To panic about the dire state of the UK?

[moveblues]

So... all things considered... aren't we up sh-t creek?
-gas and electricity prices
-covid (masks? Pfft completed Covid mate (in England))
-council tax hikes
-inflation
-food shortages
-Brexit
-petrol

Sounds like something out of a dystopian nightmare. I'm worried dear reader, and 'keep calm and carry on' doesn't help.

What has always fascinated me, is that companies can pay poor wages to their employees and the country pays for an uplift to those employees incomes via benefits. Would it not be more beneficial to the country as a whole if the companies paid a decent living wage in the first place ? Or is it better economically to support the companies and their shareholders ?

Yes it's madness just like the NI hikes are unlikely to go to where it's needed.

As the pp we need more social housing, it's a good thing but too many are invested in property.

We would definitely be up the creek with corbyn for 2 reasons.

1. He puts off or refuses to make decisions if there's no clear choice. The last 2 years at least have required a whole lot of shitty choices but quick decisions such as buying in the vaccine have saved lots of lives.
2. His brother is outspoken in his covid stance. How many people would be dead now if Jeremy listened even slightly to his brother. Scary.

Bring back the lib dems. If America shows us anything right now - the dystopia, bipartisan politics we've got right now Is toxic.

I hear what you are saying OP. You are right things are spiralling. But… in life always think- what do you actually want to happen?

Ahortages to stoo, stability and no inflation. How are you going to achieve that? By creating a strong plan and have everyone follow it. Panicking is causing chaos at the petrol pumps. So, panicking is the last thing you want to do. If you are a carer for elserly go on nextdoor and see now, if anyone could help if needed. The nhs volunteer army is still running and could help. Work out how to carpool.

There aren’t any significant food shortages yet. We might just eat different things. What we need now is to work together not panic. It really, really doesn’t help. 💐 But you have my sympathy.

Shortages to stop, sorry was eating

I can say in my locality every bus/train/form of public transport is packed by people who have quietly decided to ditch their cars for the time being

@rocklamp

Yeah, I think we're going to end up like some sorry eastern bloc country that's perpetually struggling and the rest of the world is oblivious to.

I remember years ago listening to an article on Radio 4 about Kazakhstan and how they didn't have any healthcare AND NOW THAT'S US! 😱😱😱

Nothing would surprise me now.

You’re mental.

@Sparklybanana

We would definitely be up the creek with corbyn for 2 reasons.

1. He puts off or refuses to make decisions if there's no clear choice. The last 2 years at least have required a whole lot of shitty choices but quick decisions such as buying in the vaccine have saved lots of lives.
2. His brother is outspoken in his covid stance. How many people would be dead now if Jeremy listened even slightly to his brother. Scary.

Bring back the lib dems. If America shows us anything right now - the dystopia, bipartisan politics we've got right now Is toxic.

This is absolutely laughable! Oh yes, Boris Johnson is well known for making decisions quickly! Some might say too quickly though - remember him on GMB when he said we could just let COVID run its course? Remember when he appointed Dido Harding to organise track and trace? Remember when he promised Christmas 2020 and had to go back on it? Remember when he told you Dominic Cummings didn’t break lockdown rules because he was a fantastic father?

And on the vague chance Jeremy Corbyn had listened to his brother, how is that any worse than listening to Dominic Cummings for years? Or Carrie Symons? Or, what was the name of the American woman he was giving public money to?

It’s very bold of you to suggest Boris Johnson is a better choice than Corbyn, he’s shown you so many times what a liar he is.

UK government caved in and now letting EU lorry drivers in until Christmas:
www.bbc.com/news/business-58687026

@Lovinghannah - A lot of us do have to stay actually, if we are disabled and dependent on benefits

Oh the irony..

Why would EU drivers want to come? Presumably they have jobs and schedules in the EU and will be treated better?

@OnwardsAndSideways1

One thing I've been moaning about for ages, this actually pre-dates Brexit, but is part of austerity Britain, is how poor everything looks- there are pot-holes in the road, roads aren't cleaned properly, parks are no longer properly cared for (no budget for them, rely on volunteers), buildings dirty, the whole place looks unkempt and horrible. In fact, it does remind me of my husband's Eastern European country when I first went there twenty odd years ago, that had pot holes and public buildings were dirty- now the fabric of their country is much better and there are fewer people living on the streets and the streets are cleaner there.

Lucky that you’ve got an Eastern European husband, should be easy enough for you both to live there seeing as it’s so bad here.

@Takemetothe90s race to the bottom, again.

Why would EU drivers want to come? Presumably they have jobs and schedules in the EU and will be treated better?

And no border controls.

Here in Scotland our health service is struggeling to the extent that we've got the army driving ambulances like a war zone. Rationed medical care, sparce supermarket shelves and talk of the army driving trucks of food and medicines from abroad is realy starting spook me. We're sleepwalking into a third-world style disaster while most people seem oblivious and are busy celebrating life getting 'back to normal'.

Warning *sarcasm Priti should gather up all the migrants arriving on boats and get them picking fruit- as you’re here now, might as well make yourself useful

@Peggytheredhen

Why would EU drivers want to come? Presumably they have jobs and schedules in the EU and will be treated better?

And no border controls.

They won't be coming.

We have them the heave ho, why on earth would they come here.

Where are all these food shortages that people are having to eat differently? Do some people have the same seven meals from week to week? I shop on line and I've noticed they haven't had cauliflowers for a few weeks but that doesn't make any difference, there's so many other veg to choose from.

@Clavinova

The reversing part of certain medium and large vehicle tests will be assessed by an authorised third party instead of a DVSA examiner.

That fact check states it will not be in the exam, which is what I said. I am not personally filled with confidence that it will be signed off by a 'third party' after a driver has passed their test and worry for lorry driving standards going forward. I have huge sympathy for how they are treated in the UK but I am already terrified of them on motorways.

Delusional exceptionalism. We are too focused on how great we are here and how shit the rest of the world is. So called first world here, no petrol, empty shelves, homeless people freezing on the streets, cutting benefits to those who need it most while making sure the wealthy are still living their lives

Got halfway down the first page then sew the Tory HQ interns or whoever they are had appeared win with:
‘I don’t like Boris but Angela Rayner’
‘Thank your lucky stars that Corbyn didn’t win’
‘No other Government would have done better’

So tedious and clear it is felt that Angela Rayner is likely to be the next leader so the narrative is being prepared already and they must be really worried about how people are going to react to the coming shit show that is clearly encountered so the Behavioural Sciences Unit has advised them to get in early.

It’s actually really quite sinister when you think about how it and I am taken back to my university days and lectures on attitude change. I personally am politically homeless and no fan of Labour but these Tory tactics really annoy me.

Yeah I doubt any other government would have spent £32 billion on a failed test and trace system spearheaded by Dido Harding.

[quote notimagain]@OrangeBlossomsinthesun

“ I live in the EU and we don't have fuel or food shortages. Electricity has gone up but not nearly as much as in the UK, for various reasons.”

French resident here and it’s the same for us - energy prices are up a bit but otherwise no obvious shortfalls in places such as supermarkets, DIY stores, etc.

There’s certainly nothing similar to what is being reported/rumoured to be going on in the UK by UK MSM - which I accept may well be an exaggeration.[/quote]
I live in the UK and I've seen no empty shelves (apart from cement, but that's because of HS2). Half of the pictures being shared on social media date from the first lockdown.

There aren't really any fuel shortages - BP had to close five (yes, just five) petrol stations and some idiots went beserk with Jerry cans.

Yes, gas prices have increased substantially which has a knock on effect on electricity prices because we rely on CCGTs for 45% of our generation. This is replicated across Europe and is because Putin is threatening Germany over Nordstream 2 (incidentally this has been why Merkel has been reluctant to stand up to him over Ukraine).

The tabloids do love a good panic.

@Mamamia7962

Where are all these food shortages that people are having to eat differently? Do some people have the same seven meals from week to week? I shop on line and I've noticed they haven't had cauliflowers for a few weeks but that doesn't make any difference, there's so many other veg to choose from.

There’s loads of stuff I can’t get here: sweet potato, creme fraiche, pitta bread, whiskas cat food, leeks or certain bottles of wine, off the top of my head. None of it a disaster obviously, but a definite lack of choice, and it’s been weeks.

The problem is people continue to believe and support Tory scum despite their lying, unethical and frankly disgusting stance on most things that affect the wider public.

sarcasm Priti should gather up all the migrants arriving on boats and get them picking fruit- as you’re here now, might as well make yourself useful.
If they paid them decent wages and offered accommodation I'm sure lots would apply.
Are migrants allowed to work in the UK?
They're not allowed in Ireland while in direct provision, it isn't fair.
Throughout lockdown many of the women in DP made face masks to help others.
Many migrants might be qualified as HGV drivers.