19th June 2022

 Last night I was watching clips of Paul McCartney at 80 on the BBC. It struck me that, despite melodic diversity, his lyrics touched the essence of the common man. And then the news came on about the rail strikes and my heart sank.  Why can’t the ‘common’ man see how foolish it is to listen to strong union leaders? Don’t they remember the chaos of the Arthur Scargill years when the country was brought to its knees by self-aggrandising men? Compared to bus drivers earning c.£22,000, train drivers earn c.£54,000. And for such workers to earn even more, the British public must suffer yet again? Another news item caught my eye. A scheme offering emergency, interest-free loans to people with nothing, who would otherwise be turned down. It’s backed by the government but run by credit unions and other lenders. That, alongside generous payments to the financially vulnerable to help with heating costs, should be headlined and lauded. That’s what a government is for: to help the person “wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door.”