In a book published back in 2012 called Britannia Unchained, future UK prime minister Liz Truss and her Conservative party colleagues characterised British workers with these words: “Once they enter the workplace, the British are among the worst idlers in the world. We work among the lowest hours, we retire early and our productivity is poor. Whereas Indian children aspire to be doctors or businessmen, the British are more interested in football and pop music.”
Insulting workers as lazy in the country that you hope to lead was a peculiar political strategy for Ms Truss, but somehow it worked. A decade after the book appeared, she became prime minister (famously lasting just seven weeks in office).
Those words about British “idlers” have an echo right now. A policy initiative from Ms Truss’s successor, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, seeks to change the way in which family doctors assess whether a person is fit for work. Those declared unfit may qualify for taxpayer-funded state benefits. The others either find a job or receive no state money.
Mr Sunak attacked what he called the UK's “sick note culture” suggesting that not working for some is a “lifestyle choice”. “Hardworking people” are paying higher taxes to support a “spiralling” welfare bill.
There is nothing new in this. Politicians worldwide, particularly on the political right, often claim that lazy scroungers benefit from the hard work of you and me. Back in the 1970s, then-US presidential candidate Ronald Reagan used the term “welfare queens” to stigmatise some women – black women in particular – who, he claimed, were paid taxpayers’ money to do nothing.
Of course, some people do abuse the system, but this same trope reappears time after time in the mouths of politicians who clearly believe that it’s a winner with voters. But what is their solution?
Sunak does not dismiss mental ill health, but says we need to be 'honest about the risk of over-medicalisation of everyday challenges'
Mr Sunak says that if his party wins the next general election, he will make it harder for patients to obtain a doctor’s sick note. He will take decision-making on fitness to work away from overstretched doctors, in a proposed “crackdown” on benefit fraud. He does not “dismiss or downplay” mental ill health, but we need to be “honest about the risk of over-medicalisation of everyday challenges”.
So, who will decide if you are too sick to work or are just lazy, if it’s not your doctor? Mr Sunak says it will be unspecified “specialist work and health professionals who have the dedicated time to provide an objective assessment of someone’s ability to work and the tailored support they need to do so”. Well, possibly.
It’s certainly true that since the coronavirus pandemic, there has been a bump in sickness of one sort or another in the British workforce. According to the Office for National Statistics, “an estimated 185.6 million working days were lost because of sickness or injury in 2022; this level was a record high, but the number of days lost per worker, at 5.7, was not”. There was more recently, in February, a record unemployment high of 2.8 million people out of work.
Mr Sunak concludes that “there’s nothing compassionate about leaving a generation of young people to sit alone in the dark before a flickering screen watching as their dreams slip further from reach every single day”. That is certainly true, although whether these words are relevant as a realistic characterisation of young British people in 2024 is debatable.
Employers do report a worker shortage. That is one reason immigration to the UK is so high. But the key question is whether Mr Sunak has hit on a problem requiring a change in the kind of people who sign “sick notes” or whether – as with the Britannia Unchained slur on workers – all this is just standard political rhetoric in the run-up to an election.
Scope, a British disability charity, says that Mr Sunak is mounting “a full-on assault on disabled people” that was “driven by bringing costs down rather than how we support disabled people”. Mental health charities also raise questions about the Sunak announcement. Others say that the real problem is a lack of training, lack of an educated workforce, lack of well-paying jobs, and difficulties in obtaining hospital treatment and medical care for those “signed off” as sick.
There is, in other words, no magic bullet solution. But as I travel round the country talking to diverse audiences – last week I was in Yorkshire – I hear some very different stories, and they focus on money. The people I meet often speak of hardship and the rising cost of living. Some say hard work does not pay enough.
A skilled craftsman I spoke with recently told me that he goes to the local supermarket just before closing time every Saturday night because that’s when they discount meat and other costly foods. He works hard – often six days a week – but finds paying the bills increasingly difficult.
Instead of dividing us into “hardworking” people and “idlers” or “welfare queens”, maybe governments could figure out how to pay workers a fair and decent living wage for a hard day’s work. I’d vote for that.
THE SPECS
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 275hp at 6,600rpm
Torque: 353Nm from 1,450-4,700rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Top speed: 250kph
Fuel consumption: 6.8L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: Dh146,999
How will Gen Alpha invest?
Mark Chahwan, co-founder and chief executive of robo-advisory firm Sarwa, forecasts that Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) will start investing in their teenage years and therefore benefit from compound interest.
“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.
Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.
He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.
Highlighting the role technology has played in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to invest, he says: “They were often excluded, but with lower account minimums ... a customer with $1,000 [Dh3,672] in their account has their money working for them just as hard as the portfolio of a high get-worth individual.”
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20NOTHING%20PHONE%20(2)
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Company%C2%A0profile
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Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Brief scoreline:
Liverpool 2
Mane 51', Salah 53'
Chelsea 0
Man of the Match: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
LAST 16 DRAW
Borussia Dortmund v PSG
Real Madrid v Manchester City
Atalanta v Valencia
Atletico Madrid v Liverpool
Chelsea v Bayern Munich
Lyon v Juventus
Tottenham v Leipzig
Napoli v Barcelona
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
Breast cancer in men: the facts
1) Breast cancer is men is rare but can develop rapidly. It usually occurs in those over the ages of 60, but can occasionally affect younger men.
2) Symptoms can include a lump, discharge, swollen glands or a rash.
3) People with a history of cancer in the family can be more susceptible.
4) Treatments include surgery and chemotherapy but early diagnosis is the key.
5) Anyone concerned is urged to contact their doctor
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 720hp
Torque: 770Nm
Price: Dh1,100,000
On sale: now
PREMIER LEAGUE RESULTS
Bournemouth 1 Manchester City 2
Watford 0 Brighton and Hove Albion 0
Newcastle United 3 West Ham United 0
Huddersfield Town 0 Southampton 0
Crystal Palace 0 Swansea City 2
Manchester United 2 Leicester City 0
West Bromwich Albion 1 Stoke City 1
Chelsea 2 Everton 0
Tottenham Hotspur 1 Burnley 1
Liverpool 4 Arsenal 0
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch
Power: 710bhp
Torque: 770Nm
Speed: 0-100km/h 2.9 seconds
Top Speed: 340km/h
Price: Dh1,000,885
On sale: now
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
SPECS
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First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
