Cuts in the future - cuts right now!

I don't understand why there is so much debate about when public spending cuts need to take place. The debate seems to be missing the fact that cuts are occurring right now. Surrey County Council doesn't seem to have the luxury of postponing cuts to some imaginary date in the future - they're cutting back now - right now!

I am sure the axe is falling on many SCC departments, but I am concerned that support services to young people is being drastically reduced - especially at a time when the needs of a growing number of young people is increasing. An increasing number of young people are now not in employment, education or training (NEET); the thresholds at which you are entitled to receive social services support are rising; we are struggling to cope with the number of young people who are homeless - and the needs of those we do support are rising.

Things are bad now, but the ,long term looks a lot worse. We will reap what we sow!

"Unemployment has a knock-on effect on a young person's self-esteem, their emotional stability and overall wellbeing. The longer the period a young person is unemployed for, the more likely they are to experience this psychological scarring." (Professor David Blanchflower )

For a very few people the recession is already over - especially if you've just received a large bonus! For most of us, it will last a few years. But for some young people, the effect will last a life time. Read this Princes Trust article... http://www.princes-trust.org.uk/news/100104_youth_index_2010.aspx

I guess I am not the only person in the UK suffering from a degenerative despair of our political system. I was therefore interested to hear of someone who is calling for a renewal of ideology in our political parties, instead of the expedient, sound bite crazy, flip-flopping politics we suffer at the moment. Dr Philip Blond is strange addition to British politics. Dubbed 'The Red Tory', he seems to be adding a new philosophy and ethics to the Conservative Party. If you're interested and are up for a bit of an academic challenge (it certainly stretches my grey matter comfort zones!), take a look at this.