Campaigners like Alison Garnham argue that the public attitudes have been influenced by tabloid caricatures of benefit scroungers when, in fact, the amount paid to out-of-work people had gone down, in real terms, over the past 40 years.

BBC: Political reporter, BBC News, in Manchester

The radiation dose from an individual dental X-ray, Dr Claus points out, has gone down by about half over the past 30 years or so.

ECONOMIST: Confirmation that dental X-rays can be bad for you

Even renting out flats to foreign companies - a huge profit earner for us - has gone down.

BBC: Optimism wanes as crisis reaches India