"Austerity amnesia" is now influencing too many of
your recent articles, with Andrew Marr and George Eaton especially appearing
to suffer from short-term memory, when it comes to recent Tory policy. In the
former`s review of Goodhart`s book, The Road to Somewhere, he attributes the
Somewheres` contempt for parliament on the Blair government`s "armed
intervention in Iraq in 2003", and on "the relatively minor scandal" concerning
MPs` expenses, totally omitting the Tory-dominated coalition`s austerity
policies, which punished the poorest and most disadvantaged, and which May`s
government is happy to embrace (Understanding Brexit, 17th March,2017). Along
with economic policies which favoured the south-east and their richest
inhabitants, austerity played a huge role in creating the large group of
Britons, who felt "left out and left
behind".
George Eaton appears to see Tory Remainers as the country`s only
hope, even while admitting that many had only opposed Brexit "in the hope of
advancement under Cameron" (For a softer Brexit, Theresa May needs to face a
tougher opposition, 17th March,2017). He, like Marr, has a memory block when it
comes to recalling which policies these MPs actually support; shrinking the
state, cutting taxes and the associated services and benefits, privatisation,
reduced funding for the NHS and state schools, are just a few points on the Tory
agenda. Yet Eaton can`t resist blaming Labour`s "toxic leadership", which "has
made Tories reluctant to ally with them", when clearly, their lack of principle
is the most important factor.
Of course, a "stronger opposition" is needed,
but it would be helpful if writers concentrated more on Labour`s principled
stance against austerity and inequality, and less on joining in with the Tory
media`s blame-game.
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