Dr. Peter Asquith Cowan ask, "What's The Big Idea?"
When asked by Andrew Marr what the “Big” Idea was, Ed Milliband reassured me to some degree that he could see how Tory policies were hurting ordinary people the most. He said in essence what I have been saying all along, that the rich few at the top were having it very good, while the rest of us were getting a painful, raw deal. However, hasn’t that always been Tory philosophy? An obsession with wealth, greed, class, tradition, the old boy network and private enterprise. To date, Cameron’s “We’re all in it together” slogan wasn’t unique, and it was far from the truth. It was, in fact, plagiarism. It was amazing when flooding this year affected the wealthy residents of the Thames Valley, his cry was: “Money is no problem!” Really!
The last four years have seen policies set in motion to re-structure education causing chaos, confusion and anger, that has led to bitter protests by teachers and the ultimate demotion of Michael Gove in the recent Cabinet re-shuffle. The NHS has been deliberately and cynically starved of funding, while private companies (American) have been surreptitiously trying to privatise it; this has led to the foundation of the Peoples’ NHS, a new pressure group determined to oppose the privatisation of our most cherished institution. The Welfare Reform Act has been the most reactionary and oppressive Act ever conceived. I am pleased to hear Mr.Milliband declare he would repeal it if Labour is successful next May. The DWP Welfare changes have seen 2.31 million people see increases in council tax as a direct result of these changes; they’ve seen 409,000 disabled people see their council tax rise and 3,600 recipients of war injuries in the Armed Forces and widows pensions also see massive council tax increases. Iain Duncan Smith has hurt some the most vulnerable people in society, and he is being reviled for his right-wing changes to welfare. He will be remembered for his chaotic “Bedroom Tax” for many years to come. These changes have cost the tax-payer billions and have led to protests and deep criticism. He is a blunderer far worse than Beeching!
During this period of time, Cameron has presided over a Government that has given the top 20% of rich people tax breaks, whilst imposing wage – freezes for many workers but especially the public sector. The Tories have always hated the public sector because it has to be paid for out of the ‘Public Purse’ and that means higher taxes for the rich (in theory!). Executive pay is now 162 times higher than the average wage. Top executives were given a 15% pay rise, and the bankers are still getting bonuses. Does Cameron really think all this justifies his purloined slogan? Meanwhile, back in 2009 the CBI created a new employment model. They took advantage of the 2008 Economic Crisis to introduce aflexiforce dependent on zero-hour contracts, insecure self-employed and temporary workers. This has now come about leading to recent massive strikes across the country led by the Unite Union and Unison. The ‘ordinary’ people are beginning to fight back. Meanwhile, IDSmith’s flagship back-to-work schemes have been ruled illegal by High Court Judges. The Government now hopes to “change the law” to re-impose them. This is the most odious aspect of it. Flagrantly bending the law to suit your politics! This Government has turned a ‘blind eye’ to ruthless employers, exploiting British and Foreign workers, in effect condoning slave labour.
The Health & Social Care Act has been another of these abominable Tory policies that abolished the duty on Government to provide health care for all. I hope Ed Milliband will commit himself and the Labour Party to repealing this noxious Act.
During the last four years we have seen employment – especially youth unemployment - increase, we’ve seen family debt rise and the unrestricted growth of rapacious, greedy money-lenders. The growth of “Food Banks” and an increase in suicides over debt/employment issues. We’ve seen Cameron humiliated over his involvement with the News of the World phone-hacking scandal. We have seen him humiliated and shunned by our European allies and finally his policies have led to strike action in July with the prospect of more in the autumn. We’ve heard all the ‘Spin’ (lies) from Chancellor Osborne about a so-called economic U turn, with growth expected to increase; however most ordinary people are worse off financially under four years of harsh austerity cuts which have left the rich wealthier and unaffected, while the middle-classes and other workers are, working longer hours for much less pay. The “Standard of Living Crisis” will, in my opinion, dominate the next election, as will the fate and future of the NHS. Osborne has borrowed more than Labour did in its term in Office, which makes the whole “Policy of Austerity” risible and a mockery. Just an excuse to prune the public sector, and reduce living standards for ordinary people. The much banded word “Transparency” couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s a joke!
The housing situation is getting much worse, and inflation is steadily rising again. Back in 2009 American billionaire Warren Buffett declared: “There’s class warfare all right, but it’s my class, the rich class, that’s making war, and we’re winning.” Well, now at last, the ordinary working people of this country are waking up to what a future under Tory Governments would be like:- ........ “Hell on Earth!” Why should our future prosperity as a nation, our well-being and happiness as a people and our NHS and health services be dictated to by a pompous, arrogant, American tycoon? My message to Mr.Milliband is: “Tell the yanks to go home and keep their grubby hands off our public services, and our working practices.” This is Britain, NOT America.
We need to push for a new “Written Constitution” and prevent the Government from restricting the Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg from protecting ordinary people. Our own Bill of rights needs some drastic modernisation but NOT in favour of Tory ideology rather a socialist programme enshrining the “Rights” of all citizens to fair treatment at work and before the law. We need to consider these things and Mr.Milliband needs to convince us more about How he will turn Britain around and when he will repeal the heinous laws and policies this coalition Government has imposed so ruthlessly and with impunity so far, on the British people, causing so much misery and unhappiness.
We didn’t fight two World Wars to be treated so shabbily by the wealthy elite. If we are going to: “Remember them,” (Our soldiers) then let us remind ourselves what they died for; - not a divided country with a rich, greedy, elite getting the Lion’s share while ordinary folk suffer. This is not what they died for. We must strive to build a fairer, more egalitarian society, as envisaged by Sir William Beveridge, back in 1942. Above all the fight is on to SAVE THE NHS that must be our Battle Cry and the many other services that this wretched Government has privatised. We must protect the public sector and tax the wealthiest the most, and the poorest, the least. My “Big” Idea is to get Britain back on track with the same war-time spirit we had in 1940, and to put people before profit.