JK Rowling

[asperity]

Harry Potter author JK Rowling has donated ?1M to the Labour Party "because of their policies towards the poor". What, making them poorer is that? She would have been better giving the money to charity, but then she wouldn't have a chance of appearing on Gordon's resignation honours list eh!

[wolfie]

To be fair New Labour has reversed the long-term trend in child poverty, and is one of the leading EU countries in combating child poverty.

But this is also a protest against the tories policy of tax breaks for married couples who she feels the tories see as more deserving than those struggling,

[observer]

Does anyone know the actual definition of "child poverty" - cos I'm confused? I can grasps African kids starving in Africa as being poor. I can grasp the fact that the wealth gap, by definition creates relative poverty -and therfore a progressive and fair tax regime can quickly counter the problem - IE 80% plus tax on the super-rich and 0% tax on the poorest. I can understand that being brought up in sub-standard housing, with parents (or more to the point parent) lacking the education themselves to motivate their kids to better things (aside from the X-Factor) - can be a major draw back and present severe disadvantages; but I wonder what the spending priorities of such families are, and whether the lack of a pair of Reebocks or an I-pod represents "poverty"? What makes one more sceptical is the tinkering around the edges of problems with trivial policy initiatives, no doubt fostered by this Bliar Babe led Government, that doesn't seem capable of addressing fundementals.

[Bazj]

Child poverty is not knowing where your next MacDonalds is coming from for most families. They bleat about being poor while never wanting to get of their asses and do something about it; rather they expect the state to feed and clothe them and their offspring. Real poverty isn't having a council house with plasma TV and Sky, it is living on a street corner in a box.

 

As for that silly woman Rowling; obviously being a lover of fiction; she saw Browns notes on how he was the right man for the job and how he was going to single handedly save the country from the credit crunch; and recognised him as a fellow fiction writer she felt sorry for him.

 

As was said on the radio today; if she was that concerned about making a point about Camerons family values including mums and dads, why didn't she give the million quid to a single parent charity? I'm sure they would do more good than handing it to the Labour party to pay off its interest charges.

[Paul Kennedy]

, but then she wouldn't have a chance of appearing on Gordon's resignation honours list eh!

 

[KeithR]

As was said on the radio today; if she was that concerned about making a point about Camerons family values including mums and dads, why didn't she give the million quid to a single parent charity? I'm sure they would do more good than handing it to the Labour party to pay off its interest charges.

 

She has already given 20x that amount to charity but charities can never hope to irradicate child poverty, only governments can do that.

[Gary]

Any one who makes money out of children and then donates it to a political party (which ever party it is) has lost my respect.

Would have been much better to donate it to a childrens ward on a hospital.

[KeithR]

Surely anyone who makes money from their own hard work is free to spend it as they wish On the basis of what you say, any money you spend buying tickets to watch a bunch of overpaid, overated footballers in Carlsberg tops would be better given to Alder Hey

[asperity]

Well said Keith

[observer]

The point is, she should never have been in the position to donate that amount to "New Labour"; if we had a fair tax regime, she would have been paying it into Nation's coffers where it could be used to address poverty, rather than propping up a Party that's lost it's way. Yet another example of New Labour sucking up to the rich, in order to get donations.

[asperity]

Not to mention the rich sucking up to Zanulabour to get honours

[Gary]

Surely anyone who makes money from their own hard work is free to spend it as they wish On the basis of what you say, any money you spend buying tickets to watch a bunch of overpaid, overated footballers in Carlsberg tops would be better given to Alder Hey

 

The magic word SPEND - has she bought the Labour party?

[Gary]

Surely anyone who makes money from their own hard work is free to spend it as they wish On the basis of what you say, any money you spend buying tickets to watch a bunch of overpaid, overated footballers in Carlsberg tops would be better given to Alder Hey

 

You are comparing chalk and cheese!

I think JK would have gained a lot more credability donating that ?1m to Alder Hey than any political party, whether it be Labour, Tory, Lib Dem or Monster Raving Looney Party.

Of course she can donate here money wherever she likes - but what benefits it brings are open open to debate.

Arise Dame Rowling!

[wolfie]

Surely anyone who makes money from their own hard work is free to spend it as they wish On the basis of what you say, any money you spend buying tickets to watch a bunch of overpaid, overated footballers in Carlsberg tops would be better given to Alder Hey

 

I think JK would have gained a lot more credability donating that ?1m to Alder Hey than any political party, whether it be Labour, Tory, Lib Dem or Monster Raving Looney Party.

 

She already has credibility and is very well known as a large charity giver. She is president of the charity 'One Parent Families and also helped to raise ?10.8 million for the 'International Fund for Children and Young People in Crisis'. She has donated millions into research in multiple sclerosis and also contributed a substantial sum toward the creation of a new Centre for Regenerative Medicine at Edinburgh University

Unfortunately as most people are aware no matter how much you give to charity it is never enough.

[Gary]

Surely anyone who makes money from their own hard work is free to spend it as they wish On the basis of what you say, any money you spend buying tickets to watch a bunch of overpaid, overated footballers in Carlsberg tops would be better given to Alder Hey

 

I think JK would have gained a lot more credability donating that ?1m to Alder Hey than any political party, whether it be Labour, Tory, Lib Dem or Monster Raving Looney Party.

 

She already has credibility and is very well known as a large charity giver. She is president of the charity 'One Parent Families and also helped to raise ?10.8 million for the 'International Fund for Children and Young People in Crisis'. She has donated millions into research in multiple sclerosis and also contributed a substantial sum toward the creation of a new Centre for Regenerative Medicine at Edinburgh University

Unfortunately as most people are aware no matter how much you give to charity it is never enough.

 

....and then she goes and undos all that great work and credability by donating her hard earned cash, taken from the pockets of her young fans and their parents, by donating it to a political party!

Not a wise move in my humble opinion!

I would always give my last penny to a charity before a political machine - and I mean ANY political machine.

Now lets consider how the Labour party will use the money wisely ... any ideas?

[Dizzy]

I agree with Gary

 

From what has ben said on here it seems that she has given away a lot of money in her time to directly to various charities and without all the press hype. Why didn't she just carry on doing that

 

While its great that she has donated yet another large amount of money can she be sure that the Gollum will actually ensure that it is spent in the way she hoped for

 

Talked about 'Policies' are one thing but we all know what that means and I wouldn't trust them with my donations

[P J]

Money donated to political parties aren't for implimenting policies Dismayed, they are to help pay for the running of the party. Our taxes, in their many guises, fund the policies.

 

For what its worth I feel its her money to do with as she wishes, its not what I would do with a spare million but its not my money its hers.

[asperity]

You can't put the words -- Labour Party.........money...........wisely -- in the same sentence and come out with any credibility

[Dizzy]

Money donated to political parties aren't for implimenting policies Dismayed, they are to help pay for the running of the party. Our taxes, in their many guises, fund the policies.

 

Exactly my point PJ. Her money will probably NOT go towards what she hoped it would

 

Original post said

Harry Potter author JK Rowling has donated ?1M to the Labour Party "because of their policies towards the poor".

 

Perhaps the headlines should be changed to...

 

'JK Rowling gives ?1 million to the Labour Party to help fund their ongoing campaign to ensure the suffering, debt problems and subsequent poverty of most people in the country can continue '

 

Ok.. so perhaps not that bad but you know what I mean

 

You are right though it is upto her what she does with her money

[observer]

Whether she donates ?1million to the Labour Party, or a top footballer spends ?1million on an engagement ring for his girlfriend, or someone pays ?1million for a stuffed sheep parading as art; merely illustrates the current level of obscenity in a society divided by an ever widening wealth gap due to an inability of succesive Governments to correct such social injustice through the application of a progressive tax system.

[Egbert]

It's not so much the wealth gap that's the problem. It's the fact that the wrong sort of people acquire wealth these days. You can say what you like about the unfairness of the old "class system" but at least the old aristocracy had acquired their wealth over generations, were used to living with it and, by and large, spent it more wisely. And more inconspicuously.

[Gary]

It's not so much the wealth gap that's the problem. It's the fact that the wrong sort of people acquire wealth these days. You can say what you like about the unfairness of the old "class system" but at least the old aristocracy had acquired their wealth over generations, were used to living with it and, by and large, spent it more wisely. And more inconspicuously.

 

Is that why so many "aristocrats" indulged in wine, women, song and drugs, setting a poor example for the lower classes?

[inky pete]

As I read it, she made the donation to the Labour Party in order to highlight the detrimental effect that the Tories current policies would have on the poorest members of society should, God forbid, they ever get the chance to implement them.

 

As a long time supporter of single parent family charities, I think she feels that Cameron's fixation with the "nuclear family" as the only valid environment in which to bring up children and his stated commitment to bring back tax breaks for married couples, can only disadvantage those children who don't happen to find themselves within such a family.

 

As others have said it's her money, paid to her and her publishers willingly by parents and children across the world in return for the enjoyment her creativity has brought them (not "taken from the pockets of children" - like some sort of dinner money thief!).

[Bazj]

So why is it wrong to financially encourage people to form a NORMAL family with mum, dad, a few kids and a cat?

 

why should someone who throws around their genes like confetti get the same encouragement to procreate as a couple who are committed to each other?

 

Part of the problems we are having is that good and decent working couples can't have kids whereas single teenage kids get all the encouragement and support; instead of being discouraged. Bloody Nu Labour and its free for all policies have created a society where; regardless of your actions, the state is always expected to pick up the tab; unless of course you work for a living

 

I was a single parent Pete for a long time. My circumstances came about because my wife died at a very early age. I had my own house and a job and got sod all to help me stay at home wallowing in self pity; I went back to work and got on with providing for my 2 year old son. That was 20 years ago. Fast forward now to 2008; one of my ex employees is now a full time single dad. Housing benefiots, poll tax paid, handouts for this, hand outs for that.... no incentive to work anymore. No wonder this country is goosed

 

God Forbid Gordon stays much longer in my eyes matey!

[Peter T]

How can these MPs know what is poverty when they have probably never even seen it?

They just throw money at issues without any idea of the result in the belief that it will make them popular.