Britain's economy without the financial sector?

The banks are the real winners of the last of the last 13 years, after the crash which their recklessness caused and they were bailed out by us, how they have prospered at others expense, the BOE in particular has a battered reputation as to its competence.

This week, it was estimated that nearly 4 million Britons are living in destitution, getting by on one meal a day or relying on food banks.

Many of those in such dire straits will have had their misery compounded by the austerity of the past 13 years, and cuts to benefits and public services made in the wake of the giant crash of 2008 – caused by the same class of bankers, now enjoying limitless bonuses.

Even Thatcher was not amused by them and capped their piggery.

All this is happening under a fabulously wealthy prime minister who was formerly an investment banker. who was himself instrumental in the RBS failure.

'The unacceptable face of capitalism'.

Here you go:

"An estimated 1.8m UK households containing nearly 3.8 million people, including 1 million children, were destitute at some point in 2022, according to the study, published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF). Half of destitute households tried to get by on less than £85 a week after housing costs, with a quarter reporting no income at all.

Destitution is defined as the inability to meet basic physical needs to stay warm, dry, clean and fed, either because of a lack of clothing, heating, shelter or food, or because household income falls below a minimum level after housing costs – ranging from £95 a week for a single adult to £205 a week for a couple with two children.

The study, the latest in a series tracking the phenomenon since 2015, also interviewed people about their experiences of destitution. It found:

Adults reported a frequent inability to afford more than one meal a day, often going without to ensure their children could eat. Nearly two-thirds (61%) said they had gone hungry in the past month. There was heavy reliance on food banks or relatives for groceries.

More than half of destitute adults (51%) regularly went without toiletries such as shampoo and toothpaste, as well as hygiene and cleaning products, often relying on food banks for these items. One respondent had to borrow money to buy incontinence pads for her disabled daughter.

New clothing and footwear “were essential items that people simply did not buy at all”, the study concluded, with many adult respondents wearing worn-out clothes, and only buying new clothes – such as school uniforms and trainers – for their children.

Destitution – once largely limited to immigrants ineligible for social security support – was now predominantly experienced by UK nationals in receipt of welfare benefits, and increasingly by families, the study revealed. One in 10 destitute households included working adults."

I certainly don't think it's meaningless.

Here you go:

"An estimated 1.8m UK households containing nearly 3.8 million people, including 1 million children, were destitute at some point in 2022, according to the study, published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF). Half of destitute households tried to get by on less than £85 a week after housing costs, with a quarter reporting no income at all.

Destitution is defined as the inability to meet basic physical needs to stay warm, dry, clean and fed, either because of a lack of clothing, heating, shelter or food, or because household income falls below a minimum level after housing costs – ranging from £95 a week for a single adult to £205 a week for a couple with two children.

The study, the latest in a series tracking the phenomenon since 2015, also interviewed people about their experiences of destitution. It found:

Adults reported a frequent inability to afford more than one meal a day, often going without to ensure their children could eat. Nearly two-thirds (61%) said they had gone hungry in the past month. There was heavy reliance on food banks or relatives for groceries.

More than half of destitute adults (51%) regularly went without toiletries such as shampoo and toothpaste, as well as hygiene and cleaning products, often relying on food banks for these items. One respondent had to borrow money to buy incontinence pads for her disabled daughter.

New clothing and footwear “were essential items that people simply did not buy at all”, the study concluded, with many adult respondents wearing worn-out clothes, and only buying new clothes – such as school uniforms and trainers – for their children.

Destitution – once largely limited to immigrants ineligible for social security support – was now predominantly experienced by UK nationals in receipt of welfare benefits, and increasingly by families, the study revealed. One in 10 destitute households included working adults."

I certainly don't think it's meaningless.