THE prospective parliamentary candidate for Thurrock (Lab) Polly Billington has reacted with anger at the news that the Purlfeet and West Thurrock areas are in the “top ten” in the UK for unsecured loans.
An unsecured loan included pay day loans but may also be credit and debt cards.
Ms Billington said: “People take out loans (for example) for all sorts of reasons so we should be wary of jumping to conclusions.
However, debts like this, especially when they are high, can get out of control and make it harder for people to manage their money.
“The reality is people in Thurrock, not just in these two postcodes highlighted by the research, are struggling because of the rising cost of living, often driving them to borrow for day to day outgoings. A energy price freeze, a cap on train fare rises, more affordable homes and childcare for working families as well as better wages would all improve the lives of people who live and work here.
“That’s what Labour is fighting for. Thurrock’s Conservative MP has voted to increase VAT and cut taxes for millionaires: the result is families are on average £1600 a year worse off since 2010.”
West Thurrock and South Stifford councillor, Andy Smith said: “I have met many residents in Purfleet and West Thurrock who are really struggling to get by because of benefit cuts and huge gas and electric bills.
“I am not surprised they have gone for help anywhere they can find it. I have helped them apply for benefits and hardship loans but things are getting harder and harder for many.
Evictions are becoming more common with many owners selling their houses and evicting their tenants. Homelessness is also on the rise in my ward. And case work helping residents has rocketted this year.”
This woman is Thurrocks (Islingtons) number one hypocrite.
Had her party not spent a decade telling people to go and borrow money even if they could not afford to, then we would not have people in West Thurrock, Purfleet or elsewhere in the UK sitting on debt they can no longer control.
Had her party not emptied millions of British people onto the dole, preferring to take in foreign workers, then we would not have people borrowing if they are not in a suitable financial position to pay back the money.
Time and time again Polly seems to dismiss the fact that the UK had a Labour government for over a decade. They could have capped energy prices, cut rail fares and stopped allowing so many people into the country which has depressed the ‘working mans wage’. Had Labour done these things then we would still have a Labour government. Instead Labour did what all parties have done since Thatcher…they lined their own pockets and set about transforming the UK for their electoral gain, which has been a rip roaring success.
I cannot stand the nonsense the Tories in governmentv are doing, they are not for people like me but they are much more clued up than ‘politicians’ like Polly who think people are stupid.
The reality is Polly your statements are never backed up with how exactly you plan to achieve these goals.
An energy price freeze? Under Ed Miliband as energy sectary his green taxes hit the poorest among us hardest. If he cares so much now, why did he put poor families through such hard strain then?
A cap on train fare rises? Under Labour these went through the roof. Do Polly’s union pals who fund her campaign agree to a wage freeze and a strike freeze? As there on strike now I doubt it. It’s the poorer workers who are hardest hit by these price hikes which pay these wealthy union train drivers.
More affordable homes? Well yes thanks for stating the obvious but this costs money and homes to be built in un-popular areas. Where will the money come from and is Polly happy to see Thurrock Green belt being built on?
As well as better wages? Again please explain Polly, the country is in mass amounts of debt and wages look for the first time in a long time to be on the increase.
In reality the only way to fulfil a Labour manifesto is to borrow more and spend more on interest as a sort term fix. It’s the younger generations which will suffer.
If the residents of Thurrock want a blue print on how to avoid unsecure loans then they should look at the last Labour government’s spending & borrowing record.
So it would appear that the Labour party’s strategy for the next election is their version of life on Mars. Wage controls and price controls that were the Labour party’s policies of the 1970’s. I’m assuming also a future Labour government going cap in hand to the IMF to bail out a bankrupt country, as we were then. I never knew the Labour party had such nostalgia for the 70’s.
As most Labour party candidates are now backed by unions, perhaps we should take their desire for a return to the 70’s seriously. A time where businesses were crippled by never ending union strikes. You couldn’t buy a loaf of bread, candles were the only lighting people had, dead people weren’t buried and there were mountains of rubbish in the streets. Sounds very new Labour to me.
NoVoice – not looking for an argument, but because these events happened 40+ years ago they’re becoming urban myths. The gravediggers’ strike only impacted on Liverpool and Tameside, and only lasted a few weeks. Some of the strikes that are lumped into the ‘single’ Winter of Discontent happened while Edward Heath was PM, and others happened later in the decade. Not saying that all this union activity was good or bad, but I get concerened when it’s represented as happening in one single winter. That’s simply untrue.
Good to see some balanced comments………but I’m still going to vote UKIP!
[…] Polly hit out at unsecured loan stats in Purfleet THE prospective parliamentary candidate for Thurrock (Lab) Polly Billington has reacted with anger at the news that the Purlfeet and West Thurrock areas are in the “top ten” in the UK for unsecured loans. An unsecured loan included pay day loans but … Read more on YOURTHUROCK […]
Ulysses my main point being is that Labour appear to be returning to the days where every part of life will be controlled by the state under a future Labour government. It didn’t work ultimately in the 70’s and there is no evidence to suggest it will work today or tomorrow.
I think everyone is aware of what happens when the Labour party becomes controlled by the unions, as they are fast becoming today. I wouldn’t call their time in office in the 70’s a rip roaring success. If they are going to revert back to the same policies they had then, I think it’s legitimate to wonder whether the country will end up in the same state as then.