Cost of Living

[Magpie]

It would seem that April is the cruelest of months. Today in Britain the cost of gas and electricity rises 54%, it is the biggest increase in living memory and it's knock on effects could turn out to be catastrophic for a lot of people. This together with rises in taxes, food prices, fuel, water rates and anything else that you care to mention means that large amount of people will now be classed as being in fuel poverty.

The government doesn't seem to get this and a recent budget; formed by a multi-millionaire politician who has no clue of what real living is; seems more catered to the majority in order to keep votes, instead of it being specifically targeted at a minority who will suffer extreme poverty.

The news doesn't seem to get it either, I've seen several news bulletins now where they are talking to the 'average' family and there's a woman saying that she might have to use her hairdryer less or a man who is talking about cutting back on his satellite tv package. What about the family who'll have to choose between heat or food?

It's a real bad day today and the scary thing is that it's going to go up again by the same amount in September and the situation in Ukraine won't help prices any. It will mean that this winter some people will die because of these price increases and that shouldn't be happening in this day and age in a so called modern country. It's impossible for people to do anything about this but the government should be doing more to protect those who will suffer most.

What do others think?
Is it the same in other countries?

[CRNDLSM]

I think a lot of people are continuing on as if nothing is happening hoping they'll make it through until it rights itself. I want to raise prices at my business because everything costs more, prices are raising other places, but soon maybe people won't afford me. Am I contributing to the increase of poverty in my country, or is my spending helping curb the damage. The city wants to buy my house to expand the creek, but maybe they can't afford it right now and are hoping I lose it anyways cause of life expenses. Living on a tight rope

[busker]

There’s nothing any politician can do about gas prices in Europe
Europe including the UK has been a pathetic basket case of woke environmental activism that has banned fracking, banned coal, and made an entire continent dependent on Russia
So your choice is either to slum it out or to become Putin’s bitch
The blame is squarely at the door of the nimbys, a mindless media dominated by the LGBTQ brigade that has been focusing on fluff non issues like gay marriage instead of the real dangers to the free world, and the idiotic policies of Angela Merkel.

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I’d like to know what Bojo should’ve done, though?
The govt has already propped up the economy during covid. It can’t possibly have any more money to print.
A year is a long time. Some emergency measures will be in place by then, such as rationing of gas

[Magpie]

I’d like to know what Bojo should’ve done, though?

A decent budget would have been a start. Raise the minimum wage to a reasonable amount. Things that would help the really poor. Everything the tories do is aimed at keeping as many votes as possible therefore everything they implement benefits people on middle incomes. Politics has always been like this. They propped up middle england during covid so they could keep their votes.

Also SSE claim that they will make over £1billion from all these price rises, surely the government should be doing something about that. It's rich people getting richer.

[busker]

I was having a chat with a friend who’s in the energy business
He’s gobsmacked that Europe is falling for America’s tricks.
Shelving  piped Russian gas for American LNG. Or at least, that’s the plan. It’ll take a while to take effect.

The Americans are not discounting their LNG. It’s all at inflated market prices caused in turn by the war and the west’s response to it.
The cupidity of westerners will be their downfall. It’s always private profit at all costs, innit?