The real face of Tory inequality

We all know that the Tories stand for class, wealth and power – particularly for themselves. But the extent of the transformation of British society currently being carried through and drastic stretching of inequality has hardly been recognised. Juxtapose these facts. On the one hand nearly 100,000 millionaires have been created in Britain since the depths of the economic downturn. There are now 619,000 millionaires today in the UK compared with 528,000 in 2009 – an increase at a rate of 120 a day. Of these some 86,000 own more than £5m in assets. On the other hand the IFS has just published its estimate that the Tory so-called welfare reforms (for which read: restrictions) will push an extra 300,000 children into poverty. In addition, Professors Taylor-Gooby and Stoker now calculate that by 2013 public spending will be a lower percentage of GDP in Britain than in the US.

Rising unemployment will do the most damage, already 2.5m and expected by the OBR to rise by a further million. Youth unemployment is already at the record level of 963,000. Add on top of that: inflation at 5%, child tax credits cut, child benefit frozen, Council tax benefit now devolved and no longer ringfenced, childcare credits likely to be cut by 20% under IDS’ universal credit system, EMA loss of £30 a week for teenagers, and the switch from RPI to CPI generating a loss of 10% per decade.

The Tories rationalise this massacre of the innocent by putting the blame, not on poverty, but on lack of aspiration, inadequate social mobility or bad parenting. Anything rather than the patently real cause, a lack of money. They never explain how without jobs, without money, without proper education, and without aids life Sure Start the poor can escape their poverty.