The UK has been taken deep into the valley of poverty now.
Compared to what is to come, the chill winds of the last decade on the plains of austerity will be recalled as a light breeze.
This winter, inflation will go into double figures as the energy price cap increases again.
Food looks like it will become more expensive – and possibly scarcer – as the cold blast of destitution will be felt across the country.
Words such as income squeeze, price spikes and the cost of living crisis will not cover it.
The governor of the Bank of England has predicted “apocalyptic” food prices and the boss of Tesco, John Allan, attempted to humanise it.
He has heard of people at checkouts telling the cashier: “Stop when you get to £40, and let’s hope the essentials made it.”
The nine per cent inflation figure may hit middle class savings but it will hit the poor harder.
Low income households spend a much bigger share of their income on heating compared to rich households. That leaves the poor facing a real-life inflation rate of 11 per cent – with more to come.
The solutions for a Tory party mired in sleaze range from urging people learn to cook cheaper meals, riding a bus to keep warm and tripling up on low-paid jobs.
These top tips from the Tories simply illustrate how far removed they are from the daily lives of the voters.
Rishi Sunak has proved useless at tackling the crisis. He should go now.
For the rest of the Tories, there is a reckoning coming – on Partygate, on the cost of living, on the arrogance of a born-to-rule millionaires’ cabinet.
But before that, there could be a winter of despair with hopeless PM Boris Johnson sitting on his hands.
Cops can’t fill gap
Hard-pressed police officers are facing burnout due a massive increase in calls relating to mental health issues.
The vast majority of these call outs are being made by vulnerable members of the public as a last resort – many of them suffering from addiction issues or other forms of trauma.
It’s a grim reminder of Scotland’s hidden mental health pandemic which impacts huge swathes of society.
Poor mental health can afflict anyone but research shows it’s those least well-off in society who are more likely to suffer.
It’s vital that proper investment is made in support services to offer specialist help to those who need it most.
Police are already working flat out as they to catch-up with criminal cases the Covid crisis put on hold. They can’t be expected to fill the gap of our over-stretched health service as well.
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