Letters to the Canary: our stance on the cost of living crisis, Sunak vs Kuenssberg, and social work

The Canary is excited to share the latest edition of our letters page. This is where we publish people’s responses to the news and politics, or anything else they want to get off their chest. We’ve now opened the letters page up so anyone can submit a contribution. As always, if you’d like to subscribe to the Canary – starting from just £1 a month – to support truly radical and independent media, then you can do that here:

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This week’s letters

This week we have people’s thoughts on the Canary‘s view of the cost of living crisis, Sunak versus Kuenssberg, and Labour’s approach to social work students.

Response to Canary article New research sheds light on increase in early deaths due to cost-of-living crisis

Cost of living, my ar*e.

When will you numpties learn, there is no such thing as a cost of living crisis, so please STOP supporting/spreading the lie.

There is however, a deliberate cost of Tory Austerity crisis, so if you are to be accepted as a credible source of information (and not just another Tory Rag masquerading as a reputable publication) perhaps you should be reporting FACTS not fiction.

Maybe then I’d be more inclined to support you.

Best Regards

Terry, via email

ED: thanks for the feedback, Terry. The Canary spent months trying to tell readers that the cost of living crisis was in fact a class war being waged by the Tories and corporations (see here). Sadly, no one seemed to care at the time. The most recent article which you are referring to, we categorise as a “news” article – therefore, it is free from opinion, hence the author didn’t get into who is responsible for the cost of living crisis. To be clear, as an outlet we are clear who is responsible: the Tories, corporations, and the system overall. 

Sneaky Sunak: a benign dictator?

I’m certain I can’t be the only one who heard Sneaky Sunak tell Kuenssberg that he sees himself as a benign dictator.

Asked on Sunday morning if he agreed that he a) wasn’t elected by anybody, and b) had no mandate for his policies, he said (and I am paraphrasing but not massively):

‘Ok yaaahh but I’m doing the best I can for the future of my country.’

Jaw-dropping chutzpah from the Prime ‘Miniature’ there!

The rest of the interview was more of his lies, misinformation and soundbites about levelling up, spades in the ground, long-term decisions, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. But it was his talk of change being uncomfortable for people and his making difficult decisions for the future that I found so chilling.

We need to get rid of this lot by any means necessary. We need them gone yesterday.

In solidarity.

Laura Martin, via email

Labour: abandoning social work students?

Labour shadow ministers have been pushed to reply to repeated calls for help from social work students.

Two previous letters went unanswered by Labour shadow ministers and now social work leaders have called for the new shadow minister for social care, Andrew Gywnne MP, to examine options to reform bursaries across England and to meet with social work students.

A previous “open letter” to the UK Secretaries of State for Health and Education set out arguments for an end to the unique nature of hardships social work students face. Ministers replied expressing sympathy with the important role social work students play, but failing to agree to look at options for bursary reform.

John McGowan, General Secretary of the Social Workers Union, commented:

“Given the vital role that social work students play and the increasing social work recruitment crisis, you would have thought that Labour would have wanted to explore the suggestions put forward by students.

“Sadly the Labour front bench have not even had the common courtesy to reply.

“We are now working up alternative proposals for social work bursaries with our colleagues at the British Association of Social Workers and will present these to MPs during the forthcoming General Election campaign.”

The Social Workers Union, via email

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