to wonder if people expect the government to solve all their problems?

[LadyHarmby]

Just listening to the news, interviewing people in the street.

No government can change the fact that some people are rich and some are not. Or that wars in other countries and/or pandemics will affect the price of things.

Inappropriate content on social media. Unsafe cladding on blocks of flats put there by private developers. Being housed outside of your area by the council. Zero hours contracts. All issues that the government seem to be expected to sort out? Is it reasonable?

BTW I’m a Labour voter so this is not about the Tories, more government in general.

Yes a lot of people do. You hear a lot of moans of ‘They’ should do this and ‘They’ should do that without actually being proactive and doing anything themselves.

No, no government is going to fix everything. Their main priority is the top 5 or so major things that do impact everyone - war in Ukraine, economy, safer streets etc. The rest they will chip away at and solve a few things for some people but never resolve it completely. I think some people have unrealistic expectations too.

Yes I think people think the government are a replacement for their parents and that citizens are entitled to act like angry teens rebelling, arguing and complaining nonstop instead of solving their own problems.
It’s a very dependent mindset. You see it in the opposition government as well.

You think political decisions don’t impact on wealth inequality? That legislature has no impact on safe building practice? That the law has no influence on contracts of any sort?

if you think that then there might not be much point belonging to any party.

The government is literally there for the people. So yes, they are expected to solve the problems people face. What is the point of them otherwise???

as someone who is affected by cladding, believe me - leaseholders are trying to “sort it out” but the situation is so complex and the players so big that only a Govt stands a chance of resolving it.

YABU FFS. What do you expect in return for your vote and paying taxes?

governments can sort out regulation and prevent wealth from being drained from the country.

They could protect our natural resources and ensure that it benefits citizens, not corporates.

They could pay their own staff a decent living wage.

Seriously.

How absurd.

Well it would be nice if they could stop creating problems. Perhaps when they stop being the root of most of the catastrophe in this country people will stop looking to them to solve it.

Inappropriate content on social media. Unsafe cladding on blocks of flats put there by private developers. Being housed outside of your area by the council. Zero hours contracts. All issues that the government seem to be expected to sort out? Is it reasonable?

Buildings have to comply with a whole host of standards, laws and regulations. Of course it comes down to the government to ensure a safe standard of building.

Council housing by its very nature is the responsibility of the government.

Zero hours contracts, are you against a working directive and workers rights? In the UK we have a minimum of acceptability in terms of employment contracts, of course this ultimately is an area of government responsibility since the government are legislating.

Viewing these things as not the responsibility of the government is a very ‘small government’ point of view and not something typically associated with those to the left.

I don't expect them to sort all my problems, but as someone with a long term chronic health condition (diagnosed 15 years ago) I have experienced the decline of the NHS. It used to be so much easier for me to ask for help when I needed it. Now I have much lower expectations that my GP will be able to make referrals for me or even give me a face to face apt. It's not unrealistic to think that a different government would be able to turn this around if they really wanted to. A lot of my family members are public sector workers and all they've known for years is budget cut after budget cut. I use my vote to support the party that I think will prioritise public services.

@PeekabooAtTheZoo Yes I think people think the government are a replacement for their parents and that citizens are entitled to act like angry teens rebelling, arguing and complaining nonstop instead of solving their own problems.

What do you think the purpose of a government is?

Absolutely. 100% agree. Why bother having a vote if the government is not there to serve the interests of the population.

It entirely depends on what you mean by “all” their problems..
I don’t expect the government to sort out my DD’s sleep or make her not disabled or frequently I’ll.
I do expect them to enable a functioning and properly funded health care system.
i don’t expect the/a government to help me get a job, despite this current government’s assertion that carers choose to be carers. I don’t have a choice because of the extent of my DD’s disabilities. I do expect a government to be aware that there are “tiers” of carers and that when someone like me who is intelligent and capable should be able to work but I’m destined to poverty because carer’s allowance is a nod to my caring rather than a salary there might be a way of assistance that doesn’t denigrate me to a “benefits scrounger” .
i don’t expect a government to make my daughter of even average intelligence but I do expect them to find and enable schools to provide the therapy that she needs.
i don’t expect a government to resolve the disgusting manner that the NHS deals with sexual assaults by NHS staff but I do expect them to consider and enable independent investigations (same applies to police eg ) but as I’m only addressing some of my problems..

im sometimes astonished at the things the government is expected to solve

oh I’m in poverty, oh I can’t pay my rent, oh I can’t afford childcare, oh I’m cold…………….

well not everyone is in that position so do self reflect and also those issues I mentioned are subsidised by millions and millions of pounds by the government each year.

Obviously they cannot cover every single life scenario in their proposals and funding so I sympathise in some circumstances

Of course the government is there to change and improve lives.
It is the austerity we have all lived under for so long way before Covid/ Ukraine etc that has caused so many problems.
The government set the rules and laws we all live under e.g lockdown etc
Everything goes through government including how many exams kids sit, how many social homes get built and who creams off the profits unchallenged.
It goes without saying that a well fed, healthy, educated, well housed population are least likely to turn to crime, homelessness, poor health, low aspiration, overburden on social services etc.
This model the last 12 years has not worked as working people need food banks and cant access vital services.
I am all for people helping themselves but with no foundation of support it affects everything else.
It will only get worse too. What a strange post.
Of course its government look at countries with extreme governments such as Iran or Russia. The people we elect work for us. In theory anyway

What I expect from the government is adequately funded police, education, health, housing etc

they are failing at those things as they are too busy focusing on social funding and solving people’s problems and popularity politics

Sorry for spelling errors- child is ill in my arms again

Is this a joke? The government has role to play in all these things .

No government can change the fact that some people are rich and some are not

Policy decisions can reduce the gap between the richest and poorest, which is why you see less wealth inequality in most other European countries than you do in the UK (and why you see an even bigger gap in the USA).

Since the government govern by bringing in policies and making or changing laws then yes, they are responsible for many of these things.

There will always be rich and poor, but "They" as in the government can amend benefits as they did with the UC uplift during the pandemic, and reverse them...or change them...
They can also leave open or close loopholes for tax avoidance, set the limits for tax brackets, capital gains, inheritance tax and corporation tax. ....so taking both sides of the coin they can either widen , or (at least try to) close the gap between rich and poor.
They can make laws surrounding inappropriate or dangerous content on social media (Molly Russell's parents are campaigning for this at the moment)
They can and should hold companies or councils accountable for using unsuitable and dangerous cladding on buildings...and surely some previous government must have passed or approved the law that allowed zero hours contracts!

I definitely agree and because I remember the times when we had very high inflation and high interest rates I have noticed the shift in the expectations of people for the government to prop them up, compared to years ago.

Ha! Good one OP. Very funny. You nearly had me going there! 😂

I expect them not to make things worse for the most vulnerable and impoverished, and to fix it when they fuck that up

I don't expect the government to "solve all our problems". I expect the government not to create problems or make things worse.

I have been massively disappointed by our government.