This is a phrase that is always in the headlines at this time of year
That people would actually have to choose between being warm and feeding themselves just shows the disgusting state of the world we live in
I've never experienced poverty. Don't get me wrong, it's a difficult decision to put the heating on sometimes, this will be my first winter in a place on my own, but I'm lucky enough to know that whilst it is something of a luxury, I can afford it
I could save a lot of money on food, a few less bacon rolls at work, less crisps and snacks when I go to the supermarket, but I can afford them....for the moment at least
How can it be acceptable that a basic human right and need, to be fed and warm is placed second to the desire to make money for millionaire shareholders and millionaire managing directors
Politicians debate how there should be a price cap and 'when we are elected we'll freeze the prices'. I could run for election telling everyone that if I'm elected I'll give everyone a million pounds, yes it's more extreme but it's equally as truthful and realistic. It's like the high school class president we've seen in so many crap tv programs that says 'I'll give you shorter lessons and longer breaks...and candy for lunch'
Tell people what they want to hear and they'll believe you because sometimes they need to believe you
People need to believe that someone cares, that their grandparents won't die this winter because they can't afford to not freeze to death
People are giving food back to food banks because they can't afford to cook it....what sort of world is that. They can't afford to eat the food they've been given so have to go hungry instead
They talk about kids going to school hungry, and parents living on bread and butter. Schools making ridiculously expensive uniform demands when they can't even offer a good enough level of education that teachers are happy to teach. I'd rather my child went to school in her pyjamas if it meant she had food in her belly and a decent lesson structure
We've seen teachers striking, not just because of pay and pensions, though that's what the media would have you believe, but because they care about our children....believe me, if you didn't care about children, you couldn't be a teacher
Firefighters on strike, not just because of pension contributions but because of changes that are being made that put more people at risk
Yesterday I watched Prince Charles on tv talking about pensions and how if we didn't act now, our children and grandchildren, his grandchildren, would suffer. His grandchildren!! Why because they'll have to settle for only 3 Range Rovers and only two palaces to live in....don't even pretend to be 'one of us'
Maybe this year when you come to do your christmas shopping, or even next week when you do, buy a few extra things, simple things, things that maybe don't need cooking, and give them either directly or indirectly to people that need them. We can't give people heating but we can give them food
And if you are well enough off that you have money to spare, but you have friends/relatives that are struggling, don't allow them to be proud or stubborn, find out their energy supplier and give them some money
I'm sure we would all give any amount of money to keep alive someone we've lost, maybe we could give other people the chance to not experience that loss
