IS IT ANY WONDER?

 The weather has perked up in the last couple of days to a daytime high of about 3 degrees but we`re promised the return of the icy Arctic blasts and more snow by the weekend.  In this country, bad weather is a recipe for chaos, as are some of the coalition government`s measures to rescue the economy.  It`s bad enough facing yet more tax rises (VAT going up again in January, etc.) bad enough having student riots against the imposition of student fees for Universities in England (note : not in Scotland -again,) but even worse when Her Majesty`s Loyal Opposition, aka the Labour Party just add to our woes.

I was coping with it all, shrugging my shoulders at the austerity measures needed as a result of feckless bankers screwing things up, I was stoically putting up with it and exuding my default brave face, when along comes Harriett Harman or, given her strident views on equality, Harriett Harperson.   Now she is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition - a heartbeat away from the Leadership of her party - but she has produced the tipping point that has triggered my disaffection.

At a recent meeting in her south London constituency, she is reported to have said that immigrants living over here on benefits should be encouraged and applauded for sending at least some of those state benefits back to their countries of origin.   Now if there are genuinely accepted immigrants who work hard, pay their dues and send cash back home, then I`ve no problem with that.   But when it`s my taxes that pay the state benefits then I think I`m entitled to feel a tad grumpy about them being sent abroad somewhere.  I thought we had a ringfenced overseas development/aid fund for that kind of thing.

So, as well as rising prices, huge cutbacks, income tax, VAT, fuel duty, Council tax and all the rest of it, Harriett now says I should rejoice in the fact that I`m contributing towards the benefits of people who are sending it back from whence they came.   Is it any wonder I feel like I do?  Oh well, at least the shortest day is only a week away - maybe things won`t look so gloomy after that?  Breath not being held again though.