Starmer, Labour, and the bullying that stigmatises people as ‘undeserving poor’
Starmer: his policy chief tells him to focus on the middle classes rather than the “undeserving” poor – so he sits there in his best suit and haircut waving the flag at us. Meanwhile thousands starve because they’re afraid of being labelled by this posh psychological bully.
Earlier today (August 5) This Site published a piece commenting on Marcus Rashford’s concern that people weren’t claiming food vouchers for their children for fear of the “stigma” that would be attached to them if they did.
Connected with that, I see that advice given to then-interim Labour leader Harriet Harman in 2015 – by that party’s current strategy director – advised her to ignore the needs of the “undeserving poor” and focus on the desires of the middle class.
There is a strong element of bullying in this.
You can bet your bottom dollar that Keir Starmer is wholeheartedly buying into that strategy today – you only have to look at where his priorities lie to see that he couldn’t give a fig for anybody who doesn’t work in a suit and earn a six-figure salary.
And people who don’t have white-collar jobs and huge salaries – the vast majority of us – are aware of this, even if we haven’t been told explicitly.
“Don’t ask us for help because you won’t get it.”
“You are a sponger.”
“You are a scrounger.”
“If you had the slightest value, you would be lifting yourself out of poverty.”
We’ve heard those lines many times before – and others like them.
The fact that Labour endorses those via the policies put forward by its strategy director means people know there’s no hope for them if they admit poverty.
So they do the British thing: stiff upper lip, keep up appearances, pretend to be “managing” even when they aren’t.
And they avoid schemes set up to help them, even to the point of letting their children starve.
(And this feeds in to the policy demands of both the Tories and StarmerLabour, because they can then claim that such initiatives aren’t needed.)
It is insidious and it is evil. Perhaps Starmer should sack Deborah Mattinson and hire Marcus Rashford instead?
Source: Starmer’s strategy director advised Labour to ignore ‘undeserving’ poor – SKWAWKBOX
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So there policies have no relationship to the loss of standards, rights and increasing poverty and lack of opportunity in this country. Must have happened by magic, or the Genie or Karma or the Universe declared it. I lose hope for the potential of this country.