Guest post: Theresa May and her inner Marie Antoinette

A year ago Theresa May showed scant regard for the concerns of the masses as she wholeheartedly embraced the rush to frack. It was a case of frack what the public think and to hell with it. There is money to be made so why worry about the ‘green and pleasant land’ or aquifers and a little water contamination!

Her laissez-faire attitude suggested lack of concern, connection or understanding of everyday working folk.  You can almost imagine the arrogance, ‘water pollution, then let them drink Perrier!’

No matter how many times she dresses her language up to sound like she has an interest in social justice and fairness or even a passing concern for the average person, her actions always reveal the real May. Her ‘JAMs’ speech on the steps of Downing Street was a master class in saying one thing whilst actively promoting the opposite away from the cameras. It revealed a sleight of hand that the late Paul Daniels would have been proud of.

As John McDonnell recently stated in the House of Commons when talking about those affected by the benefits cap,

To the Tories these people are just a voting demographic. To us they are our friends, neighbours and families.

Let us not forget that May has been part of a government that made a political choice to inflict austerity on the most needy in our society. For six years she has backed and endorsed every attack on the most vulnerable.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has recently published a damning and shocking report on poverty in Tory Britain. If the fifth wealthiest country on the globe is to be judged on whether or not it is civilised by how it treats its most vulnerable citizens then it doesn’t fare well. You can judge for yourselves by reading the evidence here.  A startling fact from the report is:

The number of people in poverty in a working family is 55% – a record high. Four-fifths of the adults in these families are themselves working, some 3.8 million workers.

 Yes that is right, it’s hardly the usual suspects portrayed in the main stream media or the Benefit Street poverty porn victims is it. People are actually working and earning their poverty.

Let us not forget for all her weasel words about the ‘just about managing’ section of society, (just about everyone on average or below average income in other words) she has done nothing for them in her recent Autumn Statement. Surely, someone who wants to work for the masses would start as they mean to go on?

Then we have the devastating welfare or benefit cap, which May enthusiastically supported. The overall benefit cap, which limits households’ annual income from benefits, will mainly inflict further hardship on households with children.

Bad enough in itself you’d think. Disgracefully, the lowering of the cap will also increase the number of families affected, from 20,000 to 112,000, a huge increase. Those families currently struggling and already affected by the cap will face further devastating reductions in income of £50 or more a week (over £3,000 per year on average).

You have to ask yourself why a self-confessed, seriously devout Catholic would gleefully vote in favour of such a vindictive attack on her fellow citizens. You see a central pillar of Catholic belief is its social teachings. The new PM must have missed this part of her indoctrination:

Respect the Human Person, Promote the Family, Work for the Common Good, Observe the Principle of Subsidiarity, Respect Work and the Worker, Pursue Peace and Care for the Poor.

The Tories have a habit of standing in Downing Street and pontificating to the masses about social justice. So it continued with Mrs May who stood on her doorstep promising what sounded like a socialist utopia. Never since Margaret Thatcher bastardised the prayer of St Francis of Asisi whilst planning an all-out class war against the population has a politician demonstrated such a chasm between words and actions.

Another shameful and damning piece of research was published by CPAG. A startling and horrendous fact from the report is,

There were 3.9 million children living in poverty in the UK in 2014-15. That’s 28 per cent of children, or 9 in a classroom of 30.

You can read the full horror of child poverty in the UK here in the full Child Poverty Action Group report.

So as the real state of poverty in the country is ignored by the establishment media outlets, we find out about Theresa May’s Imelda Marcos-esque love of expensive shoes and a penchant for expensive designer clothing. Again we see her inner Marie Antoinette attitude to those outside her social bubble and class.

It’s a case of; Homelessness? Poverty? Food-banks? Hunger? Let them eat my £900 trousers or lick my Jimmy Choos! 

Andy Searson, fed up with just about managing, desperate for a government that works for the millions not just millionaires!

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