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.

The newspapers are full of articles normalising poverty as well. Stories about a woman feeding a family on less and less. This should not be a normal and acceptable situation in the 21st century.

The Guardian is woeful at interpreting information without heavy political bias and agenda

What, only the Guardian? Oh yes all other newspapers just tell the objective truth. All have an agenda, for most newspapers it's a dog eat dog race to the bottom pitting people against one another and spreading fear.

It’s funny how people get so worked up about what is not written.

Yes of course other media can be politically aligned. I wouldn’t go to The Guardian anymore as good information source.

More or Less is a useful programme that looks into headlines. I’d recommend that for any survey or statistics to analyse the context.

Agree that all papers have their own political points to push.

Just funny how everything from the Mail/Telegraph is treated on MN as utter lies and propaganda, everything in the Guardian/Mirror is God's honest truth.

Opinium hires a panel of respondents paid by the number of surveys they do.

"Complete surveys in your free time, share your opinion and begin earning virtual points (LPs) that can be redeemed for amazing rewards from your favourite brands.Register now for free, and we’ll even kick off your earnings with 10 LPs."

Re comments on M&S shopping it's possible that people are switching away from eating out in restaurants/ pubs and wanting something a bit more 'special' to have at home instead?

If so then this is skewed already

People who fill out surveys for pennies have no money shocker 🙄

There are lots of ways to chart poverty and food stress. They require more effort than this piss poor effort from the Guardian though.

Oh FFS, they are not in the airports or the supermarkets. That is the actual point.

Let’s think about this. Each survey is say 1000 people. Let’s say 10 such national surveys per year. So every year 1 out of 50,000 people are surveyed. So your turn should come sometime in the next 5,000 years. Even if it was 10,000 people questioned 100 times per year, then you might get questioned once in your life.

Tbf a survey like below you opt in to do it based on rewards

So it is skewed but for a different reason. People on lower incomes are more likely to opt in

That is exactly the way surveys, opinion polls, etc work. It is not just stopping people in the street on Saturday morning, there is a science to it.

While people get frustrated at "but it is busy everywhere" I think it's bit understandable train of thoughts. These articles are saying 5th (just over 20% of adult population) are behind on bills. It's logical that people would expect places like airports to be less busy.
However, at the same time people are right that poverty is often invisible. It's just that 20% is a lot so people logically expect to see it.

Modern Britain is the 'I'm all right Jack' attitude you see on these kinds of thread.

How about this as a starter:
cpag.org.uk/recent-history-uk-child-poverty

Is that you Jean? I ask because in the late 80's when things were tough in Liverpool. She said that she didn't believe things were that bad because she'd been to M&S and everyone was spending money. I didn't think that anyone else was as thick as she was. I've told that story previously on stupid things you've heard that show some people are completely out of touch with the real world.

I've been to a fun day every week put on by a community group. They work tirelessly to get second hand uniform and coats. They give out free lunches. There were children who started school without proper uniform, I see the same families going to different food banks. The school helps these families, in some cases the teachers have a kitty. The children often don't attend the class birthday parties, probably because they can't afford a present, or the bus fares to get there. They don't go to the paid for after-school classes etc The people most struggling, as said are invisible.

I think the issue is that most British people don't know what poverty means. You see it all the time, defending having iPhones because "it's on a contract" or "I didn't know I'll be poor when I bought it".

Poverty in most countries is:

• no luxuries, no iPhones, no playstation
• unfavorable living conditions - ex family of 4 in 1 bed flat, using living room as a bedroom
• counting every penny, struggling with food shop and bills

In the UK most people can save, but they like eating out, luxuries, nice cars on loans, etc. Then most of them moan about how difficult life is because they never bothered saving and now it's a real problem.

I have no doubts poverty does exist in the UK, but too many people claim they're poor when they're more privileged than most of the planet anyway.

In the UK most people can save, but they like eating out, luxuries, nice cars on loans, etc.

Any evidence for that invented rubbish?

I think the issue is that most British people don't know what poverty means

The thing is, we are a very wealthy country and there is no reason other than the greed of the extremely wealthy and the inequality that has massively accelerated in the last 30 or 40 years, that anyone should have to find out what poverty is. Particularly not people working full time, which is now what we are coming to in this country.

You’re right there should be a robust process in recruiting etc

But paying / rewarding people to opt in isn’t it

Why shouldn't everyone have good living conditions, be able to afford to live and a few luxuries when they are working?

There is so much blame on individuals when it's government policy failure which has led to this situation.

@Miajk quite agree.

I also often think that the living space requirements in here don't help at all. They force people to spend money that could be used elsewhere.
My parents slept in living room on very comfy sofa bed. Most of my friends grew up like that and shared room until one kid left. We weren't ever considered poor though. It was just normal. (Poverty was when you had family in one room with barely any equipment and shared toilets.)
Not having to spend on space when this one did well, meant we never went hungry and could do things. Also the fact we can walk to and from school alone, and other less strict rules, enabled parents to work (another issue keeping poor poor imho)
It is bit baffling for my friends and family when they see some article about someone in 3 bed with 2 kids in poverty.

However, this is not race to the bottom, well it shouldn't be, just wanted to illustrate that you are quite right in the difference between how places see poverty. (It was interesting to having to explain food bank to my family as well....). I think that's why lots of immigrants can't fully comrehend it as well. 3bed house 24k a year and eligible for foodbank is really not like poverty elsewhere. So can be hard to understand

Don't be daft. If you have eyes you'll be able to see this.

Council estates with cars much nicer than I'd ever buy (mine was the cheapest second hand option, even though I could indebt myself but I know that's unwise).

Eating out - massive takeaway culture and eating out culture in the UK, across all income levels. Pub culture too. You can afford pints in a pub, you're not bloody poor!

Go to a country where poor means poor and you'll quickly see what poor means.

I agree that quality of life should be better in a country like this.

But I just don't agree with the endless claims of how much poverty there is, because it is misleading.

The UK is the worst country in Europe when it comes to overconsumption (electronics, food, fashion). We're not doing ourselves or our planet any favours. We just have silly expectations.

I don't agree with the super wealthy. That's why I don't pay for Amazon. I don't buy crap in Zara. I don't want to spend my hard earned money and make them wealthier. But if so many people just want the new nice stuff and live a certain lifestyle, yes, not everyone can afford it. That doesn't make it poverty though.