Is it me or is it Boris?

[Iputthetrampintrampoline]

Just seen that UK PLC has pledged £88 million to Ukraine.Ok so I get that Vlad cannot go round terrorising states fair enough but where has this money suddenly sprung from? People here are being cripples by fuel increases,heating crisis ,cost of living increases and a NI tax rise that only yesterday Rishi and Boris were adamant they couldnt afford not to do it,Then this?? How come we can find endless pots of money for anything but things that genuinely would benefit us? Can someone explain...AIBU ?

I think it's a case of Boris and friends not seeing how THEY would benefit from helping people with fuel costs or stopping the NI increase. They can't tax the large corporations, multiple homeowners and stop throwing public money into their friends pockets for services they barely provide while making their own investments into these services at the same time. No, no, no, they can't actually serve the public, as they don't benefit from it financially.

I do think they should help countries in need though, but yes, we are constantly told there is no money, but they manage to find public money for vanity projects and things that never materialise.

I just wish we could actually link the NI increase to outcomes in H&S care. Then if nothing improves, we can ask for our tax back. I'm not expecting anything to change despite the tax increase and we can't hold them to account for it, and that is the sad thing about it.

I think the thinking behind this sort of payment is that war relatively close by would potentially negatively impact the UK economy by much more than 88 million sterling. As would allowing Putin's influence to spread further in to Eastern Europe which could possibly de-stabilise other European economies, as set out in any history book describing the origins of the second world war.

As I understand it, governments keep separate "war chests" or reserves of money which are deployed in times of crisis such as disease & war which is separate to the ordinary budget required to keep the country ticking over in more ordinary times.

I agree with you though op that there needs to be a national debate about tax and public services and which priorities we should value most as a society. Also, how we stimulate the economy needed to pay for a fair welfare state. Personally I think the health service, social care and housing should be at the top of the list. I think part of the problem for voters though is that it is very difficult to quantify and evaluate, behind the spin of successive governments, what is spent on what, as a simple percentage!

The narrative that money is scarce is pushed to keep the feckless masses and greedy teachers and nurses in their place. They seem to conjure it up just fine to give their mates to pay for things that are never delivered, or here to suit their political ends.