To think Britain is heading towards economical and social collapse

[Cheesecakeandwineinasuitcase]

It feels like we are living in strange times, having come out of a global pandemic, the war in Ukraine and now the cost of living crisis and the added pressure from Brexit.

Ive barely slept tonight, worrying about what might happen with energy prices. I’ve heard the energy price cap is expected to rise to £3,850 in October. A few months ago I’m sure they predicting it would be £2,400 and that was horrifying enough.
Now I’m seeing people on the energy support Facebook group talking about monthly energy costs of £900 per month. It feels like this is escalating out of control very quickly and the Government are allowing us to sleepwalk into a disaster.

I realised tonight that if the price cap does keep increasing at the rate it has then what will happen to all the businesses once people can’t afford their energy bills anymore? They will probably increase their prices to try and cover their costs but that will drive down sales even more as people won’t have as much money to spend anymore. Eventually it will only be the essentials that we can afford so that surely means that all the other businesses won’t be able to afford to keep going?

Then what? Unless our government actually get their heads together about this then the whole country will end up in financial ruin and we will see the breakdown of society. Why so much focus on the leadership contest, surely that must take a back step.

Ive just checked the parliament website and the House of Commons has now gone into summer recess so they won’t meet again until September! I think this is an emergency situation and that they should be called back to focus on this. They get paid enough.

I think it’s outrageous that they can claim for utility bills on their expenses when there are people out there with young children who are worried about being cut off and put onto a prepayment meter.

It's over £400

I've looked but I can't find the figures I remember seeing several months ago. From memory that data had us about 11th, China was close behind, the USA and most of Europe were behind us. (USA and Japan were the worst large highly-developed countries.)

(TBH I'm now thinking the figures I'm remember were per capita consumption of fossil fuels, we consume a third less than the European average, although the French do just beat us. Germany does extremely badly on this metric.)

Anyway, we have invested massively in wind over the last 10 years, it's a huge success story.

The predicted energy price cap rise in October 2022 is predicted to be £3200 in October and maybe up to £3800 in January

So that's the bill for the 'typical household usage' - obviously some pay more and some will pay less.

So about £320 per month

For context, it was about £1200 in April 21

So about £2600 difference a year.

Which when a lot of people don't have much headroom on their budget or savings could be a problem.

According to Wikipedia, wind power supplied 0.8% of electricity in 2008, by 2020 this had risen to 24%, it fell back to 20% in 2021. (There were news articles last year about production being down due to lack of wind.)

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_power_in_the_United_Kingdom

.

This is already happening.

People are dying in many areas the UK as a result of deprivation:
www.thetimes.co.uk/article/rising-death-rates-in-poor-areas-blamed-on-austerity-fvgcztp5q#:~:text=Previous%20studies%20have%20found%20that,associated%20with%2045%2C000%20additional%20deaths.

Even before the pandemic, life expectancy has stalled for the first time in more than 100 years and even reversed for the most deprived women in society, according to a landmark review which shows the gap in health inequalities is yawning even wider than it did a decade ago, in large part due to the impact of cuts linked to the government’s austerity policies.

www.theguardian.com/society/2020/feb/24/austerity-blamed-for-life-expectancy-stalling-for-first-time-in-century

The latest data from the Office for National Statistics show that men born in the poorest areas of the country are now expected to live almost 10 years less (73.5 years in the period 2018 to 2020) than those in the richest areas (83.2 years), and women eight years less (78.3 versus 86.3).

I'm not disagreeing, but two bombs can explode.

Can we add the housing and rental bomb to these bombs?

We are getting older, more obese, and younger people are struggling to find somewhere to live and to commute to to support the economy.

How is that possible? What kind of house are you living in? Are you sure they are not overcharging you? My energy company switched me to another supplier and they were overcharging before they established my actual usage but it was (only) £200 per month. (Standard 3 bed semi - north of Scotland)

We are getting older, more obese, and younger people are struggling to find somewhere to live and to commute to to support the economy.

What's being obese have to do with housing and renting? Is it that obese people need bigger accommodation? Or is it the opposite, obese people die younger and there is less need of accommodation?

It seems clear that the world doesn't have the political ability/motivation to avoid catastrophic climate change with the ensuing conflicts over shrinking land and resources.

Wonder will it affect people's decisions on whether to have a family?

Fine, riot if you think it will actually do anything.

People are just "sitting there and taking it" - most people are working to keep paying their bills, mortgage/ rent, and aren't prepared to waste annual leave of jeopardise their employment by risking getting caught up in a riot with the same numbskulls who superglue themselves onto the fast Lane of the M25 to gain attention or other time wasting stunts that loses public support - believe me these are the same rent-a-crowd who'll jump on any bandwagon, you name it they'll get involved but only if it isn't cold or raining

It already is I think.

The current government's priority has been placating big business and feathering the nests of their friends, funders and multi-nationals. What's happening now is the logical outcome to a consumerist, individualist push that favours corporates and only intervenes when its to prop up conglomerates rather than to protect living standards of the public.

It's not caused by the pandemic or brexit or any of the other dead cats they throw on the table to keep people arguing with each other rather than focusing on the real issue - our current crop of politicians and the way their policies are influenced by giant companies and media owners that don't even pay their rightful tax here.

At some point, presumably, the Government will realise they do need the electorate and then will attempt to reign in this disaster. All of the current crisis isn't only solvable by the Govt but is a direct result of Govt policy. Boris contributed to a lot of it and it's right that there should be a leadership contest. The problem is that Truss is being just as toady to big business and that will be the complete ruination of our economy.

People are living longer but not not better, is the point. They have more unhealthy years.

People aren't just "sitting there and taking it" -

The human race survived for a fair few millennia without electricity; many people still do.

KarmaComma - That's very high especially for summer months. Is there any reason why your fuel bill is that high?

The human race survived for a fair few millennia without electricity; many people still do.

same with modern medicine...

The Tories will ensure that those at the bottom will suffer the most as they flail around trying to start culture wars, blame immigrants and demonise the EU for all our problems. In reality as long as their donors and friends are getting wealthier they are happy to trash public services and allow the economy to tank. Not every problem has been caused by them but they seem dedicated to making it worse for ordinary working people.

Do obese people protest more? Or less?

Do they riot more or less?

People are living longer but not not better, is the point. They have more unhealthy years.

That is true & has been the case for some time but I don't think it is for obese people, their life expectancy is shorter.

It's all part of the same mix

There are lots of crisis's in this country.

People are getting more obese
People are getting older
There are young people who can't afford to rent let alone buy a house

I take it you didn't assume that these are all 1 group - old, obese people who can't afford to buy a house?

It's general social situations.

Wonder will it affect people's decisions on whether to have a family?

Er, have you seen birth rate figures?

Can we add the housing and rental bomb to these bombs?

I think that's already exploded!