Labour draws up 'scroungers' charter' that could make state benefits a human right

  • Shadow minister Willie Bain said he's looking at whether ‘economic and social rights can be put into law’
  • He said the move might help Mr Miliband strike a coalition deal with Liberal Democrats leader Nick Clegg after the next election

By Political Correspondent

PUBLISHED: 19:19 EST, 14 July 2013 | UPDATED: 01:28 EST, 15 July 2013

Shadow minister Willie Bain revealed that senior members of Labour leader Ed Miliband's team have asked him to examine the issue of making benefits a 'human right'

Shadow minister Willie Bain revealed that senior members of Labour leader Ed Miliband's team have asked him to examine the issue of making benefits a 'human right'

Labour is drawing up plans to make claiming benefits a ‘human right’ despite fresh evidence of overwhelming public support for the Government’s welfare crackdown.

Shadow minister Willie Bain revealed that senior members of Labour leader Ed Miliband’s team have asked him to examine the issue, despite fears it would be dubbed a ‘scroungers’ charter’.

At a dinner hosted by the socialist Fabian Society, Mr Bain, the shadow minister for Scotland, said he was looking at whether ‘economic and social rights can be put into law’.

Mr Bain, a member of the Unite trade union, said: ‘It needs really careful handling because I think the politics of this would be the Tories would say it’s a scrounger’s charter, helping skivers.

‘It would need to be bombproof if we were to do it. 

‘We might just talk about having a commission on it.’ 

Mr Bain suggested the move, which would extend ‘human rights’ into the economic field for the first time, might help Mr Miliband strike a coalition deal with Liberal Democrats leader Nick Clegg after the next election.

He said he had been asked to carry out the review by Mr Miliband’s policy chief, Jon  Cruddas, and the shadow justice secretary, Sadiq Khan.

The revelation comes as the Government’s flagship benefits cap is rolled out across the  country for the first time today.

The scheme, which has been piloted in four London boroughs, caps the maximum benefits a family can claim at £26,000 a year – a figure equal to a pre-tax salary of more than £34,000.

A poll today reveals that almost three-quarters of the public back the cap, with two-thirds saying it will help get people on benefits back into work.

 

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The Ipsos Mori poll commissioned by the Department for Work and Pensions found that just 11 per cent of the public think the benefits system is working effectively.

Some 59 per cent said they wanted politicians to do more to cut Britain’s welfare bill. A total of 74 per cent said they supported the benefits cap.

At a dinner hosted by the socialist Fabian Society, Mr Bain, the shadow minister for Scotland, said he was looking at whether 'economic and social rights can be put into law¿

At a dinner hosted by the socialist Fabian Society, Mr Bain, the shadow minister for Scotland, said he was looking at whether 'economic and social rights can be put into law¿'

Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith claimed Mr Bain's comments showed that Labour is serious about reforming the welfare system

Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith claimed Mr Bain's comments showed that Labour is serious about reforming the welfare system

A third of those who said they opposed the cap said they were against it because, at £500 a week, it had been set too high.

Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith claimed Mr Bain’s comments showed that Labour is serious about reforming the welfare system.

He said: ‘As if we needed any more proof Labour are still the same old welfare party, Ed Miliband has now decided that claiming benefits is a human right.

‘Today this Government is capping benefits so that nobody who’s out of work can claim more than the average hardworking family earns.

Today’s findings show the British public are fully behind us in this.

‘Labour, meanwhile, are making secret plans so that people can claim unlimited benefits with absolutely no incentive to work.’ 

A Labour spokesman insisted it was not considering a change to give people a human right to claim benefits.

He said: ‘The discussion at a Fabian Society event was about methods used abroad, not something the Labour Party is considering as a policy.’

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The word benefits is far too appealing. Change it to low life hand outs and see how many claim

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It's time my husband gave up work and went on to benifits we would be so much better off , a friend a single parent has just treated herself to flying lessons from her benifits money and my neighbour another single mother keeps 2 horses

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I think you will find disability benefits are not affected. - Gran1953, Swansea, 15/7/2013 11:11 - IF YOU READ MY POST WHICH HAS OVER 20 RED ARROWS 10.50AM THIS JUST PROOVES THE IGNORANCE OF THE WORKING CLASS WHO ARE NOT INVOLVED IN CLAIMING BENEFITS. YES, YES, YES, YES, THE DISABLED ARE AFFECTED BY HAVING THEIR BENEFITS CUTS AND CALLED SCROUNGERS!

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Another Labour Scotsman trying to ruin England. The Labour Party are a disgrace and should never be voted for again, Labour are intellectually, morally, and financially bankrupt and seek to make the whole of England the same. Don't vote Labour.

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Another good reason not to vote for the party that single handedly ruined this country!!!!!!!

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And Millipede thinks this is a good idea? After the mess the coalition between the Tories & the LibDumbs has been, why would any party seriously consider it? No-one wants Cloggy or any of his mates anywhere near government for at least a thousand years. On reflection, go for it Willie. It's guaranteed to keep your lot out for the foreseeable.

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- delman666 , london, United Kingdom, 15/7/2013 13:01 I think it¿s clearly you who is taken on by the propaganda machine bro, when was the last time you actually met anyone who is unemployed? The socialist propaganda calls for full employment, so don¿t let that get the way of your nonsense tho, like most people I believe in full employment first and formost, it¿s just unfortunate full employment and capitalism do not go together. The only time this country has ever had full employment was 1946 ¿ 1970, this was all off the back of the socialist labour party a policy taken on by conservative governments until Heath, socialism is about employment 1st and foremost. Unemployment or rather ¿the Reserve army of labour¿ is deliberate, it was first highlighted by Friedrich Engels in The Condition of the Working Class in England, and further illustrated by Marx himself, the idea that socialism is about unemployment just shows the amount of propaganda you have consumed.

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That means every leeching drug addicted mess from all over Europe, get to come here and destroy entire communities, cheers milliband you spanner.

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Cameron has got to make political gain and say that the country is in grave danger of the country being run by proxy with McCluskey calling all the shots for Labour.

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Labour will of course not implement such a damaging policy. What they are likely to do is to put he idea about amongst the sponging classes to ensure their votes, then when after being elected they renege it will be because the Tories spent all the money. In sad communist terms a double winner.

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