“That’ll cost you …”

 

The Truss v Sunak farce is coming to a close today. Phew – this was beyond tedious but it showed up the mental and intellectual emptiness of the coming PM in all its horrifying glory. She will have to watch her back though because the outgoing PM is certain not to let go – not when he’s ‘taking a swipe’ at her over fracking and ‘promises £700m for Sizewell (link, paywalled). Bit late, innit, for combatting the current energy crisis. 

Even now one of the PM’s supporters tells his readers that the Tories ‘made a nuclear error sacking Boris Johnson’ (link). Oh really? Isn’t it rather the case that the collective Westminster political ‘editors’ and columnists want Johnson to remain because he always provides them with ‘good copy’? For example, look at this morning’s  front page of the Star:

 “GENIUS BOZO SOLVES UK’S ENERGY CRISIS – Pot … Kettle … Prat … As Gas & Electricity bills rise to £3,459 a year, our PM suggest we can all save a whopping £10 by forking out on a new Morphy Richards’.” (link to the usual front pages  compilation)

Well, that made me giggle – giggling is sorely needed in these times, especially when I came across a report in the DM, on another ‘expert’ projecting into the future:

“Families may be asked to cut their energy usage this winter to avoid blackouts if the weather ‘doesn’t go in our favour’, an energy expert has warned. Kathryn Porter, an energy consultant at Watt-Logic has said that due to the replacement of thermal and nuclear generation with intermittent renewable’s, such as wind power, weather variables such as a lack of wind could ‘leave us vulnerable’. Speaking today on World at One on Radio 4, Ms Porter explained that it’s ‘very possible’ the UK will see plans for energy rationing.” (link)

So ‘experts’ are carefully whispering that Johnson’s ‘Saudi Arabia on Thames’ might actually not work, might not do what it says on the tin? That’s a first! Note that this is the first time an ‘expert’ is also thinking out loud about possible energy rationing: if there’s no general outcry, I think we can assume that Whitehall mandarins will come up with a proposal. It’s how they work …

Next, there are all those strikes going on because of inflation. Here’s a strange thing: there are no reports, praising or condemning the various strikers. There are no sob stories about how important mail didn’t arrive, holidays were missed because trains didn’t run: nothing. There’s not even a warning about what strike to expect on which day.

However, one group which won’t feel any financial hardness are the GPs, but they are pondering strikes nevertheless. The reported sums of that rise in income differ, e.g. The Times writes the average salary of GPs is now £112,000pa (link, paywalled) while the DT writes:

“GPs saw their earnings rise to £142,000 during the pandemic in a Covid pay boom, new data show. The official NHS figures reveal that as surgeries closed their doors to patients, routinely restricting face-to-face appointments, doctors’ incomes rose to unprecedented heights. GP partners – who make up the majority of family doctors – saw average incomes rise by £20,000 to £142,000 in the 12 months after the first lockdown.” (paywalled link)

One ‘explanation’ is that some of this money was earned because of the vaccination programme. I dunno if that justifies a rise of £20,000 when at the same time their surgeries had become fortresses and patients were not seen. And still this unprecedented pay raise – paid from out taxes – is apparently not sufficient:

“[…] GPs threaten industrial action over a contract that forces some practices to open on Saturdays. The vote was passed at the British Medical Association (BMA) annual conference earlier this summer, when doctors were urged to “channel our inner Mick Lynch”.” (paywalled link)

So working on Saturdays, perhaps to clear up the backlog of patients not seen during and after lockdown, is a reason to strike? Yeah right. But there’s even more (my emphasis):

“During the pandemic, GP practices were paid £13 per Covid vaccination, with rates rising to £15 and extra on Sundays as the crisis became more urgent. Meanwhile, the framework that normally governs their pay, linking it to how much work they do, was partially suspended. Under a deal negotiated with the BMA, GPs continued to be paid for tasks such as checks on the elderly and monitoring patients with  asthma, diabetes and heart disease without having to do them. Because GPs are self-employed, they were also able to apply for government support schemes, with successful claimants on average receiving an extra £12,500.” (paywalled link)

I don’t think I need to be prophetic when I suggest that similar ‘support schemes’ will be put in place, for WFH GPs as well as the rest of that crowd, to finance their heating and electricity bills. After all, that crowd received similar ‘support’ to establish a ‘home office’, our ever so brilliant and modest MPs at the forefront.

Of course there won’t be any money to support pensioners whose state pensions amount to half of the rise in income the GPs received. I’m not even going to mention the money “we” pay for the dinghy-illegals swamping our shores. Money is clearly available – but not for those who really need it.

And finally, according to the old quip: when the USA sneezes the UK will have influenza (or should that now be covid?), there’s a report by Al Beeb which should frighten us all:

“Supporters of Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” (Maga) agenda are a threat to democracy, President Joe Biden has said. “Maga forces are determined to take this country backwards,” he said in a primetime speech in Pennsylvania.” (link)

Unsurprisingly, the grauniad also has this at the top of their online front page, under  the headline “Biden warns US democracy imperiled by Trump and Maga extremists” (link). This, I suggest, will become the ‘new normal’: opposition to government is a danger to democracy. In Germany ministers are already warning that protesters against their own energy crisis are such danger to democracy.

This frightening outlook is yet another puzzle piece for the image of our society descending into a modern “Animal Farm”, “1984” already having been established. I’m sure we’ll see this same denunciation of opposition to the government here – as soon as La Truss has her feet under the No 10 table. I hope Larry will shred her nylons at every opportunity.



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