Modern Britain

[theworldhas]

from today’s Guardian newspaper:

”Nearly 11 million people are now behind on their bills while more than 5 million have gone without food, according to new research that reveals Britons are skipping meals “just to keep the lights on”.

The figures, based on an Opinium survey of 2,000 UK adults in August, found 5.6 million have gone without food in the past three months as a result of the cost of living crisis.

This included skipping meals, eating once a day or not eating at all on some days. Nearly 8 million people had sold a personal or household item to help cover bills.”

Shocking stuff in modern Britain. Inequality and poverty has skyrocketed the past ten years. These stats ought to be the headline and front page on every British newspaper from now until the next election.

Shocking stats although a small survey. I sometimes find it hard to match these headlines to what I currently see - I was in a large M&S food on Sunday and it was heavingly busy. The kind of busy where it’s difficult to get down the aisle and find what you want. People had baskets full. The shop is in a real mixed area but close to a city so attracts a lot of people but still.

I agree with Pufferpuffin. Each time I go into a supermarket, it's very busy with shoppers trolleys full of foodstuff.
The roads are just as busy as are the airports, so quite where these destitute people are I have no idea.

I don't see that in everyday life and I don't live in a wealthy area. I see food shops are full of people with trolley loads of food, and expensive items that I don't buy (and I have a reasonable salary), people going on holidays abroad.

Also 'selling a household item' is good, not something to be ashamed of as the article above implies. I sell things regularly.

I don't doubt that there are people who are struggling, but I think the figures represent some exaggeration.

I do, however, think the rise in utility bills from next month will cause this to be a wider problem.

Just walk down any street in any village, town or city anywhere in the U.K. and look at the people with your own eyes.
Do any of them look like they are actually starving? I would say 75% of people could do with cutting down on food for the health benefits.

How do these figures compare to last year or even three/four years ago? Does it say in the article, do you have a link?

The depths that fat shamers will stoop to never fails to shock me. You are aware that poverty and obesity are closely linked? You can't imagine, for one second, that people are eating shit food because they lack access to decent shops, storage for fresh and frozen fruits and veg, money for fuel for healthy cooking and the level of education that would help them address these obstacles?

Tory Britain, race to the bottom. M&S is busy so nobody is going hungry. Sickening. Anyway Ocado is making losses because the better off people are turning to cheaper supermarkets as the cost of.living bites - where are people turning to when they were already counting their last pennies at aldi?

I have never, ever (in over 50 years) been part of one of these “surveys” and am therefore convinced that they are often skewed.

The more dramatic the numbers, the better the attention. Yes of course many people are in trouble and need help but like others, all I see around me is conspicuous consumption as usual.

There were threads on Sunday about how busy the supermarkets were and peoples loaded down trolleys, this wasn't just M&S and Waitrose but Tesco, Asda, Aldi and Lidl also, people buying loads of unnecessary probably for the day off work

Ocado are losing business because their online shopping is shit, and you can't shop in store

Should have seen Westfield shopping centre on Sunday. Ridiculously busy. No one there was worried about their lighting bill and there were queues for the main food outlet where a single meal costs £15!

Fuck me what a lack of imagination and empathy there is on here.

Quite a small sample and it’s really not possible to multiply it to the societal level the survey has done.
While everything has gone up I actually think most people have still been insulated from it, the next 6-9 months are where people will see more if a rise.
Most people aren’t paying their higher energy bill yet but they will over the coming months, childcare will go up massively in Jan and anyone needs to remortgage soon will see a massive dent in their pay packet.
I just mortgaged part of my mortgage which was only 40k and my payment has gone up £60! I dread to think about people having their mortgage increase by 100s this winter on top of their energy increase.

Me too. Not only have I never been part of one of these "surveys", I don't know of any other person who has either.

I don't think M&S being busy is evidence that people aren't cutting back on their spending. Those skipping meals aren't your average M&S customer. As always, the already poor will be the most impacted by price rises. Middle earners and above can probably buy food as usual just might cut back on stuff like holidays, days out etc.

Threads and threads from Mumsnet champagne socialist types banging on their keyboards about everyone apart from themselves in poverty. It's almost like they are enjoying it...

It's dreadful isn't it. I'm almost embarrassed for some posters and their inability to see past the end of their noses.

Now we see why the Tories keep getting in 🤨

People walk in their own bubbles. Of course you didn't see the poor in Waitrose or walking down the high street of Wealth on the Wold. They are in a town you would not walk through, and they're in the shops you wouldn't go in. The way our society is divided, both groups could walk to school, work, shops and home again without ever crossing paths.

My hometown is devastatingly poor. There's no reason for anyone to go there, so you won't walk down the street to see it. Fancy a house for 70k? That's your spot. Want to see kids in dirty uniforms, with no washing machines, the local school picking up the slack? Head to that town. A few miles up the road, the kids are all off to the theatre in clean uniforms. Their elder siblings at the high school are going to France. Parents can afford it.

But we're not dense enough to declare poverty a lie just because it doesn't happen on our clean streets.

Opinium is one of the major market researchers. They will have verifiable selection criteria. Just because you personally have never been asked, doesn't mean a survey is skewed. I've been contacted more than once by research companies. You can also sign up to yougov if you want to be part of some polling.

We have a small building company. Lockdown and brexit were good for us financially. We are ultra busy, wages are going up, work in front of us for at least 18 months. We do commercial builds so not yet impacted by the cost of living issues. So we are doing OK.

Other people I know are worried and cutting back frantically. Pensioners, those in low paid jobs, young families etc.

Other people in trades are as busy as us, mainly because Brexit saw the labour force shrink in the UK, expediated by covid. I wasn't pro leave but this was one of the benefits for us business wise.

I do think the press terrifies us into changing our spending habits, it's almost like inflation is a problem atm and it would be helpful if people cut back on unnecessary spending a bit.

The one positive about storing fat on the body is it can be used as fuel if times get hard. We can metabolise our fat stores very efficiently as long as we have water. So one meal a day if you have a good few stone in excess fat will fuel you for months.

@HighlandCowbag Inflation is being driven by the cost of food and fuel, mainly, not by Jemima buying a handbag she doesn't need.

Except that if you then go back to eating two or three meals a day you will regain the weight.

For anyone who agreed with the concept of - "well people are fat anyway they could do with cutting back on food" - please read Why we eat, by Dr Andrew Jenkinson.

Then you will understand how the body uses, (indeed - manipulates) the TYPE and quality of energy consumed. If you think it's as simple as "calories in calories out" that is very cute but incredibly naive. The human body is a amazingly complex and powerful machine, capable of manipulating what* we put into it. Don't underestimate it.

cheap crP like sugar and vegetable oils will wreak havoc. Omega 3 to 6 ratios have become screwed up. And much more.

(and if like I did, you think vegetable oils are just oils from vegetables...think again.)

If you can't stand reading, the audiobook is narrated by a lovely voice.

I am quite angry with the food industry and governments after reading this book. We have been ruining our bodies for decades. I don't struggle with my weight, but there are many many people going around, overweight, thinking it's their fault. Heartbreaking.

Oh dear god.