christopher i once had a conversation with my gran who has been dead 12 years today and she told me of a time before post war wefare state.
A time when the likes of her had to rely on charity handouts and pay for this and that and a time of poverty the likes one hopes we never have to see again. She told me of her joy of voting winston churchill out of power to see a new labour goverment come in and implement a new welfare state if you like . Sure it wasnt perfect but it was a bloody damm site better than what she had experienced before.
we need to get back to a time when it was linked to national insurance and not fuel tax , etc etc to fund it and use it for what it was intended , to help the needy not to help the idle.