We’re told that the Conservatives, freed from the limitations of Coalition government, can now pursue the policies they really believe in.
We’re told that the Conservatives, freed from the limitations of Coalition government, can now pursue the policies they really believe in. It seems that, in some quarters, it also means they feel less need to even pretend they are concerned about fairness or compassion. In the last 24 hours, two stark examples of the thinking that lies behind a purely Conservative government have emerged.
In the Daily Telegraph, James Kirkup wrote, “Welfare cuts that hurt poor people can be sold to the electorate, as long as it’s done honestly and openly”. The problem with cuts to tax credits, he argued, was not that they would make poor people poorer – it was the fact that George Osborne was pretending that this wasn’t the case. He should, says Mr Kirkup, be honest with voters and admit that he will make poor workers poorer, because this is not politically toxic.
“Recent history suggests that the British people will largely tolerate deeper welfare cuts than many politicians or pundits believe will be acceptable. Almost all the welfare cuts put in place by the coalition, including the ‘bedroom tax’, the welfare cap, changes in ESA and disability allowances – they were all predicted to be political poison to a Tory party struggling with its ‘nasty’ image. And they were all swallowed happily and quietly by enough of the electorate to give the Tories a majority over parties that wanted a more generous welfare system.”
The Chancellor should stop pretending he is helping the poor, says Kirkup, and admit that the budget is being balanced on the backs of the poorest, because enough voters are prosperous and don’t really care. He adds, “What all this says about Britain as a compassionate nation is a matter for another day.” Quite.
There was more plain speaking from the Taxpayers’ Alliance meeting at the Conservative conference. Research Director Alex Wild advocated cutting pensioner benefits as soon as possible for two reasons.
“The first of which will sound a little bit morbid – some of the people… won’t be around to vote against you in the next election. So that’s just a practical point, and the other point is they might have forgotten by then.”
He added: “If you did it now, chances are that in 2020 someone who has had their winter fuel cut might be thinking, ‘Oh I can’t remember, was it this government or was it the last one? I’m not quite sure.'”
So – when making welfare cuts affecting older people, use their possible frailty, confusion, or memory problems to your political advantage. The age of chivalry is most certainly dead.
These comments have done us a service. The pretence that we’re ‘all in it together’, or that the government cares about the poorest and most vulnerable, is now almost impossible to maintain. The Conservatives are relentlessly focused on securing low taxes and a small state, which is a political choice that is good for the wealthy and privileged, but disastrous for the poor and disadvantaged. At least we all know where we stand.
Update:
Since I first posted this, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has been reported as saying that tax credit cuts will encourage people to work harder – like the Chinese. It was pointed out on social media that in China, people have a lower life expectancy and there is an appalling record of workplace accidents and deaths. Meanwhile, it was reported that at the Sports Direct warehouse in Derbyshire, people are so frightened of taking time off work sick that in two years, seventy six calls had been made for an ambulance, thirty six of which were classed as life threatening situations, including strokes and seizures. One woman gave birth in the warehouse toilets.
The Conservative party is trying to rebrand itself as the party for workers, but the Sports Direct workplace experience may be a more accurate vision of a Conservative future. With trade unions hamstrung, human rights laws abolished, and our social security safety net reduced to a minimum, workers will have no choice but to accept exploitation and inhumane conditions.
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© Bernadette Meaden has written about political, religious and social issues for some years, and is strongly influenced by Christian Socialism, liberation theology and the Catholic Worker movement. She is an Ekklesia associate and regular contributor. You can follow her on Twitter: @BernaMeaden