Across Britain patients are waiting hours for an ambulance, A&E centres are struggling to cope, and millions of people are holding on for an appointment.
At the same time the country is heading towards a recession, workers are struggling to pay bills, and public services are crumbling.
Rishi Sunak ’s response to these crises was a vacuous and patronising speech that was packed with platitudes but devoid of policies.
The Prime Minister had nothing to say to the country apart from a series of woolly pledges and corny buzzwords.
At a time when we need someone with heft to address these serious challenges all he could offer was a pep talk with the depth of a puddle.
Mr Sunak provided no practical solution to the problems in the health service and had no plan to resolve the wave of industrial action.
The PM admitted patients are not getting the care they deserve. He should ask himself why this is the case after 12 years of Tory rule.
Nothing he said suggests he has learned from the past or has ideas for the future.
That’s rich
By lunchtime on Thursday, top company bosses will have raked in more in pay and perks than a typical worker takes home all year.
An analysis by the High Pay Centre shows the average wage of a FTSE 100 company chief executive is now £3.41million a year.
This is a hundred times more than the average annual salary of £33,000.
When workers go on strike to secure a pay rise they are accused by Tory ministers of stoking inflation.
Yet there have been no calls for restraint by already well-remunerated bosses.
The double standard is typical of a party which puts the interests of rich employers above those of low-paid employees.
Bully for him
World champion Michael Smith took up darts when he broke his hip after falling off his bike.
You could say it was his lucky break.
