Rishi Sunak ‘can’t save every job’, but he can save the queen

Rishi Sunak


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On Thursday 24 September, Rishi Sunak released his Winter Economy Plan, intended to protect jobs and businesses from the impact of the ongoing coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

Disappointingly for some, the chancellor’s announcement revealed that the government won’t be extending the existing furlough scheme. Instead, the plan is to implement a ‘Job Support Scheme’ – but only those working at least a third of their usual hours will be eligible for support. This will likely leave countless workers, who are currently on furlough, on their own, with no support from the government, and at the brink of destitution.

Outrage

During the announcement, Sunak declared resignedly that he “can’t save every job”. But for those whose livelihoods have been hit hard by the pandemic, this statement might have stung a little less if, only a day prior, the Treasury hadn’t disclosed a bailout package for the Queen:

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Following Sunak’s economy plan announcement, people quickly made the connection. And needless to say, there was outrage:

Divine intervention

It turns out that as a result of loss in income from her properties during the pandemic, the Treasury will “provide the estate with extra money to meet any shortfall in profits and make sure the Queen’s sovereign grant remains at its current level”.

But where an act of god (the pandemic) didn’t spare royal investments, Sunak was still on hand to save the queen. Commoners be damned:

Then again, for the Tories, bailing out billionaires is entirely on brand:

What happens now? For weeks, unions and MPs, among others, have been putting pressure on Sunak to extend the furlough scheme. Despite this pressure, ‘Dishy Rishi’ delivered a rescue package that will be limited at best, and catastrophic at worst.

It’s difficult to imagine what the winter will be like for the many people facing unemployment, evictions, and food poverty. None of which the queen will ever have to worry about. So it’s telling that the Tory government is still on hand to bail her out. Yet again, the priorities of this government are clear for all to see.

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  • Show Comments

    1. Yet another benefit scrounger perhaps she and her poor destitute children should get the same as the families relying on food banks to survive ?

      Perfect example of profits before people, we cant have billionaires losing a penny or when this shite is all over, paying an extra penny to help out.

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    2. The Queen and her mob are just obscenely overpaid tourist attractions and the false faces of a failed state that’s seen for what it is by anybody with half a brain, nothing new. Buuuuuut…… “Dishy Rishi”????? Where the f*** did that come from? An animated wax dummy with a psychopathic fixed grin is now seen as attractive? 2020; the year that fell on its arse and didn’t get back up lol

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    3. As ‘Austerity’ began the monarch received increases totalling 20%. If she followed through on her coronation vows she would have refused the increases then and taken the ‘hit’ now. She might also have baulked when Tony B Liar requested her consent to send military support to Iraq and Afghanistan as our contribution to American imperialism. Or is that ‘consent’ thing just another act in the pantomime?

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