Why do things keep getting worse?

We must get away from the idea that equality is everything, all it achieves is a race to the bottom, the countries we import from encourage wealth, USA, India, Korea even Communist China.
It’s not just billionaires it’s the wealthy in general they have to be encouraged to invest in the UK

Ben Habib has donated £100k to his new party, Advance UK and is now applying to the Electoral Commission to register as a proper party. 30k members in a few months.

David49

We must get away from the idea that equality is everything, all it achieves is a race to the bottom, the countries we import from encourage wealth, USA, India, Korea even Communist China.
It’s not just billionaires it’s the wealthy in general they have to be encouraged to invest in the UK

But it is the taxes situation that is galling.

They dont pay their fair share.
And have got away with it forever it feels like.
That is what causes resentment.

keepingquiet

Things aren't getting worse. The media just want you to think they are because that's how they function- through making people fearful and anxious.

I am no worse off than I was last year... in fact probably better off. I just learned how to shop more sensibly.

Lots of things are cheaper than they were last year- it's all about perspective...

yes, we're encouraged to live in a state of fear and loathing, it's total bollox.

fancythat

varian

sazz1

I think Reform is our only hope for a better life here. We've had Conservative which was quite bad with so many strikes under Rishi and don't mention the havoc Liz Truss caused. Kier is really hopeless protests everywhere, mass illegal immigration, pensioners freezing without fuel allowance, private schools and uni fees up, tried to cut money for disabled, hundreds of businesses folding or leaving the UK and Rayner deputy PM doing Tax fraud. Also pensioners being arrested because they don't want Palestinian to suffer any longer.
Reform at least deserves a chance - can they really be any worse?

YES - much much worse _ just look at the USA where Fatage's hero Trump has destroyed the economy and reduced the country to the laughing stock of the world/

It is the richest Country.
By a wide margin.

Here you mentioned the economy.
Not individuals.

I agree fancythat, the majority of people have to pay their taxes or face the courts, and on top of the cost of living crisis it can be hard for many tax payers to make ends meet. So of course is totally wrong that the wealthy can avoid paying taxes, quite legally it seems.
In reality if you have lots of money you pay much less percentage wise than those who are struggling.
Am not sure in which universe this can be viewed as ok.

1. Things are not as bad as they were in the 1920s simply because we have the NHS and the benefits system. But we have a lot of talking down social media.
2. We are used to a better standard of living that we cannot afford. Too much borrowing and "I want it now" instead of making do and saving up
3. World recession, not just us. Neil Kinnock actually saw that the country was not making enough/growing enough and living on people being paid for tertiary services and asked us to pay a little more income tax in the 90s, and selfish Thatcher's children voted for Tories. So now when we tighten our belts, it is those employed that way who lose their cafe/shop/luxury sales jobs.
4. Too many people complaining "they" should do something and less that we have to. Simple things like if we sweep our own street, pick up our own litter instead of complaining about our rates bill when the council have to spend picking up after us?

We are now in a big financial hole and it will take time to climb out of.

Babs03

@MaizieD thanks. I was expecting to be shot down in flames by someone with a much better grasp of how the economy works. I can only apply the logic of someone who is pee’ed off by the unfairness of it all. Sadly the ‘I’m alright Jack’ mentality of those who are comfortably off ensures that this rigged economy keeps on rewarding those with money whilst punishing those who have none.

I'm sure Maizie can give you links for Richard Murphy Babs03. I would suggest watching www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUKaB4P5Qns to see Gary Stevenson's podcast(?) from last March, after the Spring Statement, called "The Squeeze Out".

It includes a part on the history of Wealth Inequality were wealth seems to me to be defined as the ownership of tangible assets combined with available surplus funds.

One thing it certainly brings home is the post war change in the ownership of wealth which, except for a couple of small blips in the history of mankind, has never happened before and has never happened at all in some countries. Those having the "we could be comfortable on one wage/no women did work conversation may find this interesting against a much longer historical period.

He sums up at the end:
The Squeeze Out is why government(s) are destroying our living standards. It's why you and your family and kids will be increasingly poor.

There are five stages of the Squeeze Out:
Stage 1: The rich start to accumulate money, they drive asset prices up and they outcompete the working class resources and drive the working class into debt.
Stage 2: The working-class have run out of resources. The can no longer borrow any more. They can no longer spend any more. We get economic depression and a crisis. That's when the government has to step in.
Stage 3: The government increasingly runs out of resources as well. The government too, becomes massively in debt to the rich. (This seems to be roughly where we are now).
Stage 4: The government has no choice but to slowly eviscerate the middle-class. Eventually there is no wealth left other than that held by the rich, and the physical structure of society changes so that it only supports consumption for rich people. At this point almost everybody in the country lives in desperate poverty.
Stage 5: There are no weak hands left to be squeezed out. The rich own everything and the only way they can try to grow their wealth is by paying you to fight in their wars against each other.

He does close with some more uplifting comments about our "grandparents" (probably parents in many of our cases) fought for something better and got something better. Although it's very "forward to the past" he is worth listening to. He is convinced taxing the rich, rather than you or me or those just living on good incomes, is the only real way to "tax wealth not work".

Stage 3: The government increasingly runs out of resources as well. The government too, becomes massively in debt to the rich. (This seems to be roughly where we are now).

What foes Stevenson mean by the government running out of resources, DAR? What 'resources' would they be?

“Stage 3: The government increasingly runs out of resources as well. The government too, becomes massively in debt to the rich. (This seems to be roughly where we are now).”

The UK stopped exploiting its own resources decades ago, importing labour, fuel, commodities, food, especially technology. We could do far more from our own resources but we choose not to.
Let’s start with 25% of the working age population being economically inactive

David49

“Stage 3: The government increasingly runs out of resources as well. The government too, becomes massively in debt to the rich. (This seems to be roughly where we are now).”

The UK stopped exploiting its own resources decades ago, importing labour, fuel, commodities, food, especially technology. We could do far more from our own resources but we choose not to.
Let’s start with 25% of the working age population being economically inactive

Does that include students and parents of young children?

What is working age, I am wondering. 15 plus, 18 plus, 21 plus? Up to 60,65,70,75 ? Probably makes a difference to the figures.

David49

“Stage 3: The government increasingly runs out of resources as well. The government too, becomes massively in debt to the rich. (This seems to be roughly where we are now).”

The UK stopped exploiting its own resources decades ago, importing labour, fuel, commodities, food, especially technology. We could do far more from our own resources but we choose not to.
Let’s start with 25% of the working age population being economically inactive

If you’re talking of physical resources, David Britain never had very much to exploit.

You surely can’t have forgotten that for the best part of 200 years it exploited the resources of many other countries under the banner of ‘Empire’, making a number of people inordinately wealthy and punching far, far above its weight as a small island off the coast of Europe.

nanna8

What is working age, I am wondering. 15 plus, 18 plus, 21 plus? Up to 60,65,70,75 ? Probably makes a difference to the figures.

Presumably from age of 24 if not in education or training, when they are known as NEETS - Not in Education, Employment or Training, until retirement age which is 66 at the moment, rising to 67 then 68 by 2046.

A lot could happen between now and 2046, including older people dying of exhaustion because they are forced to carry on working instead of retiring earlier thus providing employment opportunities for younger people.

Ps nanna8 I'm sure another poster will be along to correct me shortly so watch this thread. 🙂

Apparently the official UK definition of 'working age' is 16 - 64.

That's the definition that the census statistics use.

Oh, interesting.

Even though children have to remain in education or training until 18.

Training could include paid work, though.

I think MPs make too many decisions that the public aren't happy about It's like they get the power and do what they want even when the public object I've a good example for this parents don't go around saying I will pick my child's school according to the Ofsted report a lot don't trust the report and your child gets a place at the nearest school to where you live.
I was upset this morning for the sister of head teacher who died following an Ofsted report Not usually having
Itv on I caught a really sad interview
This was on at seven twenty four The interviewer I think he's ed balls he's married to Yvette cooper He was a Labour MP and obviously his wife still is .He was very insensitive and wrong parents find a lot of very minor points are brought up by Ofsted and then ruin a school or childminder For very minor maybe not really true comments a provider can be seen as not being satisfactory As the sister of Ruth Perry tried to get across there should have been a credible independent review system but in place There is nothing independent in place to protect childminders and teachers from the devastating effect of very minor comments or observations being used to justify an assesment being made of not satisfactory Ed Balls tried to say the system is safe inspectors are also human and can be not good at their job Inspectors work should be better assessed and in fairness judgements changed How many people have to die

Basically MPs think members of the public don't have worthwhile opinions and don't gather the opinions of the public There should be more chance for the public to vote on decisions

TakeThat7

Basically MPs think members of the public don't have worthwhile opinions and don't gather the opinions of the public There should be more chance for the public to vote on decisions

I'm not sure about that!

More referenda? ( referendums?) 🤔
People have not stopped arguing about the result of the one nine years ago.

fancythat

Most people wont like what I am going to say and that is part of the problem in my opinion.

Bat tunnel - £100 million.

Many many other schemes like that. Too many to mention.
And the majority of people, on GN at least, thought it was perfectly acceptable.

If money is spent on this type of thing, not so much money left for other things.

I think there is a real and growing problem in the UK and elsewhere about journalistic standards, conspiracy headlines, social media and our gutter press (tabloids).

It's easy to throw out headlines and simple sounding stories that allow people to grandstand and flounce around saying 'this' is the problem whatever the 'this' happens to be at that moment.

In fact Natural England say they never asked for or supported a huge bat cave. This report from The Bat Conservation Trust with ample explanation and links is one of the best articles available on a simple search. www.bats.org.uk/news/2025/08/once-again-bats-are-blamed-for-britains-planning-woes-but-the-evidence-tells-a-different-story
'There is no evidence that wildlife protections are to blame for planning delays. In fact, the real causes are well-documented: overstretched planning departments and outdated systems. Scapegoating species may grab headlines, but it does nothing to fix the real problems.'

HS2 is the real disaster, one of many similar overpriced, late or abandoned projects embarked on in the UK.

From the BBC "Its size has doubled over time, partly due to the need to accommodate future provision for local rail services," the spokesperson added.
Mr Dennis explained that the structure "originally cost £40m, then some wranglings with East West Rail made it a four-track structure and pushed up the cost". www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9wryxyljglo

And so on, one thing I blame for things getting worse is our appalling education system since Ofsted was invented so that children are not taught anything other than to pass tests and make the teachers look good; then there is privatisation which has led to the demise of, and foreign ownership of, much infrastructure; let's add in the money markets which few understand but which control huge aspects of our financial health; the control of interest rates by the Bank of England; the failure to tax the rich who offload money out of reach of HMRC and Brexit, supporters of which still refuse to offer evidence of any benefits which we have gained set against the massive losses. And then there's AI.....

'Stop the boats' is such a facile attempt to redirect attention away from the very real problems created in the last 20 years, most of which were created by years of Tory government.

Our Empire also kept the vast majority of the indigenous populations very poor and we also sent out many young men, not women, not children, to run it.

This was part of the same cycle. The OP asked "Why do things keep getting worse." They are not. They are returning to the pattern of life that has always been much the same.

We have had a amazing 70 years where things improved for the many in our country. That last 70 years have been an economic anomaly in the course of history. How we continue it or whether we can continue the progress made in our lifetime depends, according to Gary Stevenson, on working extreme wealth inequality out of the system.

MaizieD

Training could include paid work, though.

Training always used to include paid work for many, it’s not just about learning new things it’s about learning a new skill.

Allira

Ps nanna8 I'm sure another poster will be along to correct me shortly so watch this thread. 🙂

Thanks for info Allira It is more complicated than I thought. I’m not sure what the offical retirement age is now , it seems to get higher 😀