Thread by @SteB777

'One senior NHS figure said they were seeing “medieval” levels of untreated illness in some of Britain’s poorest communities'

Could this be why there's been a big increase in those claiming sickness and disability benefits?

1/🧵theguardian.com/society/2025/j…

We were told by members of Rishi Sunak's cabinet, and now Keir Starmer's cabinet, that there was no reason why the numbers of those claiming sickness and disability benefits were increasing.

Whilst, actually, there is a crisis of poor health in the UK's poorest communities.
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We keep getting told by those taken in by the right wing Tory Press, that this increase in sickness and disability isn't occurring elsewhere in Europe, but here's the evidence of sickness being higher in the UK.

3/theguardian.com/society/2025/j…

Britain has had 1 1/2 decades of harsh austerity, leading to millions relying on food banks, because of neoliberal policy.

Yet there is no joined up thinking, to connect this with the increase in those claiming sickness benefits.
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Just look at this.

"experts have warned, with the health service estimated to be spending as much as £50bn a year on the effects of deprivation."

5/theguardian.com/society/2025/j…

The plan to slash sickness benefits, would have tipped far more into deprivation and absolute poverty, costing the NHS even more.

There is a total lack of joined up thinking, connecting the massive increase in poor health amongst the poorest, with neoliberal policy.
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The callous neoliberal policy, that both the Conservatives, and now Keir Starmer's government are pursuing is making people sick, and are costing the economy dearly.

But instead of connecting this, the neoliberals blame the victims.
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I just don't know what to say. Neoliberal politicians, obsessed with economic growth, and who treat the less well off like cattle, seem incapable of simple joined up thinking. They refuse to acknowledge the impacts of their policy.
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Prior to neoliberal austerity, very few people relied on food banks, which were mainly for short term individual crises. But now millions do. This has become normalized by these callous neoliberal politicians.
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As I have just pointed out, the climate and ecological polycrisis, also includes social justice. As the neoliberal economic system, is not merely driving the climate crisis, but social injustice.

10/theguardian.com/books/2016/apr…

Neoliberalism, is a sort of cancer of thinking, a malignancy. Where politicians obsessed with economic growth through the implementation of harsh neoliberal policy, refuse to look at the consequences of their policy, and falsely blame the victims.
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