Some of us just want to have fun

Friday March 14, 2008

Young, hard-working people are finding it increasingly hard to go out and enjoy themselves, says Freya Walkley

So they’ve increased tax on the fun things in life AGAIN! What’s that? Fifteen teenagers got drunk on cheap vodka and killed someone? I know! We’ll put the price of vodka up!!

What they don’t seem to realise is that people can afford an extra 55p. It makes no difference to a group of people who are going threes on a bottle.

Also, what about those people who do like to drink but don’t go around murdering and raping people? Um, hi, hello!! That’s us in the background. Young people with morals and integrity who like to have a drink at the weekend. What about us?

We’re the ones trying to fund our way through night school, trying to do everything by the book and trying to make a life with our partner while paying £135 a month council tax on a £685 a month house plus bills.

Fun

We can barely do anything fun as it is. What with the cinema costing at least £12 for two people (not allowing for drinks and popcorn), and bowling costing around a tenner for two.

And then there’s the pub. Ah, yes, the pub, where a pint costs almost £4. Based on a typical young person in this situation, we can probably afford three pints each, once a week, unless you have anything else to pay for that week, like a birthday present, then you can’t go to the pub.

No wonder people buy cheap alcohol in large quantities and drink it wherever they like. They can’t afford to stay where the authorities would like us to be, in the confines of the public house. It’s too expensive.

I’m not saying that if you go to the pub you have to get drunk but, hey, sometimes people do like to go out and get drunk (or a little tipsy). Are the only people who can be trusted to get drunk without causing trouble people in their suits and ties in posh bars where a glass of wine is £7? Or is it that they can afford to stay in the pub and then get a taxi home?

Scream

The increase in tax on cigarettes and alcohol seems to scream one thing. The rich (who are obviously not causing any trouble at all dahhling) will be able to afford anything they want. (Or at least, anything we want.) And we, the middle and lower classes, won’t be able to afford anything.

Some politicians talk of using taxation to reduce the number of cheap flights yet government has just given the green light to expand Stansted and Heathrow airports. So who can use this new expansion? People with money.

Those of us who just earn a regular wage have to save and save and not buy other things so we can go on holiday on these terrible carbon emitting planes, but the rich can get on with their four holidays a year with barely a whimper.

It seems to me that increasing tax doesn’t work. In the long term it will simply increase criminal activity and the black market. And who can blame them, these black marketeers? They’re just providing goods that people (rich and poor alike) want at a price that decent, hard-working people can afford.

Freya Walkley, 23, enjoys shopping, clubbing and drinking, not necessarily in that order