Star comment: Government instability is no good for a population who need certainty
It is as clear as mud. After Downing Street briefed the press that the Government could no longer commit to the so-called ‘triple lock’ on pensions, Liz Truss stood up in the Commons and said quite the opposite.
Indeed, when questioned on the issue by SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford, the Prime Minister said: “I honestly don’t know what he is talking about.”
The impression given is of an administration changing its mind on a whim. That is not good for the stability of the financial markets and it is certainly not good for the people of this country, who want financial certainty going forward.
To keep to the triple lock will mean a 10 per cent rise in state pensions linked to inflation. That will be welcomed by those receiving it, but leaves the question as to why Ms Truss believes it can be afforded now when she had doubts earlier this week.
Jeremy Hunt has made it clear the Government is in a financial hole. Free-spending, low-tax, high-wage plans have been ditched in favour of austerity. Fulfilling the pensions commitment now means savings will have to be found elsewhere. It maybe that the annual rise in benefits will be curtailed, a hugely controversial move.
Meanwhile, as interest rates continue to rise, another issue facing pensioners is the paltry amount they are earning on their life savings.
While banks and building societies are very happy to push up lending and mortgage rates, they have done virtually nothing to help savers. Many accounts still pay less than one per cent interest at a time when typical mortgage rates are at six per cent. Banks, like petrol filling stations, are cashing in while the rest of society suffers.
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The menopause is a subject that doesn’t get the airtime that it should.
A subject that is brushed under the carpet, shunned by men and spoken about by few women, other than in hushed tones, it’s been treated as a ghost subject.
That is changing, and rightly so. High profile campaigns have highlighted the significant impact the menopause can have on women, their family life and their career. It is right that they should be given every bit of support they can medically.
It is also important that partners and other family members recognise the signs of menopause and are understanding. As always, information is power, and the more the subject is spoken about the better.
It is important that society shatters the taboo and, just as men are encouraged to speak about mental health issues, so women should be given support.
