02-08 MARCH 2020 BIGISSUE.COM | 13tsnowedinthefieldsasmy train took menorth.I alwaysfeelI’m
travellinghistoricallywhenI gonorth.Notgoingbackinhistory
butgoingplaceswherebigthingshavehappened.Yes,backinto
ourindustrialpastthatstillthrowsupproblemsforourcurrent
times.Asif westillhaven’tresolvedwherewecomefrom.Andtherecent
electoralsweepmadebyMrJohnson’spartyisevidencethathistoryishard
atworkasalways.
IfyougetwhatI mean.
I wasinMiddlesbroughlastweekfortheBBC’sQuestionTimeandI
foundthatallthecobwebsofdoubtthatmightsettleonyouinParliament
caneasilybeblownawaybymeetingpeopleinseriousneedlooking
foranswers.
Thevitalityoftheaudience– anditshowed– wasenormous.I had
nevergotthatinTVbefore.Butthesubtletiesofpoliticsanddeliverymay
wellgetleftbehind.It’seasytopokeaccusingfingersatthegovernmentin
charge.AndMiddlesbrough,withitsrecordofbeingleftbehind,willnotbe
changedbynewhotels– liketheoneI stayedin;orthehundredsofthinly
clad,coldyoungpeoplequeueingfora clubnight.
Newroads,newlooksofprosperousdevelopmentinthecentredon’t
equalsocialjusticetothemanyinneed.Middlesbrough,likemanyofour
ex-industrialtowns,needsneweducationandskillschances,andnew
industriesthattapintopeople’spassions,toprosper.
AsIsaid,it’seasytopokeanaccusingfingeratgovernmentsbecause
ofthesystematicneglectofmuchofthepost-industrialUK.Noneofthe
politicalpersuasionshaveprovidedtheanswers.Unfortunatelyitbecomes
a debateaboutdefendingtherecord.Andthatisa loser.
Insomewaysyouhavetolookatthepastasdone.Nowyouaregoingto
dowhatismeasurableandlogical.
AsI saidonQuestionTime, austerityistooexpensive.Thecostofcutting
hasdestroyeda generationalopportunity.Balancingthebooksintheshort
termmeanspassingthedebtontofuturegenerations.Andtothecurrent
generation,whichishavingtowatchhopeofa futuregooutthedoor.
Borrowingtosavewhatwehavemeansacceptingthecostsnow.
Cuttingonlymakesaccountingsensewhenyoudon’tputa valueonthe
deficitofsocialcollapse.
Thedeficitofsocialcollapseisgreaterthanallthecurrentbudget-
balancingsavings.AndMiddlesbroughandtheNorthEastarea clearsign
ofwhathappenswhenyou‘austerify’– if there’ssucha word– thesociety
ofitscommunities.
Destroyhope,anda senseoftomorrowbeingliveabledisappears.
Depressionandmentalillnessgohandinhandwithhopelessness.
Hollowingoutcommunitiesisnevera cost-freeoption.‘Wiseup’,mightI
be the advice you’d give this new
administration. Throw away the
defence of the status quo and get on
with bringing that aspiration into
people’s eyes as they see opportunity
rise through education, training
and reskilling.
The above is all the breathless
thinking of the moment, as I reflect
early in the morning after my
Question Time appearance.
I reflect on missed opportunities.
A very clear and cogent discussion
on austerity and its ugly power to
increase preventable deaths and
damage mental wellbeing is a really
important need. Yet fierce argument
often precludes that.
We must hold these discussions
in the cold light of day. And we must
talk about whether there’s a better
way of using debt to help us through
poor times. But also is there a clever
way of stimulating education and
skills training so you can help trade
and invest out of these troubled
economic times.
We have done it before,
especially in times of conflict. But
every peacetime government
tends to shy away from borrowing
to invest big time in ridding us of
hopelessness, or what you might
call wellbeing. Wellbeing, or feeling
good, puts you streets ahead in
coping with any reversal in your life.
It also means you can make the most
of opportunity when presented.I worry that governments will
never truly see, or understand, the
negative power of destroying social
support, as has been done since- The mind becomes derelict of
hope – and hope is the most precious
balm you can apply to any reversal.
A reason to get up in the morning is
what drives us on. And that needs to
be shared out among us all.
Public school children are often
marinated in a sense of confidence
and optimism. That’s why Mr
Johnson can go bouncing around the
place saying everything is possible.
But bounce, like opportunity, is
unevenly distributed. Given the
bucketloads of talent across these
nations, governments need to tackle
the uneven spread of opportunity.
And make sure we support people
into bouncing back and into
opportune moments.
If we can spend big bucks
during wartime – and take much of
my lifetime to pay it off – can’t we
declare war on poverty and injustice?
Just a thought as I go south again.
The snow has melted. Let’s hope the
hope lasts longer.
opinion.
THISWEEKJOHNWILLBE
READING:AHistory
ofBritainThroughBooks:
1900-1964by
ChristopherTugendhat
WATCHING: Uncut Gems,
with Adam Sandler,
on Netflix
LISTENING TO: Bohemian
RhapsodybyQueenSPEAKING AT: A ‘Wales
leading the way in policy,
planning and partnerships’ event
with the Future Generations
Commissioner for WalesJohn Bird is the founder and
Editor in Chief of The Big Issue.
@johnbirdswords
linkedin.com/in/
johnbirdswords
[email protected]JOHN BIRDIt’s not rocket science,
there’s a cost to cuts
Cutssodeep
Theeffectsofausterity
led to fierce protestsPhoto: Facundo Arrizabalaga/EPA/Shutterstock