What measures has the UK government taken to improve conditions and prevent protests over the cost of living in the UK in 2022?
How does the UK economy compare to other European countries?
What does the increase in British debt have to do with protests over the cost of living in the UK in 2022?
What measures have the British taken to meet their living expenses?
Protests over the cost of living in the UK in 2022 are rising. This summer in the UK is very noisy. A collective dissatisfaction with superiors is spreading from one place to another. Government officials don’t seem to care whether millions of families in the country can still pay their electricity and gas bills and buy something to eat. About 50 protest events are planned across the UK for the next few days. Labour unions, citizens’ groups, tenants’ associations and rebel politicians have launched a national campaign under the slogan “Enough is enough“. Protests over the cost of living in the UK in 2022 could be dangerous for the British political system.
The lack of planning of the UK government to save the poor
Protests over the cost of living in the UK in 2022 are due to the government’s lack of plans to improve conditions. What is unbearable for the affected people is the lack of understanding of the secretaries to save the many lives at risk.
People suddenly find themselves on the edge of the financial precipice. This summer, you will find more and more families in the UK having to cut back on their food purchases as wages, pensions and social benefits stagnate, while inflation has reached 10% and will soon hit 15%. More and more poor Britons are complaining bitterly that they now often have only one meal a day on the table or that parents are forced to starve to at least give their children enough to eat. Some retirees have started to turn off the light bulbs in their homes and only allow themselves a cup of tea daily to limit their electricity consumption. In April, gas and electricity prices for the average family rose from £1,200 a year (€1,420) to nearly £2,000.
The inability of the British to pay the cost of living
Protests over the cost of living in the UK in 2022 have been created because the British cannot afford their living expenses. However, next April, the annual bill is expected to exceed £4,266 ($5,170), which is simply unaffordable for millions of UK households; the aid the government has provided so far compensates only a fraction of the difference compared to the previous year.
Plans to freeze electricity and gas prices at current levels, proposed by opposition parties, or even temporarily nationalize the energy sector, as recommended by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, are still being considered by Boris Johnson and his two successors. However, all three Tory politicians have assured that the public can expect more support once the issue of Johnson’s successor is resolved in September from Downing Street.
The dire economic situation of the UK compared to European countries.
Protests over the cost of living in the UK in 2022 have led to British dissatisfaction with their living conditions. British financial experts agree that their country is now in a more severe crisis than many of its peers. This has to do with the state of the economy and the lower productivity in other countries. There has been a long period of brutal austerity under the leadership of David Cameron and Theresa May.
A new study by the Resolution Foundation and the London School of Economics (LSE) also underscores this contrast with other countries. British households are, on average, £8,800 (€10,380) poorer than those in Germany, France, the Netherlands, Australia or Canada. The wealthiest tenth of Britons is more prosperous than a comparable section of the population in these countries. Still, on the other hand, their average income is almost ten percent less than that of citizens across the English Channel, and even the poorest earn more than 20 percent less.
Widening gap between rich and poor in the UK
Protests over the cost of living in the UK in 2022 are rising as the gap between rich and poor widens. The gap between rich and poor on this island is more significant than in almost all European countries. And the social network has many more holes than anywhere else. As a result, many British families are experiencing severe deterioration in their living conditions. According to the latest survey, about seven million households fear that they will not be able to support themselves in the coming months. Savings are done in a hurry and in any way.
800,000 British households have rejected subscriptions to streaming services such as Netflix or Amazon Prime in the past three months. Insurances are no longer renewed. More people shop at discount chains instead of nearby supermarkets. The thought of gas and electricity costs is never separated from families. Some families who need to save the most are now eating sandwiches instead of hot meals, so they don’t have to cook. Some even turn off the refrigerator in the middle of the heat.
Reduction of savings and increase in debt of the British
Protests over the cost of living in the UK in 2022 are directly related to the increase in British debt. Banks report that savings are rapidly declining everywhere. As a result, debts accumulate. Between May and June, the country’s new loans and credits doubled.
Christine Jardine, a finance spokesman for the British Liberal Democratic Party, said: “More and more people will have no choice but to turn to credit cards, massively increasing their long-term costs, just to make ends meet.” So, to cope with these conditions, they drastically increase their long-term costs. Food banks that give out free food are overwhelmed by the ever-increasing needy. People with regular jobs, such as nurses, also refer to these banks. Of course, the problem with the welfare institutions is that now they have run out of money, and the aid is running out.
Actions of the British to meet the living expenses
Protests over the cost of living in the UK in 2022 have led to British people turning to alternative ways to make ends meet. Others, unable to make ends meet on their meagre income, are trying to make ends meet with a second job. Provide older people who were previously retired are returning to work. Meanwhile, the nation’s schools are worried they won’t be able to provide nutritious meals to their students after they return from summer vacation. According to nutritionist Rob Percival, for many children, a hot meal in the middle of the day at school is often the only healthy meal they can eat. Some schools have also noticed that students are increasingly stealing food and other school supplies to help out at home.
A few days ago, former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown predicted a financial time bomb that would explode by October at the latest, sending shockwaves across the UK. Protests over the cost of living in the UK in 2022 have scared the country’s politicians. In this situation, opposition politicians, trade unions and welfare organizations accuse the conservatives, who are involved in their internal conflicts, of complete blindness. They warn that if the government doesn’t do something soon, it risks disaster and social unrest in the fall. The continuation of this situation can lead to street protests. Political and economic experts predict that in case of negligence of the UK government, strikes and street riots will spread in the UK in the coming months.
