Another attempt to understand! With Employment: There were 34.19 million people aged 16 and over in employment during July to September 2025. The employment rate for 16 to 64-year-olds was 75.0%. Unemployment is about 5%. As there always needs to be unemployment for the job market to work, this figure is not overly great. However the overall figure means that about 50% of the population is not working! or paying meaningful tax. With the demographic facts of an ageing population something needs to change. I think we can excuse the 14.4 million under 18’s from the discussion for now. So 48.59 m are excused – for now. I also realise that of the 13.1m pensioners, many are working, often full time. So 62 million have an excuse. I have missed out those on sickness benefits. Apparently up to 3 million. And here is a harsh reality – are we pandering to those who really should just get a backbone and get on with it? I suspect that austerity hit the services that could help people back to work. And I would guess that the majority of the 3 million would love the independance that an earned income would provide. This is of course controversial. A living payment to all adults at a living wage level would encourage the unemployed to gain more money and get jobs. How many of those on sickness benefit and other benefits would get additional income?
Pensioners in Germany have just been given a tax free allowance to continue working. This makes sense – as a teacher I am not sure that an 70 should have 30 students to control, but as a teaching assistant part time their experiance would be beneficial. Old people have paid for their pensions and should have a choice, but employment opportunities that benefit children and society should not be spurned.
Then education as promised. I can name every USA state, every country in the world, most capital cities, the former names of colonial countries – hoo fucking ray! The world has moved on, faster than me, but certainly faster than those in Westminster. Education needs to be brought into the 21st century – it is in many ways still in the 19th century.