WESTMINSTER has made it clear this is a global economic crisis so there is little they can do: what a cop-out!
The government tells the vast majority that they must not ask for cost-of-living wage demands as this will increase inflation: the ordinary man in the street (the “unfortunates”) must make the sacrifices again!
The OECD has reported that the UK is 19th of the G20 in terms of anticipated recovery (only Russia fares worse). The G20 and most of the rest of the world has suffered from Covid, the energy crises, inflation, Ukraine etc.
READ MORE: Economics expert explains why inflation has reached a 40-year high
The UK’s appalling rating is simply due to Westminster’s past actions and the fact they have admitted that they do not have an effective strategy to deal with the crisis.
The list of Westminster’s damaging actions is long and spans several decades but it seems to be getting worse.
To just pick out “that which shall not be named” – Brexit. The government says it is a minor factor compared to the list above (though they also say it is very difficult to unravel it from Covid, so what is to be believed?)
Last week the Financial Times published a damning article that clearly quantifies the significant negative impact of Brexit. What is the duty of government if not to minimise the effect of this on the population who elected them? Instead Westminster have dug the hole deeper and now decided to deflect attention away from themselves by aggressively attacking the rail workers who are demanding an inflation-linked pay increase.
READ MORE: Brexiteer journalist Harry Cole shocked by post-Brexit visa charges
Westminster trundles out a string of minsters/spokespersons to deliberately mislead and incite the public against these workers and to set them up to take the blame for future increases in inflation (which will happen).
Lining up behind these workers are teachers, NHS workers and a long list of other “unfortunates” who took a hammering during the Thatcher years with the destruction of our manufacturing base; privatising of public utilities and services, creating massive unemployment; sell-off of council housing aggravating the housing shortage etc.
After the 2008 financial crisis, the banks whose behaviour caused it were bailed out and workers took the brunt of austerity. This also was a global occurrence but the UK’s negative position was aggravated by the indiscriminate deregulation of the banks and building societies.
There have been numerous less spectacular but no less damaging events. There is no question that there have also been periods of prosperity. During these, however, Westminster never tried to readdress the imbalance between the unfortunates and the rest of the economy. This did not fit with the economic policies on which it is fixated; Westminster’s policies which reward “friends” in the city of London and in big corporations.
READ MORE: Brexit is 'working' for the UK and improving democracy, Lord Frost claims
With regard to the rail workers, Westminster’s new monologue is the “danger of inflation-linked increases” and “the hurt they are inflicting on the general public”.
The rail workers (and others) on the other hand are saying that the current inflation rate is the “last straw” when viewed with the government’s deliberate erosion of their pay over the previous decades. Realistically they could have asked for more.
There is, however, no question that inflation-linked wage increases might (if not offset against other initiatives) fuel inflation, further deepen the recession and possibly even lead to stagflation. However, since it is Westminster’s policies that have driven the country to the bottom of the list, it is up to Westminster to re-evaluate their obsession with their current economic policies and find alternatives to be able to undo the unimaginable hurt they are doing to the vast majority of people in the UK. If they can’t, they should resign – but they won’t!
Douglas Skoyles
Elgin
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