Blue Annoyed – Labour will make work pay
It should not be a shock that Nigel Farage and Reform romped home in Local Elections, the threat was made long ago when he was interviewed when he stated that “He did not need to destroy the Tories , but Labour were next” . He was ridiculed by most but they are not laughing now!
I recall having a conversation with my friends about this and that people were not paying attention. The Tories have been in power 15 years and imploded with the disasters they created and fell on their own sword including the one about Immigration. We had Braverman stating in a rather cruel way it was out of control, but failing to monitor the influx because of global conflicts and for those in areas affected where asylum seekers eventually landed which were generally larger cities and the South East coast of Kent where they came in it was a step too far. Then they also had the stupid Rwanda Scheme costing millions that never was going to bear fruit. That doesn’t mean that everyone is racist or against supporting those escaping real harm the UK has always been a fair country, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have strict controls in place to make sure the local infrastructure can cope with the numbers arriving. This is not un-socialist to mention this because its on everyone else’s lips
The real issues are in plain sight except Starmer and his ministers failed miserably to read the room because their arrogance to put things right is to start Austerity MK2.
After 15 yrs of Tory rule most people have become sicker and poorer many on the bones of their arses, working their socks off for min wage which still means they need Universal Credit or the Food Bank while their bosses make massive profits and systemically removed workers rights along the way. Universal Credit is cruel to those seeking work at a time when businesses are closing their door thanks to Brexit and the pandemic plus Trumps tariffs, and disabled people have been the hardest group hit with cut after cut to their incomes while the cost of living crisis is still with us and the bills keep rising accordingly.
Labour once they gained power hit the poorest in society on day one, with cuts to the winter fuel allowance for some, then announcing disabled people were yet again in the firing line of more cuts through more welfare reforms to fill the mystical black hole of 22 bn in the economy the Tories supposedly created.
We have had rises in the pension age which means more people will be working for longer which affected the Waspi Women (of which I am one of them) plus winter fuel allowance cuts, then NHS waiting lists continuing to rise after Covid which is blatantly obvious that these two things alone will push up claims for PIP as many struggled to cope with ill health afflicting them. We have 14.3 million living in poverty and 4.5 million kids also, who struggled with the lockdown affecting their mental health and education. Then we have disabled people who already live on a tiny income being expected to cope with rising costs across the board in their lives at the same time as facing more punitive cuts and a failing social care system which isn’t fit for purpose.
PIP is a none means tested benefit designed to assist them with additional costs because they are disabled in or out of work but the media and Labour have lead the public to believe its out of work benefit which it is not, by their reforms to move to a single assessment service which has fuelled more hate towards them. It isn’t just the reforms to PIP that’s on the table it also to those getting Universal Credit, so a wider impact will be felt by many. The removal of the Health Element for those who do not qualify for PIP also can affect disabled people and doesn’t magically mean they are no longer disabled, but this government thinks it will force many into work , where it more likely to force them through worsening health into the NHS. Some will of course try work and manage to help the government hit the targets of more people in work, but this kind of thing has never really had success because people are too sick or disabled to sustain employment in the long term. We should also realise it will also affect carers who also get carers elements or carers allowance. Example : a disabled person on standard PIP fails an assessment will lose the UC Health Element and Carers Element which will be a huge drop in income but facing rising costs still inc paying for their medication, even if they subsequently win on appeal and get it back.
This is why Labour lost and got punished on the doorstep its AusterityMK2 where people are sick of being poor, sick of watching the wealthy get richer while their meagre earnings or benefits get less and less pushing them closer to the point where death might be seen as the only way out of abject misery either by their own hand or assisted dying, or starvation or lack of medical care and poverty.
That’s the reality for some I have spoken too in recent months who feel terrorised by the state for almost 15years, dividing the working classes, and promising jam tomorrow. To boost the economy Keir you need to Invest in people put money in their pockets they spend in their local communities , creating jobs in their communities so they can Thrive not Survive and boosting the economy.
Its time for you to U-Turn and change direction and leave your ego at home take the ridicule from opposition on the chin, if you think going harder and faster is the option then rest assured Nigel Farage which you have already aided will be the next prime minister.