So. A Tory majority which is actually trying to scrap the actual human rights act.
And today the BBC reports that Cameron is to say: “For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens ‘as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'”
Just let that sink in. Yes, for too long, law-abiding people have apparently been allowed to get on with their lives. But David Cameron, having decided Orwell’s 1984 to be a handbook for good governance, is about to put an end to Thoughtcrime.
For me, the worst thing about the election result is that it happened because of a failure of language. I can feel political discourse untethering from reality, becoming more and more unreal. There were so many empty pledges and meaningless promises on all sides. There was so much blather about hard-working families and strong economies and being tough; such a shitstorm of spin and lies and trivia and kitchens and falsified figures and #milifans and dog-whistle euphemism. Add to that a venal rightwing media with a monopoly, and a social media where people only hear their own opinions retweeted, and most people ended up voting against their own interests – not because they are stupid, but because no one ever bothered to give them the actual truth. Because politicians and the newspapers deliberately, cynically, presented them with soundbites instead of fact; assertion instead of evidence. How many ordinary people who voted Tory had it explained to them what it means to their families to lose their access to legal aid and human rights courts, their welfare safety net if they lose their job or become ill, quite probably their child benefit and (if the leaked DWP document is correct) even Statutory Maternity Pay?
If the left has a problem it is certainly not that they were not ‘aspirational’ enough. That’s just more of the same shit, frankly. The central question for the left is how do we tell people the truth?
Because I don’t know. The Tories are to me so obviously self-evidently evil that when I start talking about it I get shrill. I know it’s not helpful.
But I’m sure too, that the fight we must all now begin is a fight to claim back the language of public discourse. It’s about the discourse that circles the unemployed and disabled, the asylum seekers and immigrants, our NHS and our schools, ‘terror’ and ‘security’. It’s about the wording of their so-called British Bill of Rights.
At the moment we are losing the fight with Doublethink and Newspeak, and if Labour reacts by electing someone fluent in it as their leader, things are only going to get worse
Ugh. Anyway. In my attempts to my make myself feel better this week I gave to my local foodbank and switched over to renewable energy at Ecotricity (which actually costs slightly less than my terrible deal at British Gas). I recommend both as temporary balms. And I’ve sent a poem to a new blog from W N Herbert and Andy Jackson – New Boots and Pantisocracies – that aims to ‘publish a poem a day for the next 100 days, each one responding to some aspect of the new unrealpolitik’. An important new space to think about political language, I hope. Do have a look and follow.
Yes, Ecotricity are lovely to deal with. You get to speak to actual people and they’re very good about staggering large bills if you ask nicely and are prompt with your payments. (Also, if you ever phone up and are put through to American Mike, tell him Adam says hi!)
Lots of words Clare, presented as self-evident evil?!? However, the people were free to vote, voted and the result was surprisingly clear cut. What’s the problem?
My problem, Lee, is that I think the voters were deliberately fed distraction, distortion and misinformation, making it very difficult for them to make an informed choice.
Calling Tories ‘self-evidently evil’ smacks of an irrational view of them which undermines my faith in the writer’s ability to dispassionately weigh up the arguments. I would never vote for the Tories because I think that people are more important than money; but I also see that Tories are just human beings doing what they think is best. They’re not nazis or monsters or psychopaths, just people, and are no more deserving of hatred than the poor, the disabled or immigrants.
As for the result being clear cut, 36% of people voted for a party that got 51% of the seats: that’s not clear cut, it’s disproportional representation for a minority of the electorate.
I kind of agree Emlyn. That’s why I said that I know letting emotion cloud things like this isn’t helpful. Although of course, most nazis were just people too – it is quite possible to think you are doing the right thing and still cause great harm and suffering (Blair bring another obvious example)
That was pretty clear in the piece, Clare. Well said, you’re really on it! L Field might like to consider how well informed the electorate were, in light of today’s revelation that the BBC was threatened with ‘reform’ if they didn’t shut it during the campaign: http://ow.ly/MVaVw
‘[Labour strategist] Baldwin reveals one reason he feels confident that the BBC does not contain a leftwing bias is that he fought and lost a daily battle with the BBC about its coverage of the campaign.
‘He writes: “Far from being in the pocket of Labour, the BBC was too easily swayed by newspapers that support the Tories and are heavily invested in Labour’s defeat.”’
I’m with Co-op energy and love it.
Katy here btw, somehow logged in as The London Column!
Reblogged this on The Bell Jar and commented:
It’s as if you had taken the very words out of my own head. Thanks Clare.
Reblogged this on cjheries and commented:
Well put, Clare, but if we sit passively by, the Right or the Left or the AiGs (Arseholes in General) will always win.
As well as geting angry GET ACTIVE !
Reblogged this on Joe Duggan's Blog and commented:
What Clare said
I think we must resist using terms like self evidently evil, and you seem to recognise that. we have a visceral reaction to some of the policies but emotional terms won’t help argue with them, or provide workable alternatives to their version of government. Boring huh.
I think we have to stop being considerate and polite and avoiding telling the truth about what’s happening to our society. There’s a corporate far right wing takeover underway, infesting politics, media, and institutions with corruption and dangerous anti-social spin. They’ve attempted to defuse any possible criticism by lambasting it as “conspiracy theory” – and the left have let them do so, and remained silent while the dirty work has been done. It may already be too late to do much other than bemoan the loss of truth in public discourse, and hence democracy, but until we at least try they will continue with this far right revolution remodelling our society.
In terms of discourse, I have decided to a) stop comparing Labour and Conservatives b) Avoid calling anyone callous c) avoid short-hands like Left-Wing d) Give credit and criticism *wherever* it is due (e.g. PFI hospitals).
And, if I hear anyone generically slagging off “lefties”, I shan’t get angry, because that’s not actually about me.
Thanks, Clare. and looking forward to seeing your poem on New Boots and Pantisocracies – bit of a shortage of women’s voices on there so far!
Ursula Stickland
Please ALL
Read George Orwell’s Politics and the English Language. Available on llne.
It’s a good article ! Go on my blog 🙂