“When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist.” ― Dom Helder Camara, Dom Helder Camara: Essential Writings
Potty mouth James Cleverly has a fondness for the word “shit". He apparently described the government’s flagship Rwanda deportation scheme as “batshit”, but then denied he had used such language.
"James Cleverly repeatedly refuses to deny he called Rishi Sunak’s scheme ‘batshit’.” (Independent: 16/11/23)
Within a few days of that denial he was denying he had called the constituency of Stockton North a “shithole", following a child poverty question in the House of Commons.
During Prime Ministers Questions, Rishi Sunak was asked by the Labour MP for Stockton North why 34% of children in his constituency were living in poverty. Sunak, answered that 1.7 million FEWER people were living in poverty due to the policies of his government, and that 100,000 fewer children were living in poverty than when the Labour Party left office in 2012.
During that exchange Cleverly was allegedly heard to say “Because its a shithole". Under pressure, Cleverly admitted he used “unparliamentary” language, claiming he was insulting the MP and not his constituency.
“Allies of Home Secretary James Cleverly insist he DIDN'T call Stockton a 's**thole'... but did call Labour's Alex Cunningham a 's**t MP' in bizarre row over Commons hot mic moment." MailOnline: 23/11/23)
Typical of the Tory right-wing press and the Tories themselves, the original question about child poverty has been totally sidestepped. I have no idea if the MP for Stockton North is a good constituency MP of a bad constituency MP. Either way, he is certainly NOT responsible for the high level of child poverty in his area. That shameful figure is the result of repeated Tory governments cutting of public services, welfare benefits and local authority funding.
Let us look at Sunak’s claims about poverty in general and child poverty in particular.
He assured us that “1.7 million fewer people” were now living in poverty due to HIS policies. Sunak came to power on October 22nd, 2022, so poverty figures for 2022/23 are not yet complete or available, so how Sunak can make this claim is uncertain.
What we do know from government figures for the year 2021/22 is that relative poverty INCREASED while absolute poverty remained static.
What we also know is that in 2021, when Chancellor Sunak was asked about poverty levels in this country he lied. He stated on BBC Breakfast Programme:
"The number of people in poverty has fallen as a result of the actions the government has taken over the last several years” (06/07/21)
When this claim was fact checked, it was found that :
“Tory government statistics show the number of children in poverty in the UK rose by 600,000 between 2011 and 2019. The latest evidence (from a Tory think tank) says another 150,000 children are living in poverty since the pandemic – despite any aid from the Chancellor." (The National: 06/07/21)
And in 2022 we had this headline:
“More than one million to fall below the poverty line after Sunak's spring statement, think tank says." (ITVX: 24/03/22)
Turning to child poverty, Sunak claimed 100,000 fewer children were in poverty due to his interventions. Again, the figures for 2022/23 have yet to be compiled so how does he know?
For the year 2021/22 child poverty figures went up from the year before, the governments own figures showing a rise from 3.9 million to 4.2 million for children in relative poverty after housing costs were taken into account, while the number of children in absolute poverty remained the same at 3.3 million.
As tedious as it is to trawl through statistics, tables graphs and other data regarding poverty in this country it is essential that we realise that under successive Tory governments the number of those living in poverty is on the increase despite claims to the contrary.
Cleverly’s crass remarks regarding child poverty shows the true heart of the Conservative Party – blame the poor for their own plight. A place is a “shithole" not because it’s public services are under funded, or its schools are crumbling, or the rents are too high and their are no jobs, but because of the type of people that live there: the poor. Inflation, benefit cuts, housing shortages and the rising cost of living have nothing to do with turning a place into a shithole. It is the people who are to blame.
The sooner these arrogant, out of touch, rich, hypocritical, uncaring Tories are removed from office the better.
