It’s the economy, stupid!

By Steve Downes, MD, Juice Digital

A few weeks ago I wrote this blog about the state of our economy and the damaging legacy we are leaving for the next generations.

Even in that short time things have got worse and it’s quite obvious from the Chancellor’s Autumn update that what we’re doing at the moment simply isn’t working. The opposition parties seem to have lots to say about what the government is doing wrong, but nothing very credible about what they would do instead. No change there then.

But even more worrying is the beginnings of class divisions among the general public. Yesterday’s public sector strike caused deep divisions. Private v Public sector, Working Classes v The Bosses, etc.

The reality is we’re all in the mire. Frankly I don’t care who got us here. I don’t care if it was the government, bankers, global forces, switch in the balance of power or whatever. All that counts is sorting it out before our kids have to pay for our inactivity.

I also don’t give a fig where David Cameron went to school, whether Nick Clegg is posh or if Ed Milliband has any charisma. I think both George Osbourne and Ed Balls are probably decent blokes who would really like to solve this problem.

Although my own career has been firmly in the private sector, many of my friends and family work in the public sector and are all decent, hard-working people who have as much right to their public pensions as I have to my personal one. They’re both under threat and almost certain to decrease in value.

I’m from a traditional, northern, working class family. We have all voted Labour for ever. Of course we have, our parents and grandparents did. Tories are the well-off aren’t they? Labour’s for the workers, right?

Well I strongly suggest we need to put all our prejudices aside – Left or Right, Private or Public sectors. It’s not a bloody football match.

The dangers facing us are as economically dangerous as the Great Wars were. What did we do then? We united to protect our loved ones and future generations. That’s what we need now. I’m calling for a Government of National Unity with a pre-determined life-span and agenda. We need to put politics and prejudices aside until we’re out of the woods.

I’m waiting for my HMG e-petition to be approved and I’ll be asking you all to sign it when it is.

Love to hear your views.