PM vows to tackle benefit culture
David Cameron gives a speech on welfare at Toynbee Hall in East London
David Cameron has pledged to do away with Britain's "insidious" benefit culture as he unveiled the most radical shake-up of welfare for a generation.
The Prime Minister said coalition reforms would simplify the system, strip benefits from people who repeatedly turn down job offers, and ensure individuals are only classified as disabled if they really cannot work.
He admitted that the changes would be "painful", but drastic action was necessary because the current provision was not "working".
"Never again will work be the wrong financial choice. Never again will we waste opportunity," he said. "We're finally going to make work pay - especially for the poorest people in society."
However, unions accused the Government of punishing people who could not find jobs, while charities warned that society's most vulnerable would be hardest hit.
Questions were also raised about claims that nobody would be worse off "in cash terms" due to the reforms.
The respected Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has previously estimated that 1.4 million working-age families will lose out - although the research ignored transitional arrangements.
The proposals include replacing nearly all existing benefits with a universal credit - designed to ensure people are always better off when they are employed, and close the loophole where some couples receive more living apart. Those who refuse to take up job offers face losing their handouts for up to three years, and there will be tougher sanctions for fraud.
Mr Cameron also announced moves to tackle the UK's "sicknote culture", pointing out that 300,000 people leave work and claim sickness benefits every year. The Government's national director for health and work, Dame Carol Black, and David Frost, of the British Chambers of Commerce, are to lead a review of the problem.
But ministers have ditched controversial proposals announced in last year's emergency budget to cut housing benefit by 10% for anyone on jobseeker's allowance for more than 12 months.
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From the website
http://www.metro.co.uk/film/897479-robert-redford-attacks-david-cameron-at-sundance-london-launch#ixzz1tEyqAemq
Redford has blasted Prime Minister David Cameron for having a 'narrow' view of British film
Robert Redford attacks David Cameron at Sundance London launch
Robert Redford has blasted Prime Minister David Cameron for having a 'narrow' view of British film as he launched Sundance London.
Robert Redford launches Sundance London (Picture: PA)
The screen legend, 75, was in the capital to promote the UK version of his cult film festival, which is usually based in Utah.
Asked if he agreed with Cameron's appeal for UK producers to 'try to support more commercially viable pictures', Redford said 'no'.
He joked: 'That may be why he's in trouble. I don’t want to say it speaks to the man but that view, I think, is a very narrow one, and doesn't speak to the broad category of film makers and artists in the business. And it doesn’t
speak to audiences either.'
speak to audiences either.'
Robert Redford poses with producer T-Bone Burnett (right) and the Guillemots (Picture: Getty)
Redford explained that he had set up Sundance to expose cinema-goers to films outside of the mainstream.
He said: 'I started in my career working in large Hollywood films but it didn’t satisfy the need I had for films which where more risky. When we started Sundance it was basically to enlarge the category of film to include those people that might be shut out by the mainstream thinking. There is a hunger for these kinds of film.'
Sundance London, which kicked off yesterday, is being held at the O2 Arena in Greenwich with 14 films and 8 shorts showing, chosen from January's festival programme in Utah.
The Guillemots perform at Sundance London (Picture: Getty)
Redford appeared on stage last night in discussion with record producer T-Bone Burnett chatting about the relationship between music and movies.
The talk was chaired by Nick Hornby with music sets from Glen Hansard and indie band the Guillemots.
Redford revealed he didn't want to include hit song Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head in the 1969 film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
He said: 'The music played a huge role. I didn't see it at the time because I thought it was stupid.
Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/film/897479-robert-redford-attacks-david-cameron-at-sundance-london-launch#ixzz1tEyqAemq
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