Despite everything, and this period certainly fills that definition to bursting, the Tories are still ahead in the polls. Not by much of course, and they don't command an overall majority of the population. I don't think we can just assume these polls are flawed or obviously biased, but I simply refuse to accept we are that far gone as a nation.
What I choose to believe (that is, I have no evidence) is the polling sample, which I accept to be genuinely as representative as possible, cannot accurately guage the full national sentiment. I think they ask a sample based on criteria they take to be the accepted norm. They are not inclusive enough, in other words. I could of course be completely wrong and we live in a desperately fucked nation. Given the long standing deeply ingrained and highly toxic media it wouldn't be hard to believe.
The Tories stand at 40%, commanding a large minority. This is the problem with our electoral system. It's all about a perceived, ever drifting, centre ground. Issues don't matter but for how they are framed. How else can they get away with not caring about starving kids for so long? As for Labour, they are a point or two behind. Dismal indeed, but they have long shown themselves to be a dead end. Refusing to fight on a genuine working class ticket, which they have conceded for this centre ground. Thus giving birth to Blair and his ilk. Starmer will never join their rank, he's naive, untested, and bland. While the Tories are the worst of us in charge at the worst time, so Starmer, who now leads a party afraid of its own shadow, is the worst opposition. He has failed to show leadership where it was necessary, agreeing with the government instead. Look at his pathetic position on schools: siding with the government if only to criticise their obvious mishandling, thus alienating teachers and the working class (whose kids he's happy to abandon). Now they want to fight the Tories using immigration, putting out a thoroughly obnoxious commercial about the borders. It will fail because Labour has long allowed itself to be seen as the party of open borders (it isn't, but that's the problem - they are the worst of all worlds). They are afraid of who they need to be and afraid of the media criticism of that position and so are stuck between left and right. Bland as.
Are they opposing the Tories on their cruel decision to deny legacy benefit claimants the same pandemic related 'bonus' as Universal Credit claimants? Are we really to be left scrabbling in the dirt at this time while the Tories play politics? Their answer is to compel people to claim Universal Credit instead. Whatever the reason for this (and why ascribe to malice that which can be attributed to stupidity) it would be a terrible mistake for people to abandon what they already have and start down the minefield of Universal Credit; how long would that claim take to process, how long until you receive your money - would you even be entitled to that which you currently receive? During a pandemic?!?
The dearth of coverage on this issue simply illustrates how benefit claimants are seen in society, still. Unsurprising after a long decade of the most concentrated class hatred I've ever seen. To say nothing of the fact this is a legacy long in the making. Now, this group are people who are certainly not seen in the same light as Marcus Rashford's cause celebre. Of course we should all be outraged that the Tories are happy to let kids starve. But why aren't benefit claimants, who will include those kids, seen with the same compassion? Are they not vulnerable too?
To even have to ask this question is depressing; it simply reveals the disgusting divide and rule politics that dominate our culture. It shouldn't be one or the other, not least of all because, as I've just said, they are the same. Starving kids and their parents are most likely those on benefits, possibly legacy claims. But instead there is the implicit belief that one is a worthy cause, or, to be as toxically cynical as our press, a popular cause. One that sells copy. The other is just a group of lazy scroungers.
Maybe covid can sweep away our toxic media, like the bacteria they both are.
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