The seed of change

It is my firm belief that the major cause of anxiety, stress, and indeed many "physical" ailments, stems from the "hard working" culture we have increasingly been witnessing in the UK.

I was worried when Gordon Brown became prime minister... as I thought he was an economist... whether he is good or bad at that is not really relevant here. What concerned me was the fact that someone who's primary area of expertise is economics and finance, has been put in charge of the country... It merely highlighted to me how much of a priority "the economy" is among politicians... Sure I know it's important, and that a healthy economy is perhaps needed to enable "healthy living" among the nations inhabitants... but what about mental and emotional well being?

Surely our happiness and health should be top of the agenda, and surely in this day and age, we know that money does not necessarily breed happiness?? When considering the future of the country, surely an expert in social history should head up the agenda...

Anyway - I was really happy to discover this petition which is requesting "The Prime Minister to introduce legislation to prioritise leisure over work".

"The long hours working culture in the UK is a major cause of stress, anxiety and misery. The government should recognise that its primary duty is to provide for the wellbeing of the people, not to swell the economy at any cost.

The current tax credit system is intended to keep people at work as much as possible. It should be rearranged to give support for everybody, including those who wish to increase their leisure time, spend more time with families and friends and pursue activities of their choosing.

There should be a corresponding end to rhetoric about "hard working families" to emphasise that there is more to life than work.

The only loser would be the ugly culture of materialism."

I found a link to the petition at The Idle Foundation

But you can go direct to the petition here : http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/leisuretime/