As for the differences between socialists and Conservatives, if the latter had indicated that they were going to remove the winter fuel allowance of millions of pensioners this winter, they would have been vilified from the end to end of Britain.
But because it's a Labour government going to do it, everything is played down by its disciples.
I think the people of the UK, 12 months down the line are going to bitterly regret voting for them after having fallen for the anti-Tory hype we've seen over the past few years.
A cynic might say that few pensioners are Labour voters, and many won't be around come the next General election, so they're an easy target.
Silver Voices' Dennis Reed said: "The scrapping of the allowance for most pensioners is a targeted attack on those who have devoted their working lives to this nation and who are least able to fight back. "The Chancellor knows that this measure will greatly increase pensioner poverty." Dame Harriet Baldwin, a Tory MP and former chair of the Treasury committee, branded the move a "chilling political choice" as
it emerged that having £11,350 a year was is enough to lose the Winter Fuel Payment.
The national Minimum wage for 2024 is £11.44 an hour, so someone who is working and works 40 hours a week would earn £457.60 a week = £23.795 a year. In contrast with that, pensioner on £11,350 who will lose their winter fuel allowance yet will be on half the income of someone on the minimum wage. True, pensioners aren’t working, but most of today’s pensioners did do from age 15 to 65 and paid taxes and N.I. Male pensioners in their 80s will also have served two years compulsory National Service in the armed forces from age 18 to 20, and will have spent their early years living in real austerity, with food and clothing rationed, power cuts & coal shortages.
I was born in 1939, and food rationing didn't end until I was fifteen. Aged 85, my wife and I will lose the winter fuel allowance, but we'll just roll with it, as we did when the free TV licence was scrapped. Like many of my generation, if someone asks me how I'm doing, I don't reel off a litany of 'ain't it awful' ailments and woes, I'm more likely to say 'mustn't grumble, can't complain or 'middling on'. The mottos we grew up with have stood us in good stead: 'Cut your suit according to your cloth, penny wise-pound foolish, waste not want not, many a mickle makes a muckle', you've made your bed - you'll have to lie on it', don't cry over spilled milk'. If I'd have gone to the doctor's to say 'I'm depressed' or 'down in the dumps' he'd probably have said 'work it off' - not put me on a waiting list to see a therapist.
The mantra of Rachel Reeves has been 'we won't do what we can't afford'. Well giving inflation-busting pay rise of 5.5% and now 22%, to hopefully buy off the Trade Unions who bankroll Labour seems at odds with that. She also said 'we'll get the economy going' but cancelling a whole raft of infrastructure projects such as hospital building seems at odds with that. No doubt in their desire to get waiting lists down, which is sorely needed, the only way to do that in the short terms will be to get doctors and nurses to work longer shifts and rest days, which will of course be at much higher pay rates, in addition to increased employer pension contributions for generous public sector pensions.
It will be interesting to see how many more Public Sector pay demands come out of the woodwork.
Not ranting - just saying.
