Last week, Liz Truss lamented the “anti-growth coalition” and called for “growth, growth, growth.” This broad, non-existent coalition seems to include nearly everyone who disagrees with its dangerously irresponsible promotion of profit and capitalist accumulation, regardless of the human and environmental costs.
Truss doesn’t seem to care about the welfare of ordinary people. In fact, it does not call for growth, but for greed. I would gladly join any anti-greed coalition – one that calls for increased human well-being and life expectancy; growing understanding of the catastrophic crisis facing the world through ecocide and the interventions that can prevent it; and growing the capacity of social services, such as the NHS, to meet human needs.
Truss’ policies will not benefit the people, but rather will accelerate ecological collapse, create mass poverty and lead to many preventable and premature deaths by what can only be described as “social murder”.
Dr David Scott
The open university
Liz Truss’ mantra is “grow, grow, grow,” but even if her plans work, will that be the kind of growth we want? Low taxation does not address the underlying causes of low growth. Young people are the inventors and entrepreneurs of tomorrow. Yet the latest figures, for 2020-21, showed that 27% of children lived in poverty – which most likely means they lacked adequate meals. It can affect their growth, mental and physical, disadvantage them and our country throughout their lives.
A fit and healthy workforce is essential for strong growth, but the NHS is chronically underfunded. With further disruption due to Covid, treatment delays mean increasing numbers of people are becoming chronically ill from what should be treatable ailments.
These are just two areas where investment is needed for sustained economic growth. Low taxes for businesses and the wealthy may help temporarily, but without a healthy, skilled and innovative workforce, we are likely to end up becoming Europe’s sweatshop.
Rob Basto
Reigate, Surrey
Liz Truss’ empty mantra of “grow, grow, grow” got me thinking. Under the Conservatives, we have seen an increase in: the cost of living; child poverty; air and water pollution; NHS waiting times; decline in habitat and species of birds, mammals and insects; the exploitation and undermining of workers’ rights; use of food banks; the number of people with mental disorders who also lack access to treatment; profit, money laundering, fraud, offshore tax evasion; the number of uninvestigated crimes; the number of lies told without impunity.
We need a broad and inclusive vision that encourages and supports people to lead creative, healthy and fulfilling lives. The puny concept of growth that Truss espouses should be largely discarded.
Catherine Dornan
Well of Llandrindod, Powys
Liz Truss’ reputation for a lack of self-awareness seems to be well deserved; while the harsh consonants and polysyllables of Tony Blair’s “education, education, education” at least gave his words rhythmic memorization, Truss’ “growth, growth, growth” manages to sound, quite rightly, like nothing more than the plaintive barking of a neglected person. pet, bought in a hurry but today the subject of buyers’ remorse of its owners.
Mike Hine
Kingston upon Thames, London