>>When I wrote this over a year ago I was doing my best to remain dispassionate and balanced. Now, I realise the error of my ways. I should have gone with my instincts and put the boot in to the Conservatives at the earliest opportunity. After all, that’s been their tactic with the poor and vulnerable over the last 12 months.
I fall into the category of ‘natural sceptic’ when it comes to this coalition government. Granted, they have a tough job on their hands bringing the national debt under control but it’s pretty clear to me how they intend to do that.
If I was being charitable, I’d say that although the Coalition are not explicitly planning to cut the vulnerable and poor adrift, this will be the consequences of their policies. However, I’m not being charitable. The thing is, this whole Tory strategy is just that, a strategy. It’s by design.
In his defence, David Cameron could, would and should point to the modest successes of ‘No Second Night Out’, a scheme to halt rough sleeping. And this is great, but this kind of initiative costing millions is dwarfed by the billions being stripped out of Housing Benefit, the Disabled and Working Tax Credits
To understand the master plan we have to understand the thought processes of a small group of influential senior Tories. David Willetts, Iain Duncan Smith and to a lesser extent David Cameron himself, have crucially turned the tide on the assumption by the Iron Lady that; ‘there is no such thing as society’. This is hugely significant.
I’m not sure the left leaning, social justice tub thumpers (and I count myself in this category) have quite realised the magnitude of the change. In the Thatcher or Major governments we could all assume that social justice would just be completely ignored, left to the whims of freemarket capitalism. There was no real focus on the poor and disadvantaged. Sometimes they got caught in the crossfire, sometimes they came through unscathed. Now though, the Tories are signed up to collectivism and are determined to address what they perceive as the ‘ills of society’ in their own inimitable and nasty way.
They’re lacing up their jackboots and are ready to give the poor and vulnerable a damn good kicking. I’m not sure I’m going to be able to stomach it.
Jon Leighton 