Letters

Still Three Weeks to Budget Day, and the Jury’s on its way Back

4th October 2024

Our new Government’s apparent method of saving money by killing off us Geriatrics is gathering momentum even before the Budget, but as promised I’m still awaiting the final death knell before making further comment.  However I have to register my extreme disappointment at the response of my new Rother Valley MP to the pensioners’ recent  demonstration against the Fuel Allowance cuts outside his Constituency office. 

My wife and I  have lived in Rotherham for some 24 years now, during which time we have been represented by MPs from both ends of the political spectrum, and who have both during their tenure had to deal with active protesters, But this is the first time to my knowledge that any such protest or demonstration has been met by having  the door slammed in their faces. If this is to be the attitude of our new Government to any future disagreement,  then I fear instead of the change being the breath of fresh air we hoped for we have merely swapped one catastrophe for another.

C.David Foulstone

Rotherham Green Party

Thinking of ways to fill the Government’s financial “Black Hole”,  besides robbing pensioners with incomes over the Universal Credit Limit of their fuel allowances, and using the Government’s figure of £1.3 billion saved by the cutting of the Winter fuel allowances, I’ve come up with a few ideas . 

Let’s start with our Billionaires. A 2percent wealth tax on Jim Radclffe (sounds familiar?, think fracking and plastics) would raise £470 million, and on all our billionaires a total of £1.6 billion.  We’ve exceeded our winter fuel saving cut already 

Excess Profits tax on Energy Companies.  A similar 2percent tax on Shell and BP alone could raise £1.4billion, not counting all the others.

Closer to home, our MPs have just been awarded a £5000 a year salary increase,( and that’s just the basic sum, those with the titles of Minister, Chancellor, Secretary or Chairperson get far more).  A 50 percent reduction of that increase would save another £1.6 billion, and would hardly be noticed on top of the £86400 basic pay plus increments they were already getting. 

Then of course we have Mp’s and Ministers Expenses. The list of outgoings claimable by MPs etc.as expenses, but regarded by us ordinary mortals (including pensioners) as day-to-day household and work outgoings, is legion, but just by way of an example our new Chancellor, Rachelle Reeves, the promoter of the pensioners allowance cuts, was in 2019 paid the sum of over £214000 in expenses, and in 2023 claimed the sum of £3700 for the heating of her house in London alone, rather more than the pensioners £300 allowance, and in those days she wasn’t even the Chancellor, just an MP and the chairperson of some obscure Parliamentary committee

Hang about, that’s just the elected members, what about the salaried professionals.  Sally Gray, senior Aide and advisor to Sir Keir Starmer, has just been awarded the record salary of £170000, so she could afford a bob or two.

Mind you,  her salary pales into nothing compared with that of Sarah Bentley, who recently resigned from Thames Water after it was revealed that under her leadership the reported leaks from the system had been the highest ever. Her salary including incentives and bonuses was reported to have been £3million.

As I wrote a few weeks ago, Britain is awash with money, it’s just all in the wrong places 

C. David Foulstone

Rotherham Green Party

The Jurys still out, but not happy

20th September 2024

Keir Starmer’s  new Labour Government is, I read, continuing his assault on pensioners. After winning the vote on restricting the Winter Fuel Allowance, albeit with a number of revolts and abstentions, they are now considering cancelling pensioners free Bus Passes and, a far more damaging assault on the over sixties right to life, pensioner’s Free Prescription Charges. 

A  greater threat to this nation’s wealth and survival is however their decision to join the Trans Pacific Trade Pact, the CPTPP. The same objections as when the last Government applied still stand, firstly that we already have better trade agreements with the Pacific nations with which we do business, secondly it is estimated that trade within this Pact will benefit Britain’s trade balance less than 1 tenth of 1 percent, but thirdly and most dangerously, it will be signed with the pact’s integral ISDS clause still valid, which means that any refusal by us to accept inferior imports to the detriment of this nation’s farming or manufacturing standards could be met by £multi billion enforceable damage claims from the Trade Pacts ISDS kangaroo courts. Whatever advantage membership of the CPTPP is to Keir Starmer’s Labour Government, I see no advantage to the ordinary British citizen, his business or his welfare.