Some people in England and Scotland are becoming increasingly desperate for food handouts as mainstream parties in England and Scotland fail them, time for the rise of single issue independents?

Dear All

The European project is in trouble, and we have the banking crisis, and politicians out of touch with ordinary people.

In countries such as Spain and Greece we have seen riots over austerity, this will spread; the virus has run right through Europe.

Sometime ago, I said we need nationalisation of all the banks in Europe coupled with a total default to reset debt and then fire proof the system against such irresponsible behaviour by bankers in future.

And some people need jailed.

In Greece things are so bad that some pensioners have ended up eating out of bins in order to survive.

Is that the European dream?

Somewhere along the line things went incredibly bad, politicians became the representatives not of the people but of big business. The system will collapse and like a pack of cards once that one event happens it will set a chain in motion which will see widespread chaos.

In Britain, desperate people are walking up to 20 miles to get emergency food handouts. Hungry people are turning up at food banks on foot because they cannot afford public transport.

And it isn’t just the jobless, we are seeing people who have their own homes and some of them are in work.

In Scotland, I once saw an Asda worker going to get food from a charity wearing his Asda fleece under his jacket.

In England, one woman walked a round trip of almost 20 miles through torrential rain to collect rations, while another, who had not eaten for two days, slogged 12 miles on foot despite suffering from rheumatoid arthritis.

Where are our politicians protecting services for the disadvantaged?

In Scotland, budgets cuts are the order of the day to shove money towards Nicola Sturgeon’s department to raise her profile as she attempts to 'buy' independence with our own money.

Alex Salmond and her political choices are seeing many people suffer in Scotland, of course Ms. Sturgeon doesn’t face hard choices like 'heat or eat'; she is from a £200k a year family.

Back to down south, The Rev Andy Batchelor, who has seen the situation of despair in Ulverston, Cumbria, said:

“It’s a sign of the desperation people feel that they will walk that far. I know sometimes volunteers have given them a lift a back in their car but that’s not always possible so they’ve had to walk back.”

The number of people turning to food banks is expected to double to more than 220,000 this year.

Charities expect the problem to worsen with further benefit cuts in today’s autumn statement.

Osborne is a man who reviles in punishing the poor; he must have loved his 14% cut in housing benefit to the poor.

However, if things get too bad, then £42k a year is still available, you just have to get imprisoned.

3 meals a day, free bed and board, educational opportunities, free dental, free medical, free gym (no pool) and plenty of reading time and you might learn a trade such as cooking.

In fact prison is so popular, Tommy Sheridan spent some time there, social life took a dent and his sex life took a hit.

Big problems require big solutions by politicians if they don’t change course in Scotland and England then people will start listening to other voices for their political representation.

In Scotland the independence strategy is wrong, we are in a crisis which is getting worse and Nicola Sturgeon is ploughing money into ‘vanity’ projects to make her look good, raise her image, all the while people suffer.

In England, the Conservatives haven’t learned, with the Lib Dems on the verge of collapse, it is looking increasingly likely that we might see a change in both governments in the next General and Holyrood elections.

Is it time that people empowered the rise of independent candidates free of a party system that is increasingly unrepresentative of their views; then perhaps democracy can be restored.

Too often our politicians are only too willing to sell themselves to vested interest such as big business at the expense of the people. 

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University