Them and us

Them and us   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

£11bn for the super-rich, austerity for us

Britain’s super-rich have made off with £11 billion that could have gone on public services thanks to Tory tax cuts.

George Osborne reduced the highest rate of income tax from 50% to 45% in 2012, backed by the Lib Dems.

Since then, up to 19,000 top ‘earners’ have trousered over £1 million extra a year, says the Mirror.

And the total bounty for big business from post-2010 corporation tax cuts will hit £110 billion, according to Labour.

In December, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation found that one-fifth of Britain now lives in poverty.

NHS underperforming on common causes of death

Save our NHS, photo Mary Finch

Save our NHS, photo Mary Finch   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

The NHS underperforms on eight of the 12 most common causes of death compared to other advanced capitalist countries.

Patients in Britain still have far better access and report fewer financial barriers to treatment. But outcomes are below average for four cancers, two groups of respiratory illnesses, heart attack and stroke, according to the multi-thinktank report ‘The NHS at 70‘.

Meanwhile, Sir Richard Branson, founder and owner of health privateer Virgin Care, is worth $5.1 billion according to Forbes. He owns a 74-acre private island in the Caribbean.

Despite decades of attacks, the NHS actually appears to be improving in some of these areas. A testament to the dedication of health workers – and a warning to reverse ruinous cuts and sell-offs now.

£2.3m for consultants, rail chaos for us

Having squeezed the railways into a state of bedlam, the private sector has now charged the government millions… for explaining how to run a railway.

The Department for Transport forked out £2.3 million to private consultants for advice on operating the East Coast Main Line, according to documents seen by the Mirror.

Years of failures by privateers have forced the Tories into temporary renationalisation.

Here’s an idea: ask the workers how to do it!

When asked to account for ongoing anarchy on Britain’s trains, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling told BBC Radio 4: “I don’t run the railways”! Well, you do Chris – along with parasitic big businesses – but you shouldn’t.

Nationalise public transport now – under the democratic control and management of workers and passengers.