Government ‘out of touch’ with public says Lincoln Lib Dem politician

A Liberal Democrat politician has accused the government of having “no comprehension” for the consequences of their policies on the British general public.

Ross Pepper, who has stood for the Lib Dems in four parliamentary elections as well as standing for Lincolnshire Police & Crime Commissioner in 2021, made the comments after the Conservative party conference in Manchester this week.

At the conference, Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledged many things to help the country recover from the past 18 months, including private sector investment, boosting infrastructure and getting tougher on immigration control.

Lincoln MP Karl McCartney attended the Tory party conference and called the week “hugely positive” as the Prime Minister announced his plans to “build back better” from the COVID-19 pandemic and Brexit.

But his views were not shared by Lib Dem member Mr Pepper, who said Boris Johnson’s speech was “full of usual bluff and buster” without “any mention of the recent or current crisis that the country is facing”.

Mr Pepper told The Lincolnite: “I listened to Boris Johnson’s speech to the Conservative Party faithful. It was delivered by a showman, not a statesman.

“He said nothing about the issue that many faced trying to fuel their cars, especially the difficulties faced by those health workers, teachers, police officers and delivery drivers who rely on their cars to do vital work.

“There was no mention of the rise in the cost of living which we all face this winter due to soaring energy costs and food prices, all of which is being compounded in many households by the removal of the £20 Universal Credit uplift.

“Silence again on the shortage of HGV drivers and agricultural workers which is leaving our supermarket shelves empty, produce in the fields rotting, and animals, ordinarily destined for our stomachs, being killed and discarded.”

Mr Pepper said that “failure to grasp the importance of key concerns is Johnson’s weakness” after his conference speech, and he accused government of being “out of touch” with the electorate.

He continues: “He [Boris Johnson] is showing himself to be out of touch with the rest of us. Our Prime Minister and government have no comprehension of how the decisions and actions they are taking are having real consequences for families across Lincolnshire and the country.

“Failure to mention any of the above is a declaration that these issues are not important to him, and a failure to show compassion and empathy when many are worried and concerned about the coming months, leads me to ask: does he
even care?”