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.

I don’t judge those in very difficult situations at all if somebody is in a bed sit and eating takeaway’s every night I get it. The vast majority are not in very difficult situations at all though. I’ve been stuck behind people at the checkout have been talking about the fact that they’ve only got 5 pounds to last them two days til dole day and they were going to spend that on to happy meals, honestly you despair and given that we are in a well stocked supermarket at the time, that they consider that to be the best use of their dole money. Some people genuinely don’t have the brains they were born with.

Well we all say ridiculous things that don’t stand up to contact with reality. Especially politicians. He’s not going to destroy the Labour Party for ever. If he finds himself the leader of the largest party in a hung Parliament., he’ll do a deal. And if he didn’t no Labour voter would ever forgive him.

We are fine. I earn a good salary and DH’s is huge. 20% pay rise and 20% bonus this year. Doesn’t mean he majority won’t struggle, we are the minority. However, there are people in the middle with more modest household incomes who will get no support. It’s the squeezed middle who usually would be able to afford to eat out, holiday, use the leisure and beauty industry etc who will no longer be able to.

Cry me a river and all that but when you look at average household incomes, it will be those spenders who can absorb it but stop social spending who will be the majority. Without those spenders, you have no economy, you have job losses. It’s the impact of tax payers no longer having a disposable income which then hits jobs which then hits how much tax receipts the government get.

You would have to be remarkably dim and lack any critical thinking to not see the bigger picture.

It is hard and it doesn’t help when the news is doom and gloom. You just need to try and find the positives and remember this won’t last. I think because everything seems to have happened in such a short space of time, makes it seem much worse

Ha well I find it interesting, it’s stuff I don’t know

Why do you think it won’t last @ArcticRoll2?

Germany has up to 2 months worth of storage capacity, hence the request to reduce usage to build up....

Yes even with Rough, 9 days is not great.

To be honest, given the mtce shut downs at EDF and corrosion issues, perhaps Merkels decision to shut down their nuclear capacity wasn't so misguided.

I 'd rather be cold than too hot.....

No Labour voter would forgive him for doing exactly what he said he would do when asking for their vote?

OK then.

I get why he has had to say this and lets hope it doesn't come to this choice, having been voted in as the largest party but no overall, his words may come back to haunt him.

But its just another example of hold Labour to higher standards than the Tories, no one even asks them about a coalition.

We are in for a difficult few years very difficult for some

but on the whole we are too comfortable to be taking to the streets. Too many good things on Netflix

MN has been predicting riots for years it’s almost as though some are wanting riots just to say I told you so and some love the drama

there is nothing stopping anyone from protesting but can you really be bothered ?

I doubt any Labour voter would factor that into their decision and no, they wouldn’t forgive him for turning down government if it was within grasp. It would be the end of the party if he did that.

I suspect the reason nobody ever asks the Tories about a coalition @AndreaC74 is because their only attempt at it was such a debacle. Having seen what it did to the LibDems’ electability in 2015, what party would be prepared to prop them up?

That was down to Clegg and some appalling decisions on behalf of the LD's, not least jumping into bed with the Cons....

power corrupts and all that...

and who has Clegg gone to work for …..

such a disappointment

Wind your neck in @cansu

If you watched the article she says she used to cook everything fresh until a few months ago when prices went up. My point was that the 2 things she bought would last a couple of days but paying the same price for 2 similar but less packaged nonsense would give her tonnes more food. And I don't spend loads on food. I have a budget of £40 per week for me and my son and that includes petrol as I'm a single mum and work full time so stop being a knob and thinking you know people on here when you haven't got a friggin clue.

I'm a single, full time working so don't tell me about quick breakfasts. It does not cost 50p to warm porridge up and she has a full working kitchen as she cooked from scratch until a couple of months ago.

Fine lets feed the toddler crap as its, quicker, easier and comes covered in sugar so one less item to buy (65p a kilo)

Cheers for listing that smooth! Really interesting!

Agree about productivity. I understand that one of the reasons that France for example is more productive is because they are more willing to invest in labour saving measures partly due to more stringent labour laws. So they are more efficient and productive but the flip side is unemployment is always slightly on the high side. I should probably go look at percentage of economically active people too as a comparator.

People are cutting their lawns? Whose lawn needs cutting? Ours has been dust for weeks.

and how the fuck do you know that I don't have to worry about the cost of energy to cook food?

You are full of it.

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Wind your own neck in. Why are you berating someone for buying chicken nuggets and a box of cocoa pops? Get a grip

@HotSunnyMum tip your hairdresser or beautician £100? on bills that are under £50? When they are working for themselves and renting chairs to SE solo operatives? Somehow, I don't think you've understood totally. I am 66. I pay a nice person to do my eyebrows, because once I take my glasses off, I don't see well enough to do a decent job at home. And I pay to have my toes done because she is expert and quick and I am a hamfisted amateur. Happy to pay, but suggesting adding a tip that's almost triple the bill beggars belief.

It’s the same in this area

So much activity / going out etc - and many holidays being taken

Because it shows that people are willing to go on tv and moan yet they have absolutely no idea how to budget so they can't even make a point.

Spending the same amount of money on chicken legs bought 5 times more chicken than a box of 12 little nuggets = 5 times more meals! It's not rocket science. You shove them in the oven just the same. Nuggets take 25 minutes, chicken legs maybe 10 min more than that. Just as easy.