Experiment Finished.

      Well with George's Budget we see that it is not only the poor, who have affectively separated from their rightful expectations, but he is also doing a hatchet job on the lower and middle classes.

      Following the second World War this country began an experiment in social engineering: the NHS and Education were the tools used and with this newfound equality we saw the working classes, at least those who saw that education was a way out of their class, embraced both. My father was an unskilled labourer, but he and our mother realised the importance of education, but up to a point. It was Dad's belief that the highest my sister could hope for was as a secretary.  Many hours arguing about her staying on in the sixth form...and then University. Glad to say that due to intervention of a consultant  at the hospital where she became a trainee radiographer, she was admitted to a Russell university, where she graduated Medical School and has spent the last near forty years as a GP. My brother  and I later attended the same university.

     The point is that prior to the forward thinking of the foundling fathers of the universal NHS and the education system allowed the offspring of an unskilled labourer to attend one of the best universities in the country and serve the society that we all, should, hold dear.

       At a stroke, or several strokes, Osborne has made sure that the lower echelons of society stay right where they are and that further education is out of the question for the majority of the  working class or lower middle classes. We are back to the heady days of the twenties and thirties where money talked, and the riff raff stayed in their places.

todays strike

I can fully understand the anger felt by many members of our public services, but as so few of them even bothered to respond to the ballot it is  not surprising that they are out today. They should have voted! On the other hand Sirotka and the other union leaders must be hoping for a crippling  day of chaos to show the solidarity etc of the cause.

Given that the mandate from that ballot only runs for 28 days and given the offer made by the government, they union leaders should have jumped at Maud's suggestion that each Union member who felt strongly should stay away for one hour and not be penalised. As a face saving measure for both parties this was ideal, but I fear that Sirotka and others see themselves as latter-day Arthur Scargills.

Sirotka, knowing that he would be unlikely to win a second ballot for strike action once the government had placed an offer on the table which would see many, many of the union membership better off, he should have jumped at a reduced strike suggestion...but no, the Scargill mindset at work again.

What will be the outcome?...the government will impose legislation that forces all unions to have at least a 51% yes vote for strike action or face legal consequences, and given the apathy that saw a scarce 30% bothering to return their voting papers, of which 60% of those wanted strike action.....I leave others to do the  maths 60% of 30% is not very  many, it will be very hard for the unions to get public backing to resist any such legislation.