Al-arab In UK | Everyday Concerns of the British Public

1446 جمادى الثانية 25 | 27 ديسمبر 2024

Everyday Concerns of the British Public

Everyday Concerns of the British Public
21 September 2022

Now that the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II is over, and Charles III has been proclaimed a new king, the British public will once again face the different life problems that they hope new Prime Minister Liz Terrace will find quick solutions to.

Liz was appointed a Prime Minister a few days before the sad news of the Queen’s death, and so the public eye had adverted away from her during the last week, but no more.

“Are you listening, Prime Minister?” This is how a British magazine chose to headline its cover the week before the Queen’s death. This magazine is not well-known, as it is not “The Economist”, for example, but rather a very humble magazine and some of those outside Britain may not have heard of it before.

 

The issue of the homeless in the UK
The issue of the homeless in the UK (Unsplash)

 

Magazine that saved the life of the homeless in Britain

The Big Issue magazine is a social magazine founded in 1991 by Jordan Roddick and John Baird, the latter from a poor Irish family in London. He became homeless at the age of five, and then lived part of his childhood in an orphanage, which he later abandoned and got expelled from school to work in simple jobs.

This unique magazine aims to give the homeless in the Kingdom the opportunity to earn an income that can keep them off the cold streets. You cannot find the magazine in the street booths, but you will find more than 90 thousand people selling it in the street.

By selling the magazine, they get the chance to earn an income that keeps them from begging.

And after four years of the magazine’s establishment, an institute was founded, holding the same name, to help these people enjoy the necessary health care and help get back on their feet and within society.

Of course, this does not mean that the magazine does not offer reading-worthy articles. It had recently written an article showing the major challenges the new Prime Minister will face, supported by numbers and evidence. 

The first issue is the cost of living in the UK, warning that the inflation rate will reach 18% next year

 

Everyday Concerns of the British Public
Everyday Concerns of the British Public (Unsplash)

 

Million will have unpaid bills and cold houses by 2023

A consultant from an organization that fights poverty said: “Millions of citizens will not be able to pay their bills, have homes that cannot be warmed, and will not be able to buy as much food as they need”

The article starts by pointing out the energy crisis and its high cost, stating that the pay wages are not enough compared to the rise in prices. And when it comes to schoolchildren and their lunch meals, it is expected that 500,00 children will join the “Poor Children” category by April 2023 and be eligible for free meals.

The magazine then concludes that with the increase in the prices and rent of homes, housing will become difficult for millions of people in the UK and the number of homeless people will increase

This can already be witnessed in the increase in the number of those applying for the government’s housing plan for low-income families. But the problem here is that the number of houses designated for this purpose decreased by 39% and the number of beds by 26% compared to what it was 12 years ago.

 

 

The issues faced by the British Public

Although many European countries suffer from various economic crises, especially with the serious repercussions of the war in Ukraine, yet, Britain’s crises seem more serious and complex.

An expert on British affairs had said that the UK’s problem might not have been so severe had it not been for Britain’s exit from the European Union in 2016,

but neither politicians nor the media have the courage to address this angle of the subject on the basis that “Brexit “Was a popular decision that was taken democratically through a referendum and it is inappropriate to challenge it.

While waiting for such an assessment to be confirmed in an accurate scientific manner, nothing prevents us from asking whether it is impossible for a majority to be wrong in a particular option. And who said that democracy has no flaws?!

 

 

Disclaimer: Text had been edited for clarity and length when translated

Source Al Quds

 


 

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