Owen Jones writes:
The Tories are already widely
regarded as deeply unfair; but up until now, they have been seen as competently
unfair.
According to a poll in 2013,just over half the population agreed that “the Conservative party only
represents the interests of the rich”.
That means a party that half of us
believe is the political wing of rich people still managed to win a general
election.
Granted, the Tories only won over 36.9% of
those who voted, but it is likely at least some of those who believe the
Conservatives effectively exist to promote the interests of the rich voted for
them.
And that’s
why “shambolic” and “incompetent” have to be firmly associated with the Tory
brand. No, that doesn’t mean retreating from the charge of unfairness.
For
years the left has made the following case: firstly, that cuts to social security
are ideologically driven, rather than motivated by what is best for the people
affected and the country as a whole; secondly, that they have hurt the poor;
and thirdly, that they make a nonsense of the claim “we’re all in it together”.
And those lines of
argument – long derided by the right – have now been echoed by the Tories’
former social security supremo, Iain Duncan Smith himself.
His lines have to be
repeated ad infinitum: because we have been vindicated, and a direct appeal can
now be made to Tory voters.
But it is their own incompetence
that truly poses a threat to the Tories.
George Osborne’s whole approach has
been to put political positioning ahead of the interests of the country.
He has
failed by every substantial measure – the deficit,debt, growth, living standards, productivity, you name it – and yet, for a
long time, has been presented as a strategic genius.
It
was beyond careless to attempt to introduce cuts to tax credits, and then be
forced into a partial U-turn.
But to be forced to withdraw a key plank of a budget within days – a cut to disability benefits – while
frittering away money on higher earners, and in doing so provoke the
resignation of a key cabinet member: well, incompetent doesn’t cover it.
If a
perception of unfairness alone was enough to displace the Tories from power,
they would have been ejected from Downing Street by now.
Yes, the cuts have
gone so far that, maybe, they are beginning to eat into public acquiescence. And yes, Duncan Smith’s own words need to be thrown back at the Tories.
But,
for the first time since the Tories came to power, there is an opportunity to
make the charge of incompetence stick.
It must not be missed.
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