scheme is still in operation.

https://www.gov.uk/sure-start-maternity-grant

[fiction-factory]

I don't see the 2008 crash as relevant to babies being born in the last few years.
If these facilities are provided people will make use of them. The more we provide though the more incentive there is for people to have children they can't afford to bring up despite the child benefit and other tax credit type support. The increasing numbers of single parents is also factor (and yes I know that the fathers must take a fair share of the blame).

[Theland]

People lose jobs, manage only part time or zero hours jobs. Relationships break up, unplanned pregnancies, and sudden health issues all contribute.
These babies are our future, as we are told that we need immigration for economic reasons. So home grown workers are better.

[Theland]

The 2008 crash is relevant as it plunged the country into a debt we are still paying, and the burden falls mainly on the weakest in our society.

[fiction-factory]

Wrong spending priorities can be added to your list. Nappies (disposable) and toys are not essentials but if families or charities/donors want to donate them that's fine. Charities seem to be taking the responsibility that familes used to take in some cases

[Mamyalynne]

There certainly is hardship and some do struggle but the utopia where every new parent could afford a brand new pram and cot for instance is a long way off for many and always has been.

Great to see these schemes that not only help but prevent decent items going to waste.

[Rockrose]

Yes mamya like the old style thrift shops.
We certainly didn’t have new prams when growing up, by brothers shared cots and prams and buggy’s. I was the only girl on base in HK so mine was a present and my sisters prams served about 8 other families when she outgrew it and this was the 70/80s and my parents were considered well off

[AuntLydia]

well off people do tend to make do and mend. Its those who can't afford things that expect things given to them free.

[KARL]

The 2008 crash was somewhat incidental in creating today's situation in the UK - the current situation is simply the latest manifestation of the UK's home-made existence. The UK tried its damnedest for years from 2008 onward to blame another country for its ills of that time (the crash) and to sink its economy - now, after a few very difficult years, that country again does significantly better than the UK as overall it has done for a quite some time. The reasons why the UK continues to under perform in its backward way are indeed to be found within the UK. But the bankers, etc. are not the only ones to blame or even the ones most responsible.