| So now we're right done here in the depths of grievance politics. That's where I thought we'd get to. That's what I was talking about above. Let me surprise you: I don't really disagree about the North getting a rough time. I'd argue about some definitions and whether that excuses crashing the rest of the country in revenge. But whatever. Here is the thing though: why do you think that makes you special? I am in Dagenham in East London. We were dock workers. Then the docks shut or went containerized and electric so there were no jobs and a lot of poverty. Westminster, less than 50 miles away did nothing for us. Ford came and opened a plant here because we were willing to work. They became the major employer. Then they shut. Central government again did nothing for us. So we went up into London, got jobs in insurance. We had to start at the bottom. We had to spend a lot of money and time on overpriced trains. We had to retrain, office work is nothing like assembly lines. Tell me I'm wrong. When a load of that offshored, we jumped to finance. Right now, they're building crossrail near me. The first investment we've had in a century. I don't doubt the North has had it hard. But so had the South. I agree Westminster is a bunch of toffs with no interest in the lives of real people. But I'm as much of a real person as you. The only difference here is we know no White Knight is coming to save us. Given the last 1000 years of history, I don't know why the North keeps thinking that the likes of Boris and Farage are "on their side". It's especially amazing to me that you call me and elite (first person in my family to go to uni, born and raised in one of Europe's most deprived areas, no inheritance coming for me) and not them? Your comment on immigrants underlines my point: immigrants getting on and working hard is exactly the sort of thing people who don't want to get on and work hard find maddening. Are you now ready to go to those fields and do that work? Or will you continue waiting for Westminster to save you? I've been quite blunt with you here. Its not because I don't like you. It's not because I think I'll win something. Its because this is where we are. Whether I like it or not, we're in this together now. The North, like everyone else, will need to get on and go. If you don't think the North got the investment it needed before, it won't get it now, so there is no point waiting. Its go time. This is the horrible truth that Farage and Bojo will never speak aloud. They'll keep lying and telling you it's the Europeans, the immigrants, the elite, the educated, the benefit claimants, and whoever else. Now tell me I'm wrong. |
The UK has - quite literally - decayed in that time. It's really sad visiting, seeing high streets gutted. Infrastructure dilapidated. So few young people. So many people in terrible shape. All signs of the economic disparity that the statistics showed.
The right have their modus operandi, they're the same everywhere. The two-party system in the UK (and US) enables the very worst of their behaviour because they're able to concentrate power more easily and have paths to minority rule.
I almost suspect that the Farage class of politicians are designed (and funded) to fill the gap which which would otherwise be filled by socially progressive populists. Someone to the left of Corbyn (who is center-left despite the media lies) but with charisma.