Listening to Radio Four this morning, I kept an ear open for the prank that makes the Today programme such an excellent piece of radio news, views and current affairs.
I listened as they reported on the fact that as from today women in Wales can visit their local chemist and be given the morning after pill, free of charge. The pill is to be made freely available to all who ask, even those who are under the legal age of consent. The move will hopefully stop teenage pregnancies.
Of course it won't stop unprotected sex bringing the spectre of sexually transmitted diseases and speaks volumes about the decline in ethical practice in the areas of medical and social care.
But this wasn't the April Fool!
we moved on to the fact that today prescription fees are abolished in Scotland. Not only that, but the same prescription fees in the Uk were raised today (by 20p to the princely sum of £7.40). To rub salt into the wound (for which the cream will cost you £7.40 of course) there's also no car parking charges in the other homes nations now either.
But this wasn't the April Fool either!
Then the coup de grace. An item on the cutting of housing benefits. They interviewed a twenty-one year old single parent who explained that the cutting of something like ten pounds a week from her housing benefit would see her lose her flat. Following her we had a government minister telling us that they were employing many more advisors to help with the changes.
It was expected that the landlords, realising that the game was up, would reduce their rents to ensure their continued income streams and that everyone would be happy in the end.
Surely this was it. Cutting benefits and employing 'many more advisors' to help with the situation caused by the cuts? Subtle, wonderfully ridiculous and yet, this wasn't it either.
Made me wonder if we weren't just fools all the time these days, not just today?
Pax
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