Latest Moan From You and Me 2024

I haven't received anything about that! I wonder if there's also a "lottery" for who gets the invitation to express an interest. Or maybe our post is just slow.
In any case if it's weekday daytimes it will be limited to people who don't work those hours or can get time off, so it won't exactly be a representative sample of the entire community. But then, if it's a box-ticking exercise I suppose it doesn't matter.

 

There is a lot of cynicism in this thread. Maybe some people in government are trying to get it right. You never know

 

How many goes do they get, 5 yrs worth I guess.

 

Why not? @pete The other lot had 14 years to stuff it up. It'll take longer than a few months to sort out the mess.

 

Do you think anyone is capable of sorting out the mess, I'm not convinced, the country is broke, and I think its gone too far now.
Its like gardening, the job is never finished, and when someone else moves in they just rearrange it to how they want it, we are just pawns stuck in the middle and expendable.

 

The last 4 years were stuffed by Covid. Both lockdown and the economic effects during and after. No Government would/could have been prepared for that. Yes there were plenty of massive mistakes during that period, but decisions had to be made very, very quickly. I doubt any flavour of Government would have had a very different outcome. Hopefully we never have the need to test that theory.

 

And the ten years before?

 

They said today, apparently they spent 400 billion on covid, now whatever you think about what went on at that time it makes the now famous black hole seem a bit silly.

You cant deny that we would be in a much better place now if covid and the war in Ukraine had never happened.

 

@BB3 have you forgotten that 14 years ago the Toriesinherited a country whose cupboard was bare? That's why there was austerity!

I don't think austerity is a good plan and I don't think spending your way out of a financial hole is either, especially when it means hitting the pensioners who can't take on extra work to fill their own financial hole or hitting farmers and small businesses but they have less collectivity and financial and political clout than big business and the rich so make an easy target.

@KT53 here were studies done and advisers saying that there needed to be a contingency plan in the event of a pandemic but the UK, and other governments, chose not to invest in the measures needed to face one. In the event, not being prepared is very much more expensive to life and finances than having a game plan ready to go.

 

Lockdowns crippled the economy ... but the wealthy gained hugely. Prior to meetings of those in charge in October 2019, these had never been part of any pandemic planning anywhere in the world, because experts knew the devastation these would cause, killing many more than were "saved", and crippling economies. And yet suddenly the whole world moved in lockstep and those pushing lockdowns gained the most.

If you want to generate enough fear to get vaccine passports and mandates accepted, lockdowns are marvellous tools. But tax payers will feel the burnt for decades and the damage done to children and teens may last a lifetime. That some are saying in the next pandemic lockdowns should be quicker and tougher shows no regard for those who suffer most during them.

 

With all this money rised are we going to see any good come of it or is it going to be throw money at things in a hope they sort them self's out

 

I’m amazed (not really) that they didn’t put a tax on sugar. Going round the towns here it’s like looking at Mr and Mrs Beanbag. The strain on their clothes must be nothing to the strain on the health service.

 

But sugar may be less of a problem than artificial sweeteners.