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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To Think Rishi is Delusional

153 replies

Sunshineguy · 20/04/2024 13:12

The Prime Minister wants people to shrug off increased ill health. Is he delusional? Fatigue is categorized as a mental health issue for long term disability benefits. Fatigue is also the most common symptom of Long Covid. Is Rishi right to say we're a nation of shirkers? Or is he ignoring the presence of a new virus that is disabling people? Has your health improved or worsened since Covid arrived?

OP posts:
HappyEater · 20/04/2024 13:13

I don’t know anyone who has health issues since Covid.

Catza · 20/04/2024 13:29

No changes to my health after three bounds of COVID, however this is pure luck. We have robust statistics which show Long COVID is a serious issue (albeit the vast majority of those affected recover within the first year) but the funding which was available for specialist services since 2020 has been cut as of this April. I am not sure where the small proportion of people who don't recover are supposed to go. "Away" seems to be the government's solution.

tennesseewhiskey1 · 20/04/2024 13:30

Improved for me. I also know no less than 3 people who are off on long term ‘ill health’ who aren’t actually ill - they just don’t what to work. Before you accuse me of not knowing if they are telling the truth - I do, I work with them and they’ve told a few people this. All have sick notes from the Dr. One is currently on holiday in Ghana - he rang me a few weeks ago.

TigerRag · 20/04/2024 13:31

Worsened partly due to waiting lists

ATerrorofLeftovers · 20/04/2024 13:36

He’s not delusional. That would imply he seriously believes what he says, but isn’t seeing reality. He sees reality.

He knows his government is responsible for a significant proportion of the ill health and disability he’s whingeing about. He just doesn’t care. He doesn’t care about the people, he just wants to save money and look good to the Tory party faithful and stoke up resentment among hard working yet poor people, to turn them against and blame their fellow citizens.

randomchap · 20/04/2024 13:44

So the party which has decimated the NHS and mental health services in particular are now surprised that there's more people off ill with mental health issues?

Maybe if they were in any way competent then they would see the link and actually try to help people.

I guess there's no way for their friends and cronies to make money that way though.

VeterinaryCareAssistant · 20/04/2024 13:49

I'll probably get hated but oh well...

Maybe this is the push some people need though, like you can't just not live your life or go to work because of (some) mental health issues. If people are not going to get benefits then they'll have to push themselves out of their safe spaces comfort zone and face up to having to work.

Cornettoninja · 20/04/2024 13:51

The only thing that party should be announcing is a general election date not pissing around exploiting their position trying to win votes.

They have zero mandate in their current incarnation and are introducing major changes without putting it to the electorate in a manifesto.

even if you don’t put much stock in the polls it’s pretty clear that they no longer represent a majority or even a sizeable minority, the figures are too drastic to be ignored totally.

Exasperatednow · 20/04/2024 13:52

HappyEater · 20/04/2024 13:13

I don’t know anyone who has health issues since Covid.

Edited

Love the anecdote

Personally I know lots of people with long covid. Mostly nhs staff.

Cornettoninja · 20/04/2024 13:56

VeterinaryCareAssistant · 20/04/2024 13:49

I'll probably get hated but oh well...

Maybe this is the push some people need though, like you can't just not live your life or go to work because of (some) mental health issues. If people are not going to get benefits then they'll have to push themselves out of their safe spaces comfort zone and face up to having to work.

I don’t hate you but I also don’t think it would be as transformative as you paint here. Some would get into work, without stabilising their condition because there’s no increase in treatments alongside this plan, some would simply fall into further poverty/homelessness and some would turn to crime. There’s also no investment in education or training alongside this goal of removing benefits after a year.

it’s simple rabble rousing with zero substance addressing the actual root of the problem.

I think we’re likely to see a massive rise in problems associated with poverty rather than a huge rise in gainful employment.

0sm0nthus · 20/04/2024 14:21

ATerrorofLeftovers · 20/04/2024 13:36

He’s not delusional. That would imply he seriously believes what he says, but isn’t seeing reality. He sees reality.

He knows his government is responsible for a significant proportion of the ill health and disability he’s whingeing about. He just doesn’t care. He doesn’t care about the people, he just wants to save money and look good to the Tory party faithful and stoke up resentment among hard working yet poor people, to turn them against and blame their fellow citizens.

This sums it up for me!

roses2 · 20/04/2024 14:34

He's not delusional. People have become very workshy since covid (and Brexit). People doing shit jobs, not caring about the quality of the work etc.

You can see it from the posts on mumsnet. Crap service in restaurants, general customer service has gone down the pan. Even white collar office workers aren't the same calibre as they used to be.

It's too easy to go on benefits at the moment and hide behind "mental health" when sometimes it's just plain laziness.

HappyEater · 20/04/2024 14:34

Exasperatednow · 20/04/2024 13:52

Love the anecdote

Personally I know lots of people with long covid. Mostly nhs staff.

Love your anecdote

gailedit · 20/04/2024 14:39

My daughter is 17

Had a good start in life and amazing memories. 100% school attendance until Y7 when she started getting bullied.

Changed schools in Y9, we moved houses
Problems in new school, couldn’t fit in with stabileshed friendship groups.

Self harmed, suicide attempts, eating disorder, I had to buy clothes size 7-8 for kids (she was size 12 in Y7)

Transfered to a special school in Y11 reduced time table, but that was too late

She has no GCSE’s. Is taking online tutoring.

Agoraphobic, can’t leave the house. Exists betwen her bedroom, bathroom, kitchen.

Her 1st psychiatrist, which took ages on the NHS waiting list to get a turn to see him, was good but he left. After months, 2nd psychiatrist was unprofessional during the video consultation and refused to review her medication unless she came for a in person consultation at his practice, ignoring the fact that she does not even leave her bedroom and advising that I bribe her like a toddler. He also quickly left and now we are waiting on a 3rd psychiatrist to be allocated and start it all over again. Her medication dose needs increasing.

I guess Sunak would call her lazy.

gailedit · 20/04/2024 14:40

VeterinaryCareAssistant · 20/04/2024 13:49

I'll probably get hated but oh well...

Maybe this is the push some people need though, like you can't just not live your life or go to work because of (some) mental health issues. If people are not going to get benefits then they'll have to push themselves out of their safe spaces comfort zone and face up to having to work.

Tell me you never had MH issues and doesn’t know anyone who does…

I used to (shamefully) think along those lines untill it happened in my own home

gailedit · 20/04/2024 14:42

Cornettoninja · 20/04/2024 13:56

I don’t hate you but I also don’t think it would be as transformative as you paint here. Some would get into work, without stabilising their condition because there’s no increase in treatments alongside this plan, some would simply fall into further poverty/homelessness and some would turn to crime. There’s also no investment in education or training alongside this goal of removing benefits after a year.

it’s simple rabble rousing with zero substance addressing the actual root of the problem.

I think we’re likely to see a massive rise in problems associated with poverty rather than a huge rise in gainful employment.

And some would simply commit suicide

millymollymoomoo · 20/04/2024 14:45

There are too many shirkers and work shy
we need to get these people into work

some can’t. But many can /could but feel a sense of entitlement. That needs to stop

DancefloorAcrobatics · 20/04/2024 14:46

HappyEater · 20/04/2024 13:13

I don’t know anyone who has health issues since Covid.

Edited

I know one person who has health issues since catching covid.

Was a fit & healthy before. Long covid isn't a myth.

Sadly Richi knows exactly what he's doing.... meanwhile elsewhere...

WingSluts · 20/04/2024 14:53

Long Covid is definitely not just an excuse. I have it and while currently manage to hold down a professional job full time, I can see that changing quite soon. At the end of the work day, beset by brain fog and horrendous aches and pains, I eat them go to bed. I spend the entire weekend in bed sleeping or resting. I’ve seen half a dozen specialists both privately and in the NHS and there is nothing ‘treatable’ wrong with me. I keep being told to rest more, take things easy. But if I’m resting more then the mortgage isn’t being paid thanks to Liz Truss tanking the economy.

I am 35 and otherwise fit and healthy, not overweight, drink maybe two glasses of wine per week and don’t smoke. Yet I have less energy than my grandmother.

I am not entitled to any benefits that would offset reducing my hours or giving up work entirely. It’s very difficult to see a way out of this and I’m not quite sure what Rishi would like me and people like me to do.

Bignanna · 20/04/2024 15:23

Sunshineguy · 20/04/2024 13:12

The Prime Minister wants people to shrug off increased ill health. Is he delusional? Fatigue is categorized as a mental health issue for long term disability benefits. Fatigue is also the most common symptom of Long Covid. Is Rishi right to say we're a nation of shirkers? Or is he ignoring the presence of a new virus that is disabling people? Has your health improved or worsened since Covid arrived?

He didn’t say he wanted people to shrug off increased ill health! He wants people who can work to do so. Not unreasonable.

TuesdayWhistler · 20/04/2024 15:26

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

ICantThinkofAnythingClever · 20/04/2024 15:45

I just don't understand people in this country anymore. It seems like you're supposed to work yourself to death, otherwise you're a lazy bum, never get ill, but if you do it's your own fault for not dieting or exercising enough, any joy in life must be given up or shamed as self-indulgence, and once you're done with this life of grind you're supposed to die right away to avoid being a burden as an old or disabled person.

What is the point of life then? Why even go on living, have children etc, if working like a mule is the only thing that matters? Who benefits from this miserable, judgemental, puritanical approach?

The answer is, of course, Rishi Sunak his ilk- they benefit because they've never actually worked a single day in their lives and yet they get to tell regular people to police each other and tear each other apart over things like getting a sick note when you're ill.

There is an ongoing (yes! ongoing! as per the WHO!) pandemic in the world and the UK was worse hit than other countries due to mismanaging things horrifically since the beginning. As a result, people are more sick than before 2020- and they were already getting more sick due to the NHS being dismantled. Also, because of a self-inflicted economic crisis (thanks Liz Truss!) and ongoing warmongering globally, people's mental health is suffering, which is a perfectly logical response to dire circumstances.

All of that is objective reality, no matter how much governmental propaganda about Covid being over and the NHS being fine people try to deceive themselves with. So, threatening and pushing sick people more will achieve nothing, except the sick people will become destitute or kill themselves more often.

StridTheKiller · 20/04/2024 15:49

It would suit him perfectly if we all just killed ourselves.

HappyEater · 20/04/2024 15:51

StridTheKiller · 20/04/2024 15:49

It would suit him perfectly if we all just killed ourselves.

All who?

Anotherparkingthread · 20/04/2024 15:53

HappyEater · 20/04/2024 15:51

All who?

Using common sense I'd deduce that the poster is disabled and in receipt of disability benefits.