Wednesday 13 March 2013

All in this together?

What would be necessary to show, that in dealing with our economic difficulties. we are all in this together?
This could be difficult as many seem to have made up their mind that this is just another ruse by the wealthy and powerful to pauperize the already disadvantaged. Let's just look at the state of play in Europe now (March 2013) - Greece - further General Strikes planned, unemployment approaching 30%, hospitals finding it difficult to obtain drugs; Spain 26% unemployment - under 25's approaching 55%; Slovenia - Conservative government near to collapse due to public demonstrations against austerity; and Italy where many seem to have concluded that if comedians have been running the country for decades rather than have an amateur get a professional in!! (Beppe Grillo). Even in staid Switzerland the electorate has just mandated it's government (despite it's opposition) to limit severely corporate pay and bonuses.  A reasoned assessment would lead one to conclude that the the limits of what is politically acceptable/feasible are close by!!
Meanwhile serpentine PR people from corporates and banks try and tell us that the remedy is more of the same when the same is precisely that which got us into this mess in the first place. The political class, wealthy and powerful need to get real. In the UK 40 hours on the national minimum wage gives a person a take home pay of £216.98 per week (£942.83 pcm). A one bedroom flat in this area costs a minimum of £300 pcm - average for a family property of two bedrooms it is £550 pcm (and I bet most would not want to live over a shop on a main road). Council Tax would be between £63.47 pcm (Single Person occupancy -Band A) to £112.84 pcm for a Band C property. Water and Sewerage Charges £31.39 to 43.02 pcm. Energy £67 to £117 pcm. Transport £91 pcm (this is on the bus!). By this stage it should be easy to see that there is not much left for the other classifications made by ONS (Office of National Statistics - Food and Non-Alcoholic Drinks, Recreation and Culture, Miscellaneous Goods and Services, Household Goods and Services, Clothing and Footwear, Communication, Alcohol and Tobacco, Education and Health. Try telling a person in that position that it is just as difficult  for the FTSE Chief Executive on £800k pa before bonus!! Its the market I hear the neo liberal Neanderthals say. Well if it is then it is certainly dysfunctional!!
And if you think this is a rant then I would ask you to read Janet Daley in the Sunday Telegraph sometime and reflect at the lack of evidence and facts compared to this blog!!
Very few actually believe that codswallop that we are all in this together and here are some facts and evidence to show how that was never the case!!
References;
Unfair to Middling, TUC/Touchstone 2009
Eurostat.eu
Joseph Rowntree Foundation
HMRC
ONS
Salford City Council
United Utilities
TFGM
Zoopla
Moneysupermarket.com


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