A few days ago Andrew said why don't you write about austerity, and I thought well it has all been said before, what is the point. The problem really comes from a different angle. I think the word might be complacency of those that have grown comfortable from good jobs and now sit in their retirement in well furnished paid for houses.
The idyllic picture of 'pretty' England, little villages, cosy cottages, roses round the door, a dream many aspire to. We are indeed a country, rich in beautiful buildings and a countryside to die for but it does not answer the needs of our young and those yet to be in the future.
Our infrastructure is appalling, no one has integrated a modern travel system, or built affordable houses. Authorities are frightened to use the 'green belt' to build on so now we have youngsters being ripped off by greedy landlords. This of course is happening in other places in the world. The trouble is we can't live off each other like parasites, and expecting our houses to fund the future retirement. We need regularity control in rent and occupancy, not the 'free range economy' that seems to be operating at the moment.
When I actually look at the social life around me in this town, I see people volunteering, helping others and a general and good attitude, and I am thankful for good people. But when I look at government I see chaos, it is as simple as that. Someone on the radio mentioned 'cross party' politics, hopefully we may see more of this.
And perhaps rather than the aggressive nature of a two party system we should be looking at people who govern without needing to run the other side down. We need experts that is for sure, other countries seem to handle things better, for instance in Denmark.
How to Manage the Far right an interview with Danish retired Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt. And as an afterthought she married into the Kinnock family.
Also if you want a view on how to begin,Channel 4 series on "Skint" The Truth about the British Economy
411 Labour members of parliament. I am not going to bet any money on them that they succeed, but it would be good to see some inroads into the problem Britain faces.
There will be all hell let loose when the budget taxes comparatively insignificant amounts from pensions and inheritance. Basically, I won't be unhappy. My house and pension have grown so much it is embarrassing. Group photo - Marie Tidball the disabled woman I write about at front right.
ReplyDeleteYes I can see Marie Tidball, first in the front row. So as a baby boomer you have guilty pangs ;) But news on the radio tonight is that the trams for Leeds is on the cards, Tracy Brabin seemed elated and 35,000 new houses to be built. These metro mayors seem to have some say in the running of the country.
ReplyDeleteFrom my perspective, a lot of the current ills in this country stem from an exploding population - you cannot add the equivalent of London and Birmingham's population in around 12 years without any corresponding buildout of relevant infrastructure (housing, schools, etc) and not have serious problems.
ReplyDeleteNo government from Blair onwards has been honest with the electorate about how their open floodgates policies would destroy so much of this country - today's figures for last year's population growth of 600,000+ mean that Labour's 300,000 a year build rate is already hopelessly out of date, even were it feasible. We are already by far the most densely populated country in Europe, we simply don't have the capacity to accept immigration on these terms and retain any prospects of ever coping.
Will I think immigration is one of the most vexed problem in today's terms. Some immigrates are useful, they fill the empty spaces in the NHS for doctors and nurses for instance. The 'explosion' that you talk of is world wide, population expansion everywhere is causing the problem, the West looks like a veritable Shangri-La to many. And who are we to deny them?
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