I hope these questions get you thinking about the state of our nation.
- Are you happy with the way things are going in the country?
- How long has the government been in power?
- How has life improved in that time? Re: Cost of living, taxes, NHS, pollution, crime?
- How many prime ministers have there been since 2016?
- How many changes of Secretaries of State for the various departments, ensuring steady delivery of policies?
Economy
- Why has productivity dropped in the UK (GDP) as opposed to other countries which also suffered from the pandemic and rise in fuel prices and are recovering?
- Who said “F*** Business”?
Tax
- Have the current government been prudent with spending our taxes?
- How much money was spent on PPE which then had to be scrapped? How much was that per income-tax-payer?
NHS
- Is the NHS getting enough support?
- Are NHS waiting lists any shorter since the current government gained power?
- How will people on low incomes fare if the NHS is privatised?
- If people on low incomes become ever unhealthier, who will do the less-well-paid and menial jobs, e.g. carers, cleaners, shop workers, hospitality staff, clerks?
Covid
- Was the government attentive to the needs of Covid sufferers during the pandemic?
- Did the Health Secretary protect the elderly during the pandemic?
- Did the government give contracts for PPE to their friends?
- Who said “Let the bodies pile high”?
Immigration
- Has it been easy to find staff since the UK left the EU?
- What incentive was there for EU workers to stay in this country, once they lost frictionless border crossing – previously able to fly home to, say, Poland every weekend without complications?
- Why has Immigration increased after the UK left the EU?
- Why do immigrants from the Far East need to bring their families with them, surely they fly home for the weekend as the EU workers used to do?
- Do immigrants from further afield use our NHS or fly home to use their home country’s health service?
- Where did European staff go after the UK left the EU?
Post Office
- Did the government listen to the sub-postmasters at the Post Office over the last 14 years?
- Of the 20+ Post Office Ministers since the Horizon Scandal arose, which one actually took the time to meet Alan Bates?
- Which Cabinet Minister had a husband who was a Director at Fujitsu?
Europe
Lib-Dem Elephant (c) Andy Davey – daveycartoons@gmail.com
- Where are the promised sunlit uplands since we left the EU?
- How many new trade contracts has the government agreed since leaving the EU?
- How much benefit does that bring to the GDP?
- What benefits have been brought by cutting ties and increasing bureaucracy with trading across borders (leaving the Single Market)?
- How much have food prices increased by – directly caused by leaving the Single Market and Customs Union?
- How can the UK increase its profitability by putting up border barriers with the world’s most successful trading bloc – on its doorstep?
- How has leaving the EU affected medicines and medical supplies?
- How has leaving the Single Market and Customs Union affected food supplies?
- How will things change once the Trade and Cooperation Agreement is fully implemented?
- How many times have the government postponed imposing checks on incoming goods and food, as it might affect inflation?
- How safe is unchecked food? Has the incidence of food poisoning increased since 2020?
- Do musicians and entertainers now need bureaucratic and time-consuming visas and work permits to perform in Europe, plus expensive permits to transport their music equipment?
- If the UK ever achieves a stable and grown-up government, will the EU ever want the UK back as a member?
Security
- How can the UK cooperate on security, e.g. regarding Ukraine, now it is outside the EU – having forfeited its place at the top table – a leader in the decision making?
- How does the UK stand up to cyber attacks, now it is outside of the EU?
- Which bloc has imposed fines on multinational organisations for breaking monopoly rules, which the UK could not impose on its own?
- Is the current government “salting the earth / planting a minefield” to ensure the failure of the successor government, so they can regain power in 5 years’ time?
Liz Truss
- How much of the taxpayers’ money was spent on the September 2022 budget of Truss and Kwarteng?
- How did that affect mortgage rates, rents and consequential homelessness?
- Would you like an MP who supports Trump and is a follower of Truss, like one of the Epsom General Election candidates?
What can we do?
- If one swan’s feather is inconsequential, how many feathers does it take to make a 12kg swan fly? Can a group of dedicated volunteers help a project to fly?
Flying swan – Maurice Koop – CC BY SA-ND 2.0
- Does being a small cog in a Big Wheel really change things?
- Can I make a difference in turning things in a different direction?
- What does TC stand for?
a) Take back Control?
b) Top Cat?
c) Time for a Change?
We hope you enjoyed thinking about the issues these questions raised.
Ed: If you want to send us your answers we’d be pleased to collate them – anonymously of course! Our email is editor@westenglandbylines.co.uk
West England Bylines does not support any particular political party. We do however give space to those who promote progressive and sustainable goals.
CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO OUR CROWDFUNDER
HELP US BECOME STRONGER SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO DELIVER POWERFUL CITIZEN JOURNALISM!
