Truss shows we’re back to the far right
I PUZZLE in disbelief at the very latest coming from New York’s UN General Assembly this week (minus Putin and Xi absentees).
Secretary General Antonio Guterres says, of our current deplorable and dangerous global situation, that our world is fast making “a rendezvous with climate disaster” because of “addiction to fossil fuels” and how the vast windfall profits being made by big oil and gas production corporations of the rich North must be taxed and this redistributed to developing countries of the poor South.
Global justice and human survival much depends on how these richest countries, causing some 80% of the problems (mainly the G7, including us), meet the challenge of repaying massive amounts of debt held by the poorer countries so they can properly answer their climate and biodiversity emergencies. So, what says the UK’s new PM Liz Truss, interviewed for BBC national news by Chris Mason at the top of the Empire State Building?
Of course, no mention of windfall taxes for the fossil fuel-producing giants, in fact, positively encouraging more greenhouse gas emissions by reopening fracking (for shale gas) and much greater North Sea oil and gas extraction. But there was much talk of new special Truss ‘I’m my own PM’ emphasis on growth (climate death wish?) via cutting taxes for the rich and upping millionaire bankers’ bonuses to attract more foreign investment and ownership into the UK.
Yes, we’re truly back to the old, very failed, Tory far rightwing politics: look after the very rich – national or foreign – and their investments in new British entrepreneurial businesses will benefit everyone with new skilled and highly paid jobs, plus renovation of our depleted high streets, etc.
Yes, cloud cuckoo-land economics, making Starmer’s Labour look extremely mature and sensible!
Although we’re all getting a costof-living, fuel and general inflation help, it’s far less than offered from other political parties and EU countries, still leaving many of us perhaps unable to keep free from bankruptcy and a lack of basic essential goods this winter.
Surely not so soon, but it’s highly likely this new, very unpopular Truss ‘lunacy’ could well see the secret multi-millionaire Tory ‘grandees’ bring out the Johnson axe again before it’s had time to dry?
Alan Debenham Taunton, Somerset