So the Final 2 - Liz and Rishi

Mollygo

Petera, DH was affected and we are now suffering from Gordon’s activities with pensions, but last time I bewailed that fact on GN, I was summarily dismissed as having got it wrong. I only wish I had!

Apologies Mollygo, I am aware that some people did suffer and, as I wrote, he got it wrong

He got it wrong, because as an honest man, he believed bankers would make lots of money and pay lots of tax to help with te NHS and more- but greed took over.

Like many of us, he does not believe in levelling down- but in those who make big money to pay their dues, to help provide decent services for all.

Giving away council houses , dismantling the Coal and Steel industries, starting the service economy.
The value of Sterling has depreciated steadily since then
In 1975 £1 was worth $2.50 now below 1.20, it beats me how anyone can call that success.

Not fascinating, a tragedy!.

In 1975 £1 was worth $2.50 now below 1.20, it beats me how anyone can call that success.

And has the fall in the value of sterling against the dollar over the years adversely affected your quality of life? Has it adversely affected the nation's wellbeing?

What I would be fascinated by is your thoughts on how a nation's economy should be run, since you've judged it to have been consistently mis handled.

I do feel that criticism is only really valid if an alternative can be proposed.

Mollygo

Petera, DH was affected and we are now suffering from Gordon’s activities with pensions, but last time I bewailed that fact on GN, I was summarily dismissed as having got it wrong. I only wish I had!

Yes, it did have an effect on pensions and some pensioners are suffering now as a result.
It was claimed later by Labour's millionaire Ruth Kelly that only "the richest pensioners" would be affected but that was untrue.

My husband's pension was affected too. We aren't starving, but we are not in anyone's list of 'the richest pensioners' and it really irritates me when people complain that people of pension age are all well off.

I don't believe that Brown did it knowingly or uncaringly, though. I do believe that selling off council houses and wrecking industries in much of the country was deliberate and done without care for the people whose lives were ruined, and that this is the difference between Labour and Tory governments. Anyone can get things wrong, and any policy will have winners and losers, but setting out to do something (eg Cameron's Austerity programme) knowing that the most vulnerable will suffer is nothing short of cruel.

We both have work pensions but without savings, we’d be struggling as inflation grows

“And has the fall in the value of sterling against the dollar over the years adversely affected your quality of life? Has it adversely affected the nation's wellbeing?

What I would be fascinated by is your thoughts on how a nation's economy should be run, since you've judged it to have been consistently mis handled. “

I’m sure there are a lot of lower income people think life has got a lot harder than it was a generation ago. The rich have got richer those with fat pension pots too, all on the backs of legions of service workers on minimum wages.

Over the years I would not have sold council houses or closed manufacturing or de regulated financial services or leave the EU but that’s history. A GE might make a difference although I don’t think Starmer would win a majority even now

Where now, both Sunak and Truss are going to struggle through, neither have time to turn the economy round before the next GE. They will have to print money to pay for increased fuel and food prices, a few give always to keep the comfortable core Tory voters happy.

The Pound is so so low at the moment - and it should really help massively with exports, as we can sell much more cheaply- you could even call it unfair competition. But due to Brexit, we can't export - so not much advantage there.

On the other hand, it makes importing hugely more expensive. Medicines, vaccines, essential chemicals like chlorine, food, and so much more. And yes, ENERGY- as most energy providers are foreign- we have to buy in their currency. If we can't afford to do so, they will be quite happy to sell to countries with much higher currency values- putting their profits up hugely.

I imagine many pensioners are affected by the very low value of Sterling, in so many ways.

Most commodities are priced in US dollars and the Chinese Yuan is tied to the dollar, or Euros that is why the exchange rate is so significant.
The home produced content of most products is very low.

Truss’s cost of living policies could be ‘electoral suicide note’ for Tories, says Raab – UK politics live

www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/truss-s-cost-of-living-policies-could-be-electoral-suicide-note-for-tories-says-raab-uk-politics-live/ar-AA10sUDg?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=4a40c12eb7fc43b58216dc7cf11f9ea3

If people have to pay over £350 a month for energy it will be a national emergency, without galloping cost of living, and deteriorating NHS.
Whoever becomes PM it is a poisoned chalice and Truss’s tax cuts won’t touch it.
I have no confidence that either of them, or most of the select few voting for them, have a clue about how many in the country are already scraping by.

Ministers supposed to be meeting with Energy Tyrants today..this is a national crisis ?

Oops meant Titans

I don't want either.

Bea65

Oops meant Titans

You were right first time!