Reinvigorating the Social Contract

The energy cartel's winter price hikes have prompted the Minister for NewsCorp and Profitable Healthcare, Jeremy C Hunt, to issue a timely reminder that the Government is no more interested in the welfare of the non-wealthy elderly than are Centrica or its corporate chums. Hunt has taken his admiration of Rupert Murdoch so far as to marry his own Wendi Deng, and has evidently received a postcard from George Osborne permitting him to remind us of the fact as a means of pushing Asian family values. The idea, if idea is the word I want, is that Britain's proles need to stop complaining about the likes of Southern Cross and start mucking in with the incontinence pads. Grown-up siblings living at separate addresses need to reunite, set up home together and, after a relaxing day contributing towards the Osborne economic miracle, look after Granny and/or Grandpa for themselves. While they're working and commuting, of course, Granny and/or Grandpa can be looked after by a workfarer from Serco, or some equally reliable corporate citizen; and every so often Jeremy C Hunt's rigorous inspection régime will knock at the door and make sure everything is going well. Rupert Murdoch is eighty-two.