National interest? Cameron governs in his own – and that of the rich
We were discussing David Cameron and the respect due to him for his record in government.
You may recall that the phrase used most often when the Coalition was formed (publicly, at least) in May 2010 was “in the national interest“.
This week, his government’s work has included extending the amount of time new claimants will have to wait for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) from three days to seven days. This will be music to the ears of payday lender companies like Conservative Party donor Wonga.com, whose shareholder Adrian Beecroft has given more than £500,000 to the Tories since 2006.
The Coalition also awarded a contract treating NHS patients with brain tumours to the private healthcare company Hospital Corporation of America, a firm that has been accused by the Competition Commission of overcharging for its services by up to £193 million between 2009 and 2011 – but that has also donated at leave £17,000 to the Conservative Party since it came into office.
According to the National Health Action Party, £10 billion worth of NHS contracts have been awarded to private firms since the Health and Social Care Act was passed in 2012. How many of these have donated money to the Conservative Party, and in what quantities?
Meanwhile, a record five million working people are now in low-paid jobs, according to the Resolution Foundation. That’s around one-sixth of the total workforce. This is a direct result of government policies that threaten people on benefits with the loss of their financial support if they do not take any job available to them – at whatever rate of pay is being offered. The insecurity this creates means firms are free to offer the bare minimum, and keep workers on that rate for years at a time, and pocket the profits for themselves – after donating money to the Conservative Party for making it all possible.
There has been no benefit to the national economy from any of these actions; the deficit that Cameron said he would eliminate is currently at £100.7 billion per year and the national debt is almost twice as high as when he first darkened the doors of Number 10. This is because any improvement in the national finances would interfere with his real plan, which is to dismantle all public services (except possibly national security and the judiciary – albeit a court system available only to the rich) and hand the provision of those services to the private sector in return for fat backhanders from the companies involved.
The evidence is beyond question. David Cameron said he would govern in the national interest but has used his time as prime minister to further enrich his already-wealthy business donors, and consequently his own political party, through the impoverishment of working people and those who rely on the State for support.
What sort of respect is due to a man like that?
By custom, here in the UK, the prime minister is given a degree of respect due to his or her position as the head of the government – but respect must be earned and we judge our politicians on their actions.
Cameron has earned nothing from the British people other than our disgust. He is a liar, at the head of a government whose mendaciousness seemingly knows no bounds. And he is a thief; every benefit claimant who has had their payments sanctioned or their claim denied had paid into the system – via direct or indirect taxation – and had a right to expect the support they had funded.
He should be in prison.
Unfortunately, we (the people) do not currently have the wherewithal to put him there. We have to register our opinion in other ways.
This means he gets no respect at all. He is not the prime minister – he is the Downing Street squatter. There is no need to make way for him when he passes – Dean Balboa Farley was right to run into him. There is no need to pay attention to the things he says – if you get a chance to talk to him, just talk over him as though he wasn’t there. He is a pariah; he should be shunned at every opportunity.
He has disrespected and dishonoured the highest public office in the land. He deserves no better.
Follow me on Twitter: @MidWalesMike
Join the Vox Political Facebook page.
Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:
Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
leading the debate on the government of the day!
Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:
untill we all sing from the same hyme sheet theyl get away with it all never never never have i seen a government whose melted out so many injustices to those who least can afford or take them never ever i hope that sanity returns but now its the time of greed brought to ourshores by themselves those in that once great house my only regrette that so many have died so many have lost out to this lot who call them selves christian nay they aint that has they brought more to our shore than any other government shamelesly showing you on national tv those sharks who now take over tfrom the town ones yet its only part of whots wrong even our jr doesnt take much ado these days oh he fights a bit but realy he too is at that table in the last chance saloon jeff3
Not only are these changes amoral, they are also 180-degrees opposed to the National Interest, because yet again they will cause an economic slowdown. More delays getting money to the poor means taking the poor out of the economy altogether for longer – fewer sales for the Tories’ precious private sector industry as customers pay more intermittently for goods and services.
The Tories are not just heartless, they are brainless.
Mike could not agree more with your every word a national disgrace in the making and without doubt will get worse whilst they remain in office. Never in my 63 years thought I would be witness to such corruption. Your article naming individuals Lords etc interests in the NHS / private companies took the wind out of my sails. Thankyou.
We could argue that as he’s governed solely in the interests of his clique all the debts his government have incurred are odious in international law and should perfectly legally be written off.This is an aspect worth considering, in my opinion.
You echo my sentiment almost perfectly when it comes to commenting on our less than illustrious parliamentarians and so called leaders! I even feel ashamed to watch and read just how oblivious these creatures appear to be, when corruption, fraud, avariciousness and viciousness surrounds them all so absolutely.
I cannot bear their utterly vile sense of entitlement on the one hand, and their absolute disdain for those who are ‘absolutely’ entitled.
Keep it coming Mike: There is nothing that you can decently write that would do justice in describing this pestilential Government Corporation.
You mean I’d have to write something indecent to describe this government properly?
I agree!
The tories are so crupt thay are on a wave just like columbia drug barons ply every thing to Ritch kick poor and inferm that’s always been the tory way can no one in Britain stop the Torys from making the poor and disabled people homeless cause that is what is happening why can’t we stick togeather and get the Torys out the poor and sick people are being sistamaticly eliminated
I remember something from way back, in the early seventies I think it was, about someone called Poulson. He took back handers for building contracts, he ended up serving time for corruption. Just as any councillor who handed out council work to his mates for back handers, if there was enough of a public outcry there would be an investigation and justice would and should follow surely? Handing out contracts to your mates who have given you or your friends financial gain is corruption, and what Camoron has and is doing is corruption of the worst kind, it is derogatory and harmful to the people of this country both in service and financially, it is harmful to the country itself giving foriegn states the right to own what is ours is treasonous. This leech Camoron may consider himself first amongst equals, but,he is an ordinary man surely he must abide by the law as we all have to. He and his acolytes are the Corrupt, Lying, Thieving, Murderous, snakes in the grass, and in the name of sanity and justice he must be treated as such. We all live in hope.
I wonder how much falling over water was drunk before anyone discussed what respect was due to cameron.
WOW so it is as I thought it was but could not believe it.!!!!
news just in from mo stewart that asking why isnt anybody up in arms over the tories passing of a bill that all those who wants to vote at the next election had to do so through going online and putting ones name down you want it looks like they dont want to give up the power jeff3