• Privacy policy
  • T&C’s
  • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Meet the Team
  • Contact us
TLE ONLINE SHOP!
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
SUPPORT THE LONDON ECONOMIC
NEWSLETTER
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
No Result
View All Result
Home Opinion

Why does austerity only apply to the least well off?

In an age of severe austerity, why don't the well-off feel the pinch as much as the least well-off?

Jack Peat by Jack Peat
2019-06-25 11:32
in Opinion
Credit; Steve Parsons/PA Wire

Credit; Steve Parsons/PA Wire

FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmailWhatsapp

It only took one word last year to describe why I wouldn’t be watching the Royal Wedding; inequality.

As the blushing bride was paraded through Windsor in a dress that cost more than £100,000 she passed spots usually occupied by homeless people who struggle to scrape together a single pound at the best of times.

A further £90,000 was paid for 20 silver-plated trumpets announcing the event as thousands of other families struggle to put food on the table. And £50,000 was splashed on a lemon elderflower cake bought from Violet Bakery in East London despite Britain being home to a growing number of food bank users.

And now taxpayers will have to swallow £2.4 million to renovate the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s home which is in need of urgent repairs, it has been claimed. Frogmore Cottage in Windsor has been turned into a single property from five separate homes and now needs sprucing up.

It comes as the Queen’s Sovereign Grant from the Treasury was £82 million in 2018-19, with £33 million set aside for maintenance, including major work on Buckingham Palace. Excluding money transferred to reserves for future building work at the palace, the Queen’s official expenses last year were £67 million, a 41 per cent year-on-year increase, the figures show.

It begs the question, therefore, that in an age of severe austerity, why is it that the well-off don’t feel the pinch as much as the least well-off?

This year the UK hosted the UN’s expert on poverty and human rights who concluded that the results of the austerity experiment are “crystal clear”. In a statement he said:

RelatedPosts

Elevenses: The Tractor War

‘Scam’ Cryptocurrencies and the ’looking glass’ world of finance

Elevenses: Stick It To The Politicians

If the local elections tell us anything, it’s that our democracy desperately needs a kiss of life

“There are 14 million people living in poverty, record levels of hunger and homelessness, falling life expectancy for some groups, ever fewer community services, and greatly reduced policing, while access to the courts for lower-income groups has been dramatically rolled back by cuts to legal aid.

“The imposition of austerity was an ideological project designed to radically reshape the relationship between the Government and the citizenry. UK standards of well-being have descended precipitately in a remarkably short period of time, as a result of deliberate policy choices made when many other options were available.”

Pretty damning stuff, yet things are unlikely to change anytime soon. Just 14 MPs turned up to discuss a report on 14 million people living in poverty, and Boris Johnson – the leading contender to become our next Prime Minister- has already promised tax breaks to the wealthy.

It seems in the UK austerity only applies to the least well off. The biggest cuts left for those most in need. Shameful really, but it’s all for Queen and country.

Tags: headline
Please login to join discussion

Since you are here

Since you are here, we wanted to ask for your help.

Journalism in Britain is under threat. The government is becoming increasingly authoritarian and our media is run by a handful of billionaires, most of whom reside overseas and all of them have strong political allegiances and financial motivations.

Our mission is to hold the powerful to account. It is vital that free media is allowed to exist to expose hypocrisy, corruption, wrongdoing and abuse of power. But we can't do it without you.

If you can afford to contribute a small donation to the site it will help us to continue our work in the best interests of the public. We only ask you to donate what you can afford, with an option to cancel your subscription at any point.

To donate or subscribe to The London Economic, click here.

The TLE shop is also now open, with all profits going to supporting our work.

The shop can be found here.

You can also SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER .

Subscribe to our Newsletter

View our  Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

Trending on TLE

  • All
  • trending
Abdollah

‘Rescue us’: Afghan teacher begs UK to help him escape Taliban

CHOMSKY: “If Corbyn had been elected, Britain would be pursuing a much more sane course”

What If We Got Rid Of Prisons?

More from TLE

Labour’s John McDonnell says Julian Assange should not be extradited to US

Starmer warned to lay off Labour left or he will end in ‘dustbin of history’

This 600km ‘human chain’ is helping to inspire a fightback against Russia

Celtic boss has Champions League concern after Simunovic red card

Moment cyclist hitches a lift by hanging onto back of moving truck

Boris Johnson to lead the daily Downing Street press conference

How the Christmas Spirit is Not Key to Grabbing the Festive Number One

Momentum respond following £16,700 fine for electoral law breaches

UK Weather forecast, Friday 25 June 2021

Veterinary nurse rescues a bumble bee dying of thirst in the heatwave

About Us

TheLondonEconomic.com – Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle.

Read more

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.




No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Travel
  • More…
    • Elevenses
    • Opinion
    • Property
    • Tech & Auto
  • About Us
    • Meet the Team
    • Privacy policy
  • Contact us

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.