If you can't pay your energy bill, get a better paid job

[noblegiraffe]

Says the Chair of the Conservative party, Jake Berry. That this is the Tory approach.

What a tool.

This! We (CSs) are voting to go on strike. Government would be stuffed if we all went and got a better paid job. Which in my case wouldn't be difficult if I wasn't in my 60s.

I could weep sometimes when I read tips on cutting back.

Have you considered taking a packed lunch to work instead of buying it from Pret every day?

At the Tory conference this afternoon:

Tory chairman Jake Berry says he wants "a rising Spring tide across our United Kingdom of growth that floods through every door"

No don't ask him to STFU - let him rant on - the more the better. Then people will know who NOT to vote for.

Because he is explaining, by way of analogy to a domestic setting, that the government options are akin to getting a higher paid job or cutting overheads.

The government's job is to take measures which ensure people have sufficient income in order to consume what is considered essential, no?

Individuals only have choices about cutting back or gaining more income. These options do not even exist for many.

But the government's job is much wider: benefits, prices, state provision.

but really what other way is there to have more leftover at the end of each month.. except earn more or spend less?

wages that are not stuck in stagnation from 10 years ago, with wage rises offered at 3% and inflation having risen at the rate of 33% over 10 years, it’s no surprise people can’t afford heating

proper wages need to be paid

personal allowance could be raised to the same rate as NMW, this would proportionally aid the less well paid more tax relief but still give those earning up to £200k extra relief and put back the 45% tax rate to counter this.

if 95% of people have more money to spend this will aid the economy far better than 5%

...whilst simultaneously telling the public sector that it spends too much money on fripperies like waste collection, public health and social care so it doesn't need money to do any of those things.

Er how do the govt "get a higher paid job"? Not sure the analogy works.

And it was definitely a very unfortunate analogy.

But his analogy to a domestic setting is exactly the situation many people find themselves in right now, so to suggest his suggestions of what those people should do are really about the government options and nothing to do with what he actually thinks that those people should do, given that he's running the country betray his utterly limited thinking about the crisis, don't they?

His government is currently in an increasing number of pay disputes with underpaid public sector workers. He seems to think that their only two options are to suck it up or quit. Not that wages can be increased to retain staff.

can either cut their consumption

you Can’t cut the standing daily charge of utilities, even if you turn off the heating and don’t use either gas or electric - you’ll still pay £7 per week

An economy is not comparable to a domestic budget. They are not remotely the same.

Typical Tory. He knows full well that there are more people than ever who have nothing left to cut.

As for the national economy as household budget analogy - that school of thought is why we're in this mess in the first place. Party of economic competence, my arse.

It's an analogy for an economy which is either (getting a higher paid jobs) pushing for growth or (reducing bills) cutting benefits.

I'm not saying I agree with his policy but it's clear from the whole interaction, rather than the one stand alone sentence - that's he's explaining the options available to the government in a way that makes the decision understandable and everyday. He's not talking about individuals or families should do.

I'm sure it never occured to anyone to apply for a better paid job when they were having difficulty meeting their expenses!

Absolutely. I completely agree. This kind of dumbing down is disingenuous and inaccurate and I hate it when they do this.

He's not talking about individuals or families should do.

He literally said if you can't pay your bills, your options are to cut consumption or get a better paying job.

He is a member of the government currently running the country where millions of people are potentially going to find themselves in that situation shortly, if they haven't already.

And you don't think that's relevant?

I think it's lazy to translate economic policy to domestic narratives but this is what he has done.

I took that advice, and now there is a school that cant staff its morning club which was mainly used by hospital workers of all levels.

I couldn't get a better paid job so I took on two extra part time minimum wage jobs. Yeah I'm knackered, and I've been ill for several weeks, and I hardly see my husband who has also been taking on extra work, but hey, we'll be a bit warmer in the house we're never in 🤷

Clearly people should be able to live on minimum wage and that they can't is a huge issue. But an increase in NMW would need to go hand in hand with support for small businesses. With costs rising many are struggling as it is, another big jump in wage costs would see many off and/or lead to them cutting staff numbers down as far as possible, which isn't helping those then left unemployed

pointythings · Today 14:16

Typical Tory. He knows full well that there are more people than ever who have nothing left to cut.

I agree, he lives in Rossendale, not the most affluent constituency in the land! He has seen first-hand the privations that many of his constituents suffer. His comments were disingenuous and insulting to the intelligence of ordinary people. I do not believe his grasp of economics is as weak as this.

Exactly - the minimum wage is an hourly wage. This happened at my university once - the cleaners had their hourly wage increased, and at the same time had their hours cut.

Does he expect pensioners and disabled people to go to work?

People can be in low paid jobs temporarily and work their way up. Some jobs in hospitality can be done by students or people starting up. Vacancies will be filled by new people arriving. It is stupid to say if we all look for better jobs no one will make your sandwiches. If you need a better paid job you go and look for it. You are not staying there because who would do the job? Shocking revelation I looked for a better paid job and cut my use of electricity. That is how we and the majority will cope in their houses but funny that with taxes so high is still hard. If you choose to have large families it is harder to catch up. If people can’t work because they are disabled help is available. What do you expect the government to do? Give more money for your bills? May be that is going to happened anyway but people would still moan. Because the people who moan the most just wants Labour to get in. Once they get in whatever happened around them will be white noise. I bet on this.