Why?

Once again this is a very poorly informed, completely un-researched rant about how much I hate the government. Not much new there, but since I'm not very likely to ever address this in person to any cabinet ministers, I may as well have a bitch session here. I also issue a disclaimer at this point that I've been watching far too much of The West Wing recently.

The Queen's Speech was today, where the legislative agenda for the parliament is laid out. Kinda like the US State of the Union speech, only with more crowns and shit. There are many aspects of the coming parliamentary objectives to which I am opposed, but one thing in particular really got my goat. not that I have an actual goat. I kinda like goats, there's something endearingly dorky about them. But then I remember the time that one almost bit me when I was trying to feed it at an open farm, and I'm suddenly not so keen on goats anymore.

Ahem. Anyway.

Our glorious leader tells us that the first priority of the government is to reduce the deficit. Now. I don't think that that's particularly evil or immoral or inhumane. It's a perfectly practical and logical goal to have. But I would like to ask Mr Cameron this. Why is that the first priority? Why isn't making sure that people have jobs the first priority? Why isn't making sure that people can afford to feed themselves and their children the first priority? Why isn't making sure that pensioners don't have to choose between heating and food the first priority? Why isn't making sure that our young people don't feel that they need to emigrate to find career prospects and have any sort of future the first priority? Why isn't curbing the terrifyingly steep raise in the cost of living the first priority?

I don't know a lot about economics, I'm happy to admit to that. I do have enough wit to realise that reducing the deficit is a Good Thing overall for the country, but I don't know a single damned person who gives a crap about the deficit. I do know people who are scared stiff about their jobs, because job security disappeared a couple of years ago for a lot of people. I know people who can't find jobs and have no idea what sort of future they're supposed to have when they can't even find a job to pay the bills, let alone a career. I know people who place coal on the fire, lump by lump to make sure they aren't wasting any. I know people whose children are deeply concerned about how much it would cost the family if they chose this secondary school over that secondary school. I know people being forced to give up their cars because they can't afford to run them anymore. I know people terrified about how they're going to feed themselves every single day, because they have to count each penny so carefully.

Why doesn't Mr Cameron think his first priority is to help these people? Why isn't his first priority to the people who make this country work, the people who pay the taxes, the electorate? Why isn't his first priority us?