On average, the UK public-you & me-are much poorer than we were 10 years ago.Real wages ie discounted for inflation,have fallen in that hard,depressing decade.
Of course,we do need to get poorer in the UK.The World economy only has the capacity to fund a small number of wealthy people.There are now many more wealthy Chinese and Indians than ever before.More there means less here.It really is as simple as that.
The Government does not want to tell us that we need to be permanently poorer.No Government would.It is not a vote or election winner.
So what is a Government to do to soften the blow,sugar the pill?
Well,a few little give-aways certainly helps.And that is what has come our way.
First, all that lovely compensation paid by UK banks for selling insurance improperly.This has ended up being a £15 Billion handout, shared amongst millions of voters.Not a whimper from the Government,even though they part-own two of the banks involved.
Then there is the £200 given to couples for...just being couples.
Now 600,000 voters have been given a £300 postal order,courtesy of the cheap sell-off of the Royal Mail.
None of this changes the fact that we are poorer and need to get poorer still-but it might blow enough smoke in front of the mirrors to get the Government-or part of it-re-elected.