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Amidst all the spending of billions on war in Iraq, the government seems to be sublimely indifferent to the suffering of the disadvantaged at home, particularly the tens of thousand of old people in England and Wales who this winter are without heat, and many of whom are dying as a result, in the most miserable circumstances.  Last Christmas many of them will have been faced with a choice between spending money on heat or buying a present for a grandchild, and many will have plumped for the latter.  And for some the situation is even more serious; in England’s poorest neighbourhoods 22 % of the elderly often have to choose between food and heating (BBC News, November 27, 2003), with more than one-fifth of the elderly population in this predicament.

It should be asked why, with 2,300 deaths in the South West alone during the winter of 2003-2002, the government is paying so little attention to the problem.  It is absolutely scandalous that Blair apparently cares more about spending money on war in Iraq than on protecting the lives of the poor and the old at home.  Not surprisingly, the Scots are ahead of us in this respect, having pioneered a scheme which ensures that all old people, regardless of income, have central heating and insulation.  Help the Aged has started a campaign to pressure the government to adopt a similar scheme in England and Wales.  You can send the Deputy Prime Minister an ecard in support of this endeavour or donate to the campaign by visiting http://www.helptheaged.org.uk   --Isabel Taylor

Copyright Isabel Taylor, 2004.