Political Reality Check Needed!
I’m angry again!
I’m annoyed by politicians and pundits who appear on TV expressing the idea that the pressures on the NHS are mainly due to (wait for it!) . . .
“Our ageing population”.
They also have an unfortunate tendency to refer to the State Pension as a ‘benefit’.
This, of course, is nothing short of an insult.
I won’t say which orifice these idiots talk through, but when they sit down you can’t hear a word they say.
The State Pension is not a ‘benefit’.
Those who diligently paid Income Tax and National Insurance all their lives are entitled to it.
Although it is worth pointing out that the age at which they can claim this entitlement keeps being put back.
There are 10 million people over the age of 65 in the UK today and the large number of them who don’t have a company pension rely solely on the not over-generous State Pension.
Despite what some snide politicians infer – that old people are becoming a burden on modern society – they are a major asset. Why?
A huge number carry on working well into their 70s and pass their experience on to the next generation.
A vast army of grandparents are unpaid, but willing, baby-sitters, child-minders and school-run taxi drivers, allowing their sons and daughters to work full time.
This work generates more tax and National Insurance contributions for the Government.
And on any weekday, if you pop into a cafe, coffee shop or department store restaurant, they make up the majority of customers.
If it wasn’t for them, these places would be empty. Ask yourself: what currency is mainly spent in garden centres during the week?
The answer is, of course, ‘The so-called Grey Pound’.
Go to a weekday matinee at your local multiplex or professional theatre and the majority of the seats will be occupied by ‘re-cycled teenagers’.