The Tories have proved themselves spectacularly good at doing two things – squeezing cash out of those with too little of it and wasting money on Brexit.
Austerity introduced the cruel Bedroom Tax. Benefits were capped. Public sector pay frozen. The rich, of course, were allowed to get richer.
Preparing for a no-deal Brexit, which will never happen, has already cost nearly £2billion – enough to pay for 85,000 nurses.
And now Theresa May will blow £109million on EU elections for MEPs who are never likely to take their seats.
It’s the most farcical and fatuous exercise in democracy since the 18th century, when the rotten borough of Old Sarum returned two MPs despite no one living there.
If the MPs now blocking Brexit had to pay for the EU poll out of their own pockets, they might think twice about being so reckless.
The Tories boast of being the party of good financial management. Yet their record is one of abject economic incompetence.
No wonder voters swept 1,300 of them out of office in local elections on Thursday. But it was the messages on spoiled ballot papers which showed that it was the inability to sort out Brexit which really riled voters.
That is not the fault of local politicians. But they paid the price for the nation’s disillusionment with their Westminster colleagues.
The best hope of an end to this sorry and shambolic saga rests with the resumption of talks between Labour and the Government
on Tuesday.
We urge both sides to approach them in the spirit of compromise, with all eyes on the national interest, not political advantage.
Because once Brexit is out of the way, we can return to the domestic agenda – neglected for too long. And turn our minds to a democratic contest which does matter. The General Election almost certain to come next year.
Ease their grief
More than a year ago Labour MP Carolyn Harris and the Sunday Mirror won our campaign to abolish child burial charges.
At least we thought we had. We made the same mistake so many have since – we took Theresa May at her word.
Since the PM made her promise, what has happened? Nothing. Nought. Nowt. Zilch.
In that time, 4,700 under-18s have died. That has meant heartbroken parents finding money many can ill afford.
And trying to do so adds another layer of suffering to what is already the most devastating time of their lives.
Wales and Scotland have scrapped charges. So have many English local authorities. It will cost a mere £10million to provide free funerals nationwide.
Just do it, Prime Minister, before you are forced out of No 10. Do this one small good thing you can look back on and be proud of for the rest of your life.
