What has happened in Britain over the last five years is shrouded in the fog of lies, obfuscations, misrepresentations and secrecy.
The Tories have supported the wealthy and business and villainised the public sector and poor. They have been able to do this because the media is owned by the wealthy and the trade union movement is totally ineffective.
Under the mantra of ‘we’re all in this together’ and ‘austerity’ the poor have been scapegoated while the bankers who created the problem are unscathed.
In way of illustration:
Public sector pay freezes, cuts, worsening conditions and pension cuts – the top 1000 wealthiest receive 30% pay rises.
Tax cuts for the wealthiest – clampdown on benefits for the poorest in society.
reduction of corporation tax to 24% (gives to businesses) – increase of VAT to 20% (hits workers)
Loss of working skilled jobs in manufacturing (cars, mining, ship-building, fishing) – increase of low pay, temporary, zero hours, shelf-stacking and service industry.
Increase of unpaid internships in politics and media ensuring that only the rich can have access. – Increase in low paid mickey-mouse apprenticeships where young people are exploited stacking shelves for a fraction of the pay.
Hue and cry over the terrible £1 Billion benefit fraud – hardly a sound about the £70 Billion tax evasion
Creeping privatising with outsourcing in the NHS (money to the boys) – hugely wasteful top down reorganisations of education, health, police that cost huge money, create chaos and demoralise staff so they cannot oppose
Austerity has resulted in people getting paid less so that the tax income for the government has gone down – result the National debt has almost doubled in just 5 years – from £.76 Billion to £1.36 Billion.
The divide between the rich and poor has never been greater. The media blame the poor for being lazy, feckless scroungers while the rich are creaming off the top like never before and laughing all the way to their private yachts and pent-house suites.
I would suggest that it is time to put an end to the selfishness and greed that is responsible for this inequality. For all people to contribute equally to this society. To address housing and poverty, fund the Schools, NHS, Police, Councils, Social Services and other Public Services properly so that ordinary people are properly catered for. To encourage manufacturing so that our young working class have proper jobs which pay well and they can take pride in and aspire to.
I want to live in a fair society where there is not this level of inequality. Where all people are valued and have pride in what they do and their country. Where everyone has a future.
This means that the wealthy should contribute much more.
I want to see a Labour Party that is proud of its Trade Union affiliations and stands up for the rights of working people.
I want to see a Green World and would suggest that this is the technology and industry that could be the future of the country. We need to invest in Green Technology and become world leaders.
We need to get our workforce involved in infrastructure projects that require skills, are well paid, create a more efficient economy for the future and create more well paid jobs that bring in more taxes and pay off our debt that is presently increasing by £2 Billion each and every week.
I want my grandchildren properly educated, healthy, safe on the streets, with plenty of amenities to use, and having a future to look forward to with a career that has worth.