“Now that inflation is halved and our growth is stronger,” says Sunak, “we can begin the next phase by kowtowing to the far right head bangers in the Tory party and trying to bribe the electorate into voting for us at the next election.” No, wait. “We can begin the next phase and turn our attention to cutting tax“. Does he think we are all stupid? Of course, he does. Bribery has worked before so why not try it again? He’s going to cut taxes in a “serious and responsible way“. Aren’t there other, more pressing priorities?
Ooh, let’s think. How about 300,000 homeless people, three million people using food banks, eight million on NHS waiting lists with treatment in some areas – and I am talking about you, mental health services – virtually non existent and schools literally falling to pieces? Not for three quarters of a billion in the bank Sunak, owner of four vast properties, one of which is a beachfront property in Los Angeles. Let’s cut inheritance tax, a move that would eventually benefit his daughters to the tune of hundreds of millions of pounds and almost no one else, and cut benefits to the chronically sick and disabled to pay for it! “Vote for me to be even wealthier!” is an odd clarion call by “our” prime minister, but doubtless Tory spin doctors and focus groups have told him it will gain him votes.
A cut in income tax would be welcome in the sense that I could probably afford an extra bottle of wine every month, but I am a little old fashioned and I would far rather have any spare money be spent on those who need it most, like those in pain on NHS waiting lists. Maybe a few more doctors and nurses, some extra coppers on the beat would be nice given the large increase in crime since the Conservatives were elected in 2010.
That inflation has been halved is nothing to do with Sunak anyway. He blamed other factors when inflation was over 10% but now claims falling inflation as his great achievement. Yeah right. And growth is virtually static. Yet here’s another thing. Sunak wants to give the impression that the national debt is falling so he can now cut taxes, but it’s not falling. It’s still rising at a slower rate. It’s like when these shysters try to make us think that falling inflation means falling prices.
You don’t have to be a card carrying hardline socialist to want public services to be improved so that you can get a GP appointment and (insert your own public service that’s failing because under Sunak you have a lot to choose from). Nothing works and everything is broken is how people feel at the moment and a pre election bribe of our own money – there is no such thing as government money – is not, I suggest what people want.
Sunak’s “next phase” is a long campaign towards the next general election, a slow motion throw of the dice, mixed up with culture wars, blaming desperate refugees for the mess the Tories have made of the immigration system and seeking to divide us all to prepare a way for them to maintain power.
If we want more of this, we can vote for Sunak and, incredibly it seems to me, a quarter of the electorate will still vote for this ragbag of chancers. More of the same would suggest we are a nation of losers, pessimists and masochists. My big fear is that enough of us are.
