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.

Haven't read the full thread, but have to say I agree with OP. There is an insightful documentary on YouTube which explores the lives of Britain's poorest kids. It's a real eye opener to those that doubt the reality of the situation some people can find themselves in. What is most shocking is that it was made by the BBC ten years ago. How have we got to the situation where life is only getting worse?
m.youtube.com/watch?v=i9aSp9bFmMg&t=1372s

Good on the church for doing that. I have definitely noticed an increase in really unkempt/ badly smelling people recently in supermarkets. It's very sad.

Such a Mumsnet response

I agree @theworldhas. Some posters here should be hanging their heads in shame.

Welcome to tory Britain.

Food insecurity is very real, and some of the comments on here are lacking in empathy. Also, anecdotal evidence is just that, anecdotal, and doesn’t represent the whole situation that many people are facing.

Some stupid, ignorant people on this thread. Maybe just maybe the 15% of people behind on their bills are shopping at Waitrose or going on holiday. Jesus

Yes and the poor could also eat their children if necessary.

Wow, just wow, to some of these replies! I don't see any poverty where I live because I'm amongst the poorest in a very rich town. I know, from my mum, my dad and other family and friends elsewhere that they are all struggling, from all walks of life, from all parts of the country. So no, I don't see it on my doorstep but I sure belief it is damn-well happening and is just going to get worse. I don't know how we are going to manage bills and food and childcare on what on paper is a very good income, so the hell is everyone else doing it!?

To those who don't believe it, please leave your bubbles and go to food banks, poorer towns or even ask people on MN if they are struggling rather than being blind to it all.

God. The fatlogic in this thread already.

The poor are good at having too many children. The logical solution is surely to BBQ a few of the podgy ones.

I would assume that approximately 10% of people polled reported extreme financial difficulties - they have just multiplied that percentage out across the population as a whole . How random the 2000 people were - who knows ? I would agree that it's not a large enough number to be truly representative .

Sorry OP, these figures are utterly inaccurate and bordering on disreputable; as far as I recall from their last outing they're a second hand rehash of a survey conducted by a charity that works with the most vulnerable. To take the findings of a niche survey and extrapolate them by 10s of thousands to equal uk population is utterly unhelpful and directs attention away from those most in need.

The Guardian just prints what their readers want to read. And Guardian readers want to read that poor people are going hungry, can't afford to pay their bills, having to sell their meagre possessions just to keep the wolf from the door.

This thread kind of explains why the tories have won the last 4 elections.

We didn't used to be such a right wing country, what went wrong?

To those who don't believe it, please leave your bubbles and go to food banks, poorer towns or even ask people on MN if they are struggling rather than being blind to it all.

Those who don't believe it would rather rely on statistics and data - if they can't actually see it, it isn't happening. That's a problem in this world we live in now, people spend more time 'researching' on their computers than actually looking at how others might be living.

Sorry to PP but the term 'relative poverty' is utter nonsense and shouldn't be used. The term is used widely by charities, media and others for purely party political reasons. Why? Because lots of people fall into that category. I did, apparently, but never felt poor.

By definition, there will always be a hefty proportion of the population living in relative poverty.

Even if the average person person earned £1m then someone on £40k would be living in relative poverty. It is a nonsense.

It is also deceptive and dangerous because it masks the real statistics of people living in absolute poverty/deprivation.

I would like to see proper definitions of deprivation and the look at year on year stats for the last 40-50 years.

Some people are struggling, they absolutely are. But until we get a true picture, we will not know the true extent of this crisis.

I live in quite a deprived area. A lot of people don't work and are home all day. I see people getting Deliveroo all the time, sometimes more than once a day! I don't know how they afford it.

Again you are imagining an issue that isn’t there.

I know it’s an emotive topic but honestly give it some thought beyond people just ‘care about research’.

You don’t have to respond to click bait articles and headlines without thinking how did they arrive at this number. For any article you see not just the ones that align with your view.

There’s no point in getting upset with anyone who does question it. More or Less is a good programme to show how headlines can be used for emotive articles - although all they do is look at context maybe not for you.

Benefit claimants inc those on working benefits got a 3% rise, when inflation is already over 10%, energy prices have doubled, even with Government support.

But still the cry is Poverty? what Poverty!

Funny how the Guardian is a click bait headline but a link to a Times etc isn't, i guess what is or isn't depends on your politics.

Why do people keep voting conservative. It completely bamboozles me - if you want a fairer society with more equitable distribution of wealth than you vote Labour (or tactically for Lib Dems)

I vote Labour although it's in my narrow personal interests to vote Tory (husband and already pay multiple 000,000s in tax) because I remember what it's like to be financially disadvantaged. It's hard not to lose sympathy with Jo average voting tory - what are they thinking? (Are they even thinking)

People aren't voting Labour because Momentum scare the crap out of people. They come across as an authoritarian group who are more interested in neoliberal identity politics than socialism.

Fair enough, people don't believe the survey. Perhaps they will believe the death rates then. Life expectancy was actually FALLING in the poorest communities in the UK since Tory austerity was introduced, so pre covid. Poverty has also been sited as a reason children have been taken into care recently.

Not that I expect the above to make a single bit of difference to Tory voters.

You don’t have to respond to click bait articles and headlines without thinking how did they arrive at this number. For any article you see not just the ones that align with your view.
There’s no point in getting upset with anyone who does question it. More or Less is a good programme to show how headlines can be used for emotive articles - although all they do is look at context maybe not for you.

Please stop responding to me - you are totally missing the point!!

Kendodd - I read a medical article a while ago, where it stated that for the first time evidence showed that life expectancy was falling due to our unhealthy love of junk food.

I am in my 50s so when I was growing up it was very much a case of meals cooked from scratch and fish and chips was a very rare treat. Look at how many fast food places there are now, the McDonalds in my local shopping centre is always really busy, the same for KFC and all the other take away outlets

I genuinely think that there are some families who are really struggling but I think it depends on what a person's perception of poverty is. That will be different depending on the era you were brought up in.