Cathy Dobbs: Pension plight highlights our differences

Our French neighbours couldn’t be more different.

While they riot in the street over their pension age rising from 62 to 64, we hear that our pension age could rise to 70 in the UK and what do we do? Just make a stronger cup of tea, roll our eyes dramatically and move on.

While they throw stones and fireworks, we don’t even throw a fit.

One of the reasons the pension age in the UK is steadily rising is we haven’t got enough money in the pot for future state pensions.

No wonder the French keep turning a blind eye as groups risk their lives to cross the channel. After all, it’s £7 million a day that they don’t have to find. Macron must feel a little bit lighter every time one of those dinghies leaves French shores, while our tax bill just gets heavier.

*** Researchers think that a man born in 1970 may live past the age of 140. Human lifespan is expected to continue to increase, and while men could reach the age of 141, women may live up to 131.

It seems that while men traditionally live shorter lives, this could actually be due to lifestyle factors and, biologically, they may be able to outlive women. That’s fine, but the problem with men outliving women is who will send out the Christmas and birthday cards?

When it comes to men living shorter lives, I wonder if lifestyle factors include being totally stupid.

C’mon men, you can’t deny it. Watch TV programme You’ve Been Framed and it’s mainly men that are attempting stunts that could get them killed. Young lads drive around like they’ve got a death wish and men are more likely to do dangerous sports such as motor racing and mountain biking.

Maybe take up knitting like Tom Daley or collect vintage typewriters like Tom Hanks and maybe you will have a chance of beating us women in the game of life.

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One man who appears to be particularly accident-prone is former Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson.

In Clarkson’s Farm, he’s had quite a few accidents. But the programme doesn’t just highlight the dangers of being a farmer but their daily battles with bureaucracy.

The insight the programme gives viewers into the almost impossible situation that is farming is so important. This is because it’s quickly becoming clear that no one supports our farmers. Shoppers want cheap food and our farmers are suffering the consequences.

If there wasn’t such bad language I’d recommend Clarkson’s Farm be shown in schools as a lesson in life.