In Spite of the Turmoil, We Must Press On.

It was Monday the 11^th of July when we awoke and wondered whether it was all a dream, but no. The day prior heralded The End of (the news of the) World and today we’re faced with the prospect of a new political era, one free from the usually horrible sight of MPs fawning at the feet of the British press, a world where the shackles are off and spines can be allowed to sprout in those that need them the most.

Ed Miliband could hardly believe his luck as Jeremy Hunt stepped up to the ballot box. Throughout Mr Hunt’s undoubtedly important announcement the overriding issue was; where in the world is the Prime Minister?

Our Dear Leader had more pertinent concerns pencilled in for today – he can’t have foreseen the fallout from the events of last week – he wasn’t abroad protecting our interests though, or even at the police station bailing his friends out, he was just down the road from Westminster sounding the death knell for public services with the unveiling of a white paper designed to open up pretty much all available public services to competition between voluntary (unlikely) and private (ker-ching) bidders. Mr Cameron promises that this is the way to an autonomous public service and a “better, fairer country” for all. Both volunteer based and private firms will be invited to bid to run our maligned public services – barring the judiciary, policing and national security – shifting, we fear, the emphasis from service to profit in one fell swoop of the austerity axe.

The idea in itself is a good one (or so we’re sold) at least in theory; more choice, a better quality of care, tighter regulation and the freedom to say ‘I want better.’ “A vision of open public services”, yet there are already signs indicating that public service institutions (such as schools and hospitals) would be allowed to close were they failing, without even a sniff of concern or any intervention from the government. The reasoning is simple: Under ‘market conditions’, a failing hospital or school (or nursery or care home) would cost more than it’s worth to rescue. If it were the norm to bail out institutions in this fashion then the cost to the government would rise significantly, meaning that not only would there be no point in implementing these reforms, true public services (your education, health and social care, your benefits, library, bin collections etc) which safeguard the wellbeing and general mindset of a nation are less important to its government than protecting the financial sector in spite of all its faults.

If one day you find yourself in a position where your local school is closing due to substandard test scores, or an elderly relative is turfed out of their care home because it’s run by some horrible Southern Cross type, try not to think about the £5.5bn paid by the government to save Lloyds TSB (or the bonuses paid to their staff that very year) and instead appreciate that the collapse of some institutions is VITAL to the creating of a truly competitive market. This white paper signals the end of state run public services and, as Mr Cameron says; “the affects will be felt by every state school, hospital and prison, by every doctor, teacher, parent, patient and citizen”. Agreed.

Every time something like this occurs it strengthens the argument that this is an ideologically inspired change in who, in what we are, a Tory-led class war or some sort, almost. Whether you believe that economical catastrophe looms large, or that it’s not as bad as all that or even that it’s all bollocks, I’m sure most in their right mind would agree that taking from those who need it most as a first option is fundamentally wrong. Is George Osborne pulling the wrong strings? Much like Jeremy Hunt appears to be dancing to Murdoch’s tune, Mr Osborne seems to be in the pocket of the financial sector. That’s the Chancellor of the Exchequer by the way, protector of the public purse.

The road we’re on, one of public sector reform is perhaps the easiest to tread for the powers that be, and the grumbling masses don’t have the money or the power to protect themselves so we’re all lumped in together and whipped accordingly. The personal interests of The Few will always take precedence over those of the many because The Few will always be in power. While there are set levels of Income Tax for every employee in the UK, there are wildly varying levels of Corporation Tax paid by employers. It beggars belief that in the four years up to the end of 2007 British Telecom paid a mere 5% tax on gross profits of £8.8bn. The National Grid turned in £7bn in the same period, paying just 8% in tax. Companies such as Standard Chartered (26% of £6.4bn) and Centrica (a whopping 44% of £5.07bn) are leading the way and help show up other companies for what they really are. The next time a FirstGroup bus driver goes on strike and makes me late for work I hope he has his employer’s 5% tax rate in mind.

The sad fact is that most of these companies could exploit the same loopholes and yet some choose not to. Perhaps it’s down to ethics, maybe they just need a better auditor, either way there’s no real consistency in the levels of Corporation Tax paid and some firms are treated as a law unto themselves. Consistent and fair Corporation Tax levels could have brought an additional £25bn into the economy in the past few years alone. If the banks paid their own insurance costs rather than the taxpayer that’s another £100bn saved.

You have to wonder how it’s easier for a government to put public services to the sword or for a council to lay off its staff in order to re-employ them on worse terms than to merely ensure a billion pound business pays the going rate. Somewhat depressingly it’s because that is the Law of the Land. Laws passed by Labourite and Tory alike and laws too complicated for the common man to comprehend, never mind contest. What we need is a free press and a realising of this democracy thing we’ve heard so much about, put so much faith in. We need it now.