Premature Relaxation 4: The Shape of Things to Come

I chanced upon an article about Santander. It mentioned changes to some of its accounts come October, referring to cashback and a type of bank account that I don't use. These amount to an increase in costs. I hadn't thought of this, and on reflection it is hardly surprising, but we can expect all the banks to follow suit, increasing charges. An aspect of the coming financial hardship we'll all face as there is no way the service industry, in all its forms, will not pass on costs to the customer. Us.

Banks are an especially troubling prospect because everyone has to use them. Especially now when cash is less favoured due to the pandemic. Of course this hits the poorest hardest. There may even be situations where some will lose access or may have the accounts frozen or closed. Hopefully this won't happen but we must be prepared for every possibility. Uncertainly is the only certainty right now.

From tomorrow face masks are compulsory in shops, unless you work there. That doesn't seem to make much sense, but it isn't an argument against wearing masks. You should still wear one, as should the staff. Many of them probably will, I hope. Hazy and confused rules aren't their fault, even though it will be them, minimum wage essential workers on the front line (again), that will be left to police this because you just know there will be the inevitable contingent of trouble making arseholes. The sort that seem to exist just to push people's buttons for no good reason.

Now the press are reporting the Army are massing plans to deal with what could well be a new winter of discontent. Tasked with dealing with a synergy of virus and Brexit. All topped off with economic misery. Is this the first sign that Cummings and Gove (the real power in Britain, not that lump of human coal, Johnson) would consider using the army against protests or unrest? Sound familiar? It happened before under Churchill. He sent the army against miners.

These are unusual times. The pace is hyper accelerated. Things will change quickly, possibly snowballing. Problems will mount and synergise and that is where the danger lies. How do we defend against increased banking tariffs or a curtailment of access to finance services - perhaps our own money? First Bus has announced a profit warning. This isn't a surprise: the buses have been running on empty for the past few months, they cannot sustain that but if they go down how do people get around, to work?

This is the shape of things to come.