That’s probably the way we should read Dawn Foster today. How very dare the Reine Regnante of the socially caring left continue to block the rise to national prominence of younger, fitter, columnists?
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Retirement should be a right. But it’s in danger of becoming a privilege for the richOf course, there’s a certain amount of dressing up the insistence but:
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]….more than twice as many people over 70 are working now than a decade ago. Some people will naturally want to remain in the workplace on a full- or part-time basis, and enjoy their job, keeping active and spending time with colleagues…..to keep working beyond the retirement age to avoid falling into poverty. The decision to retire is, for many, an individual one,….There are benefits to working beyond the retirement age: the fact loneliness can be partially curbed by work is important – though it’s worth pointing out that many people in work feel deeply socially isolated – and keeping active is a boon to health. But rest is also beneficial, and time to explore personal interests or spend time with family should be a right afforded to everyone after a lifetime of work, rather than a luxury increasingly reserved for wealthier people…..Everyone should have the right to retire and be able to stop work as they approach retirement age…..Inequality isn’t just about earnings, but quality of life and the amount of time you spend with loved ones.[/perfectpullquote]Dawn Foster is on a freelance contract with The Guardian. Polly Toynbee is a salaried columnist with The Guardian – on £106,000 a year I think we were told. Polly Toynbee is 73.
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Maybe the work people do as they get older is the "fun" that the authoritariate insist that older people should be doing.
Madonna doesn't keep doing concerts because she needs the money, she does it because it's her personal idea of fun. The answer to people who say "you don't need the money, why don't you retire and do something you want to do instead" is "but this *is* the thing I want to be doing".