Comedian v Conservative over child poverty
This writer is not a huge fan of Jason Manford’s comedy. However, The Blog wholeheartedly welcomes his criticism of the Conservative Government. Let’s see many more celebrities following suit.
Manford has followed up a series of tweets attacking David Cameron over the NHS with a Facebook post criticising the plan to scrap the target to eliminate child poverty by 2020, which involves re-defining poverty to suit the very rich Tories.
Manford told his page’s one million followers: “Can’t believe David Cameron has wiped out Child Poverty in the UK. What a legend. Simply by changing the meaning of what we understand to be ‘poverty’. Genius.
“So glad the country voted him in. Nice one. Chuffed to bits.”
He added: “Statistically living in a poor family can reduce children’s expectations of their own lives and lead to a cycle where poverty is repeated from generation to generation.
“As adults they are more likely to suffer ill-health, be unemployed or homeless, and become involved in offending, drug and alcohol abuse, and abusive relationships.”
Those things are not likely to change, just because the Conservative Government has removed lack of money from its definition of poverty.
Bravo, Mr Manford.
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Don’t know Jason Manford, but I wholeheartedly share his sentiments.
I try to follow what’s happening in comedy but I don’t seem to be seeing much in the way of political comedians these days. Marks Thomas and Steel are still around doing good work but you’ll never see them on TV, not in any substantial way, like we had Mark Thomas with his own series of very political comedy on Channel 4. From that to Benefits Street – how things change.
In the 80s you could hardly switch the telly on without seeing a stand-up taking Thatcher to task, now the equivalent is hardly ever seen. One reason I stopped watching HIGNFY was its toothless complacency in the face of the worst, nastiest, most incompetent and sinister government in living memory.
Comedy might not change anything but every bit of pressure helps. If we had more outspoken political comedians on telly the public would be better informed.
Whether the lack of political humour on telly is the fault of the networks or the comedians, I don’t know…