It's a good point H. I actually think our government pulled a master stroke when they were one of the few countries not to restrict freedom of movement for the 10 accession countries in May 2004. Effectively, we got the very best Polish workers coming here and they came here to work and fill labour shortages. Just the sort of people we need here. Go-getters are very welcome.

It does go to show though, that some people are prepared to up sticks and move half way across Europe for work yet we have part of this country where large numbers of people have no intention of working, or if they do, they are not prepared to move to areas where there are labour shortages. The question is, what do we do about it?

Put them all in the coal mines until they learn their lesson!

Personally, I think community service is the answer. You work for your benefits but have one day off per week to apply for paid work. At the same time, raise the income tax threshold to remove the poverty trap. What other ideas?

Give people benefits in tokens rather than money. There are certain things that you cannot buy with tokens: Alcohol, Fags, Junk food, DVD's, TV's etc.

Let's combine the two!

That said, who would vote for this? The current government is propped up by this section of the population so they'd never do it.

Mind you if you're going to make people work for benefits, better raise the amount of benefit people get. Otherwise you'll just have a sneaky way of getting work done for less than the minimum wage.

I don't think its fair to say that the government are "propped up" by people sponging off benefits. At the end of the day, people on Jobseekers allowance that are on it because they don't have the motivation to get a job probably don't have the motivation to vote either. Those that are on benefits for genuine reasons should have no reason to fear the change (though they would probably take offense to the motivation for the change)

Juno, like in Shawshank Redemption? This important piece of work, I think, Highlights how easy it is for people in a position of power to exploit those at their command as a resource for thier own financial gain. Bringing in a jobseekers workforce could open the door to much corruption.

But this government particularly appeals to this section of the population as means of trying to redistribute income. Whilst I have no great problem with this, when a government spends billions in administration and paper work to set up the tax credits system before it even pays out a penny to anyone (and then overpays many people too), you have to wonder whether it would have just been simpler and cheaper to raise the income tax threshold.

Haven't seen that film, I admit (I know it's set in a prison but that's about it). I'm showing my lack of culture now.

Juno, a must see film in your lifetime. One of my all time favourites.

Bound to be on TV again sooner or later: I'll try to catch it.

Shawshank Redemption is a masterpiece. I read it as a secular version of the story of Jesus. Of course, Andy Dufrain (Sp.) is Jesus, bringing righteousness, bravery, grace and of course hope into a place where these atributes were absent. I am not a religious man, but the scene where he emerges from the tunnel and raises his hands to the sky with the light shining down on him sent a shiver down my spine and brought a tear to my eye.

When the Shephard (Dufrain) leads his flock (Red) to paradise (mexico) through the valley of darkness (shawshank) I found myself turning to god.

Then I remembered that God doesn't exist, and it was just a film, but a ruddy good one.

'Because you've had your say and time to suppress others from having theirs ?

No I considered the thread as a whole was getting rather personalised, of which I was as guilty as anyone else.

I didn't personalise anything. Why not reply to what I wrote? Why not take the opportunity to educate me and highlight my naivity.