Now I said I wouldn’t get into outright Tory or LibDem bashing without a valid reason at the end or a serious point to make. Reading through my last post I realise that I didn’t really get on to the serious point. This is in part is due to me having to finish up quickly because Little Penguin had woken up and needed feeding so I cut things a bit short.
The serious point is that the Tory’s site does nothing to help those who are in serious financial difficulty. Equally it does not suggest anything like a serious policy (yes I know I mentioned the word policy) to tackle the problem as it stands or indeed the underlying causes of the problem.
Now just for the record, I finished my education with a sum total of 12 GCSE’s, 4 ‘A’ Levels and went on to do a Bachelors Degree. However, at no point during my time in education did I ever get taught how to budget. I have my parents to thank for my realistic outlook on life when it comes to personal finance and it’s stood me in good stead ever since. I also own a credit card which I have used personally once in the last 9 years and that was only because my normal bank card broke during the evening and I needed a tenner.
So here is another bit of advice for the Tories. If you’re really serious about combatting the problems of debt in our society, and indeed they are significant, not just a financial problem but it also leads to many social problems, the failures of marriages and relationships, abuse, depression, drug habits, alcohol dependencies and even violence. How about some cast iron good ideas – I won’t even push for policies.
Should Tory HQ be reading, here are a few to be getting on with:

Ban the advertising of loan and finance companies on television who actively promote the concept of lending money for non-essential purposes. I’m thinking those that show glossy pictures of people enjoying themselves on sunny beaches then encouraging people to take out loans to fund a holiday. A holiday is not an essential and any amount of stress relief you obtain from getting away for a bit will more than easily be cancelled out by the stress of the loan you have to pay off when you get back.
Relax the regulations on credit unions to allow them to borrow against capital assets allowing lower rate loans to those most needy instead of foistering them on to ever higher rate repayment loans to cover existing debts.
Restrict companies ability to offer credit. It is sadly too easy to gain access to a plethera of credit cards and loans in the UK and restrict the credit limits on these cards. I currently possess a credit card that I could buy a reasonably sized family saloon with absolutely no ability to pay back the money.
Teach budgeting in school, it’s hardly a difficult skill, but amazing how many do not possess it.
Finally, and this is the really hard one. Seek to change the culture of want and consumerism that is forced down our throats day in day out. That propagates the belief in many that they ‘need’ vast quantities of consumer goods to attain happiness and fulfillment in their lives, that in some way we are entitled to things that we simply can’t afford in the first place.
On that, I will sign off for the evening.