Friday 24 March 2017

"Austerity amnesia" reaching epidemic proportions

"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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