‘Stress crisis’ in UK as 5m struggle with financial, health and housing insecurity Exclusive: Levels of ‘multi-stress’ at highest since 2008 crash, study says, with people feeling profoundly powerless

5m UK adults in financial, health, housing insecurity.

15 yrs of real wage cuts, austerity, unchecked profiteering, declining public services, poor housing take toll.

37% of universal credit claimants are in work.

1% have more wealth than 70% of population combined.

Need people-centred politics.

Starmer is simultaneously detoxifying Reform and toxifying the Labour Party.
I ask again, what is he playing at?

YouTube video by Garys Economics Welcome to GarysEconomics

Watch this guy, he explains it all. Tax wealth not work!
youtu.be/KzylWi0PlDQ?...

The privatised industries have already made back all their money and far more from ripping us off.

They don't need to be compensated in any way, take back Water, Energy, the NHS and don't pay a penny.

Campaigners find sewage pollution and E coli in Boat Race water Tests ahead of Sunday’s race revealed E coli levels three times above the threshold for poor bathing water

Sewage pollution and E coli in Boat Race water.

River Thames has E coli levels three times above the threshold for poor bathing water status.

All due to privatisation of water, sewage dumping, profiteering, high dividends, low investment. poor regulation.

End the nightmare. Nationalise.

Lucky for Starmer most people have forgotten his 10 pledges he made when running for Labour leader, given he's abandoned so many, including: free movement, higher income tax for top 5%, higher corporation tax, abolish UC, common ownership of rail/mail/energy and water, no more NHS outsourcing, etc.

NO cruel cuts to benefits The Government is planning “catastrophic” cuts that experts say will force disabled people into poverty. Don’t think that’s right? Add your name now.

This petition calling on the Government NOT to make cruel cuts to benefits that will force more people into poverty now has almost 65,000 signatures.

Let’s make it 100,000 this weekend. It only takes a moment to sign🙏
act.38degrees.org.uk/act/no-cruel...

NHS 'addicted to overspending' and government 'genuinely sorry' for quango job losses, says Streeting The government wants to slash NHS bureaucracy to divert money to the frontline of the NHS - criticising a culture of "waste and inefficiency".

Wes Streeting said the NHS is "addicted to overspending".

Silence on privatisation, handing parts of the NHS to private equity.

30% - 40% of money handed over vanishes in corporate profits.

NHS trains doctors, private sector uses them without any payment.

Expand NHS capacity. End profiteering.

Price of first-class stamp to rise to £1.70 The cost of a second-class stamp will also rise to 87p on 7 April, Royal Mail announces.

Royal Mail hikes prices again

From 7 April 2025: Ist class, postage £1.70; 2nd class, 87p.

When privatised in 2013: 1st class 60p; 2nd class 50p.

Massive price hike since privatisation.

RM doesn't meet any of its letter delivery targets, but still allowed to hike prices.

RIP Royal Mail.

Liz Kendall says getting people into work is best way to cut benefits bill Chancellor is eyeing welfare system for potential cuts but pensions secretary says more support for jobseekers is key

Liz Kendall says getting people into work is best way to cut benefits bill.

Must attend to real reasons

Low wages: 40% of Universal Credit claimants are in work.

Lack of healthcare disabling people.

Higher retirement age denies pension to people unable to work, forced to claim benefits.

Raw sewage poured into Windermere for 6,000 hours last year United Utilities’ treatment works and pumping stations released untreated sewage for 6,327 hours in the catchment of England’s largest lake, figures show

United Utilities dumped raw sewage for 6,327 hours last year in Lake Windermere, England’s largest lake.

It has over 205 criminal convictions. Boosts profits, dividends, exec pay by sewage dumping.

Allowed to hike prices by 32%.

Nationalise. Prosecute directors.
archive.ph/23xXb

BBC radio drama is in grave danger. Without it we may lose the next generation of writing talent Hundreds of hours of original plays have been cut from the corporation’s programming in recent years. If the trend continues, a valuable training ground for writers will be lost

“BBC audio drama has a key role to play in the ecosystem of drama production in this country”

Ofwat accused of 'rewarding failure' after handing pay rise to CEO David Black's pay is set to rise to between £180,000 and £185,000. He is currently on annual leave as water companies are launching appeals against the regulator's price rulings.

£15,000 pay rise for OFWAT CEO.

Must be for performance - water companies dumping sewage in rivers, unplugged leaks, record hike in customer bills, permitting companies to pay dividends

Will probably get a job with a water company, previous CEO is director of Thames Water.

BBC's coverage of the Rachel Reeves story today is nothing short of a hatchet job to amplify right wing Tory smears. With only one fact (a date error on a cv), they have filled their fantasy story with gossip and smear at every opportunity on radio and tv, all day.
#Newsnight
#bbcqt
#peston

Some on benefits are 'taking the mickey', says minister The work and pensions minister says the welfare system needs reforming to encourage young people to work if they can.

Some on benefits are 'taking the mickey', says UK minister.

Some may do so, millions do not but will be victimised by cuts.

What about those abusing the tax system, govt procurement, buying honours, impoverishing people with profiteering, selling dud products, crashing companies?

Ofcom, stop GB News broadcasting hate *CW: Homophobia, hate speech GB News is no stranger to spouting hatred and toxic lies. They take pride in it, and pretend the rules don’t matter. But they do. And they must be enforced. On 22 January,...

If you put it, privately, to GB News that they were trying to import the racism and hatred of Trumpism into the UK I doubt they'd disagree.

We need to stop them - now.
action.goodlawproject.org/ofcom-stop-g...

Kemi Badenoch's top team ran departments that gave £20k a minute to fraudsters New analysis reveals that since 2019, over £44 billion of taxpayer money was lost to fraud in departments under the Tories - often while they were run by members of Ms Badenoch's Shadow Cabinet

2019-2024: £44bn lost to fraud in UK Govt depts under the Tories - often run by members now in Badenoch's Shadow Cabinet.

Contracts for cronies, PPE procurement, COVID loans & furlough scheme, Eat Out to Help Out, R&D tax credits.

Ministers ignored concerns. Who is called to account?

Pensioner poverty in the world’s sixth largest economy is a political choice The hardship inflicted on retirees now will surely visit future retirees unless steps are taken to alleviate misery.

Faced with protests, Poland cut retirement age -65 for men, 60 for women.

France reconsidering plan to hike retirement age from 62 to 64 by 2030.

UK state pension age set to increase from 66 to 67.

Rich retire whenever they want, poor work until they drop.
leftfootforward.org/2025/01/pens...

The damning statistics that reveal the true cost of Brexit, five years on

It’s all beginning to feel a bit 1984. We’re in a battle against autocrats and oligarchs who are using money and misinformation to dismantle democracies. That’s why we’re looking for 1,984 new monthly supporters to make our biggest and boldest plans a reality (see link in bio)

When maximum sentence for chaining yourself to railings is over twice maximum sentence for racially aggravated assault, anyone who cares about justice should be appalled. This is a dangerous, undemocratic & disproportionate attack on longstanding right to peaceful protest in UK #DefendOurJuries

Water industry promises £22bn of environmental investment, funded by rising bills The Environment Agency has secured a commitment to carry out 24,000 actions over the next five years

No! No! No!

This is unacceptable!

You can make promises with OUR money..

Stop raising bills, start slashing dividends!

Pay it from your ever rising bonuses you greedy selfish gremlins!

Nationalise water now!

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Over 50,000 excess deaths since 2023 due to delays in emergency care caused by cuts, underfunding, staff shortages and prioritising privatisation.

There should be a monument made entitled 'Government Failure'

Stop prioritising privatisation

Fix the NHS 💙

👉 Invest
👉 Fix NHS pay
👉 End outsourcing

Sometimes I feel hopeless about what is happening to the NHS and what people are doing about it. I think we either need to go all in, find the millions of people who care and get a *lot* louder, or we give up.

I want to go all in, but I can’t go all in alone. Share if you think we need to fight.

Rachel Reeves defends China visit and hails £600m boost to UK The chancellor has been criticised for making the trip while the government is under pressure from rising borrowing costs.

Reeves defends China visit, hails £600m UK investment over next 5 yrs.

What?

Can get £100bn boost by joining the EU

HMRC failed to collect £500bn tax since 2010

Can boost economy by equitable distribution of income/wealth, but not on govt agenda.

Need policy change
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Zuckerberg urges Trump to stop the EU from fining US tech companies Comparing the bloc’s antitrust penalties to tariffs, the Meta boss argued that Brussels is “screwing with” American industry.

Zuckerberg urges Trump to stop the EU from fining US tech companies.

Billionaire wants to spread misinformation, harm with no responsibility.

How long before US companies want immunities for tax abuse, money laundering?

Other countries must protect their citizens.
www.politico.eu/article/zuck...

MPs second jobs are institutionalised bribery. They should be banned. 'Preventing MPs from selling their souls to the highest bidder is a necessary step in democratising parliament.'

UK MPs receive annual salary of £91,346 + expenses.

Worker median annual wage is £29,664.

Too many MPs take second Jobs, advance the interests of their corporate paymasters.

People's welfare is secondary to self enrichment.

Must ban all second jobs for MPs.
leftfootforward.org/2025/01/mps-...

I have a ticket for Liverpool vs Accrington today in the Kop today that I’d like to give away for free to someone who doesn’t normally go (and because it’s last minute).

I don’t know how easy that is for people to see on Bluesky. Please can you help with a repost? @theanfieldwrap.bsky.social