One Elderly Widow's Story

For the past week I have been out every day delivering newspapers and leaflets. This morning something happened that underlined what an utter pile of shite* this Government really is and the distress that they are causing.

One elderly lady stopped me to talk and she was in an extremely distressed state. This lady, a widow it transpired, with no family left alive - never having had any children - whose husband had fought through the second world war whilst she had worked in a munitions factory, both of whom had paid their taxes all their lives, had never borrowed other than for the mortgage on their marital home, something which she no longer had due to old age and being unable to cope with a house and its upkeep. She now rented from a housing association and was deeply troubled.

She had read in the Telegraph that as the Government planned to borrow another £700million, taking the national debt to £1.4trillion - equivalent to £16,500 for every man, woman and child in the country - what would happen to her when the government came to collect the £16,500 from her as she only had about £2,000 savings left and that money was for her funeral expenses. I managed to allay her fears and left her with the promise I would call again to see her.

The point of all this is how can any government get the country into such a position that the elderly - who were responsible for maintaining our democracy, whereby the 'present day' collection of our 'political elite' are able to 'ply their trade' - have been reduced to the state of distress I found this elderly widow?

I just hope that members of this government have difficulty in sleeping at night!


* My apologies for the use of the word - I do try to avoid bad language however this has made me incandescent with rage!