What did you expect when you elected a PR man to be head of the UK government? Government by PR.
Meaningless slogans that are contradicted by real actions in the opposite direction, for example:
- “Greenest government ever” – anti-green ministers appointed, moves investment from renewables to fossils and nuclear, green investment bank diluted.
- “Compassionate conservatism” – reduces benefits to the disabled, more people sleeping rough.
- “We’re all in it together” – takes from the worst off and gives to the better off, increases inequality, builds insufficient lower-priced housing.
- “No top down reorganisation of the NHS” – the Lansley top down reorganisation.
- “The NHS is safe in our hands” – now battling with NHS staff.
- “7-day NHS” – somehow going to happen without increasing investment.
- And so on…
Untrue narratives or half-truths propagated to ensure advantage in the polls. Just a couple of examples:
- “Labour caused the financial crash” – it didn’t; it was bankers and virtually none were punished in any way.
- “We will save £12 billion (but we won’t yet tell you how)” – now we know – it was by taking money from the weakest in society.
Real problems, such as the care crisis, lack of affordable housing, global warming, gross inequality, the inadequacy of current banking – shunted into the long grass.
That’s not to say the Cameron governments have not done some good things, but put a PR man at the top, and nothing is ever quite what it seems. Of course, he watched Blair closely, and learned…
