Blown’ in the Wind

This is not really about America. It’s got nothing to do with the dust bowl. Except maybe, in Economic terms, that’s where we are heading. Because with an austerity budget, I see dust bowls in a lot of places.

And because were not America, and because just at the backend of the City there are no areas where homeless people push shopping carts full of their possessions. And because there is now a £400 cap on Housing Benefit, which translates in London as a three bedroom flat, we have a hell of a lot of people squeezed into tiny spaces.

Just the other day I was told that my waiting time for my hospital appointment was guaranteed. There was no more waiting for hours to be seen. And I was glad, because I had a dole appointment in the afternoon.


So the new budget removes targets for waiting times at doctors, interesting. So what is blown’ in the wind is a hell of a lot of waiting, maybe until you die. Well unless you’re privileged, and so can bypass all of the waiting.


I was never a fan of a lot of the New Labour targets; the educational ones were nonsensical, because learning happens in such an un-empirical fashion. And some of the hospital targets just encouraged a slap dash approach to patient care – get them in, get them out. But waiting around, that’s concrete and manageable. Just get a good appointments system and don’t let those loudmouths (I’ve seen it happen) jump the queue.

So you’ve got what you voted for. I do really wonder if those Tory voters (in the South, because every where else people voted Labour) wanted all their luxury goods to rise by another 5%. Ah well I suppose they can afford 20% VAT. But ask a poor person the next time they pay their BT bill (expect the toffs don’t think a phone/internet is necessary for the poor!)

I’m still trying to figure out what the true Liberal Democrats are thinking, because their boys in power appear to be Tory lapdogs.

The answer my friend is (truly) blowing in the wind.