A lot of pointing fingers. A lot of scapegoating. A lot of uncertainty. In terms of panic, however, seeing as it did snow the other day, I think the railways of England have answered the question of whether to panic, or not, for us already. Much like when it rains in Los Angeles, snowfall in England instantly summons a state of emergency as people habitually prepare themselves for an impending apocalypse – this year, however, the apocalypse woes may not be as misplaced as in the past.

As inflation and gas prices continue to skyrocket, we find ourselves in a situation more capricious than we had anticipated.

And on that note, let’s see what the 2022 Autumn statement holds in store for us all.

According to the Office Responsibility report, documented in a video from Paul Johnson via the Institute for Fiscal Services, the next two years will be quite brutal in terms of standards of living. The biggest reduction in household incomes will be a 7% cut, which is possibly the biggest ever on record. To add insult to injury, the report also documents just how much of these cuts are due to the government having to pay interest on its astronomical debt. High debt, high inflation, and a large portion of that debt held by the bank of England. A tough pill to swallow in that we are all, in fact, simply just poorer now.

In other words: next round is on you, mate.

The ones who will arguably feel the brunt of this blow the most are those on middling incomes. As their wages continue to fall, their taxes and housing costs will continue to rise, yet they will also not benefit from any financial aid provided to those in the lower income bracket, and corporations will be taxed at record levels as the rate soars to 25%.

In terms of energy prices, presumably where all our biggest fears are housed, according to Martin Lewis from Money Savings Experts, the projected figures show an increase of 27% by next year. Awesome. 

Up until recently, electric car owners found respite in being exempt from paying road tax, but in his November 17 statement, Jeremy Hunt added that by 2025 they too will now be obligated to pay the standard road tax VED, which is currently £165 per year. Well, tax or no tax, at least they are benefiting the environment. 

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), Europe is being warned to prepare for an even tougher winter next year as Russian gas supplies continue to decrease.

The IEA’s executive director Fatih Birol states that although the EU will survive this winter, “The crisis is not over. Next year may be much more difficult than this year.”

In reaction to this energy crisis, Germany has resorted back to burning the world’s dirtiest, most environmentally damaging fossil fuel: coal. Having been on track to reduce all coal usage by 2030, this plan was quickly foiled as Russia has severed natural gas deliveries to Europe, resulting in the current predicament in which we find ourselves.

Piers Morgan recently interviewed Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson, who claimed that “the west sold its soul for Putin’s oil.” Whether that be true or not, as it stands, even environmentalist groups agree that, in our current situation, coal burning may be the best short-term solution.

Will England follow in Germany’s footsteps? Will any more paintings get splattered by cans of soup?

Only time will tell! For now, all we can do is try to keep our spirits high, our costs low and our feet warm.

But to leave you on a remotely positive note, amidst all the chaos, by next April, minimum wage will rise from £9.50 to £10.42 – not bad!