The impact of the ’fiscal event’

Well a momentous few weeks in world and local history.  My job as an SNP councillor is to help everyone in the Ward, but wear my Party hat when the time is right.  However, the fact that Queen Elizabeth Second died peacefully in Scotland and the Tories died violently in Westminster illustrates our late sovereign had more dignity in death than our reigning government in the capital has had in life.  But the difference with her representing the people, irrespective of your views on monarchy, is hers was duty and our honourable friends in the other palace has always been about avoiding it.

There are times in every politician’s life when wearing the Party hat is not always what is in the Party bag.  But this so called mini budget has covered just about every Tory invention known to the media script, but with an alternative agenda.  You would think pulling the cap on bankers’ bonuses, helping the top earners keep just enough to cover the school fees, Mercedes and room for a pony would have struck some within the Truss cabal as maybe not a great idea, but no. Then there is the help with stamp duty, which should assist the building of even more opulent duck houses, because who in the lower income bracket can afford rising mortgage rates, or the cost of selling and moving? To follow after the initial shock, Truss announces she want to obliterate the Unions.

So here we have it, the Tories being the Party of the rich, which of course includes their wealthy donors, however, there seems to be a problem.  For all their antics in Chamber, there are those amongst them who have to think of the poorer voters in their own constituency, those whose votes are propping up their pension, and how are they reacting to this budget?  Will there be disharmony in the ranks?  What happens if it all goes horribly wrong and their seat is lost?  In other words, what is in this budget for them?

The truth is, it has played straight into opposition hands and now the mask has slipped.  It is no shock to those who even dispassionately follow politics.  But the stereotypical Tory has finally risen to show the colours of not just the red, white and blue.  But the block colour of yellow.  The colour of cowardliness and greed.  There are few who could not read into this manifesto of absurdity of the fact that the lower paid of us all includes nurses, care home and social workers, hospitality and call centre staff, and the thousands on contracts which pay little or nothing compared to the work done.  

However, even if they do have an exit strategy, with a concern they are put out and Labour, or some kind of coalition take the reins, the hatred of them will last longer than the mess they have left behind.  We saw this at the end of the Blair/Brown era when the catastrophe became so great they almost flung the baton to the Tories thinking it would sink them and Labour would get a swift return.  It’s taken almost a generation to forgive the Labour Party, but with the combination of Brexit and economic disaster, it’s hard to watch as the hardest hit are being systematically thrown to the financial wolves to be chewed up and devoured.  Not so the Fat Cats.

It is without doubt the worst budget I’ve ever had to sit down and go through with a fine tooth comb.  I cannot see anything that endears me to any aspect with the singular exception of Stamp duty, which seems to have been the only carrot thrown to the under class, for it appears a further class war is looming as the barriers have been erected again. It’s not a club you can join without an invitation.

So here we go again, Tories hate the Unions and the little people.  Does this all sound familiar?  Is Thatcher alive and well and living in another body? Will we see Liz Truss in a tank in the Ukraine?  Will the Chancellor be selling off places like Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales?  For according to them, it would be cheaper.  The truth is, if we want Independence they just may offer it up on a plate if a General Election is not called before next October, and sold again for English gold because the parcel of rogues are bankrupted by their own hand, their Darien Scheme beset by epidemics, trade blockades and lack of collaboration and sieges.  The lessons of the past have not been learnt, but alienation of not one nation but too many to hold as enemies, may just be the time for the Conservative and Unionist Party to hang up their ermines and go.  Will we live to see the monster die?  I think we just have to endure what is coming and wait for the slaughter, unfortunately if you are living on a State Pension, then enduring is all we can do, death by politics is alive and well, life by taking control of ourselves is our only salvation, but maybe we just need that extra push to survive devastation, there is no place now for the faint hearted.

Aileen Orr

2 Comments

  1. Who has forgiven Labour ? – They are still the same bunch of hypocritical two timing delusional misfits.

    They are as bad – seeing them play the Westminster game week in ,week out all pals together.

    We can do better – without them !

    1. So who do we replace the Tories with? Or do you want them to stay? They are trailing Labour substantially. We are never going to like any Party in Government in Westminster, none of them are Pro Independence, but this Tory Government is extreme. Whatever replaces them, be it an uncomfortable coalition with the Libs, or a minuscule majority, which means nothing gets done, it is never going to endear them to Scottish voters.

      Aileen Orr

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