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| FURNESS POVERTY COMMISSION DOCUMENT |
John Woodcock MP recently gathered a group of local worthies to conduct an investigation into the levels of poverty in the population of his parliamentary constituency - Barrow and Furness - and has now published a document containing their deliberations.
On page one is a Foreword penned by Caroline Hoggarth, headteacher at Greengate Infant and Nursery school and Lead Commissioner and Report Writer who, I am sure, will have given her time and effort most willingly and with the best of intentions and highest motives.
However, I am always rather sceptical of relatively 'comfortably well-off' well-meaning people expressing concern for the 'less fortunate' because it can smack of that same patronising pretentiousness which that old hag, Thatcher, had off to a tee when speaking to the lower orders (which was everybody - including ministers of her own cabinet - but, of course, not Mrs Windsor whom she regarded as almost her equal. - Muddz)
It has been my experience (forty years in education - Muddz) that people who are called upon to talk on matters about which they possess no practical knowledge resort to piffle and pious prattle. A glance at the report suggests that contributors know nothing of poverty other than what they may have read in one of Dickens' novels...when ultimately, of course, some wealthy philanthropic benefactor - with a big heart and bank balance to match - mysteriously appears and everybody lives happily ever after. (I'm sure you'll all agree that it is just this sort of Disney-like, sugary-sweet, fairytale ending that serves to spoil the conclusion of Robert Tressell's 'Ragged Trousered Philanthropists', eh, don't you? - Muddz)
So, if you are in poverty you need to seek out a long lost millionaire relative; if you can't find one, you'll just have to put up with listening to the words of the well-meaning and accept their hand-outs whenever these are available. In the meantime, you could gather your family around a solitary lit candle in your freezing livingroom and give a rousing rendition of "Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag" to raise everyone's spirits and warm the cockles of their hearts.
What I have seen of the report so far has sickened me because the 'Goodies' are so busy looking heavenward in their evangelical enthusiasm that they can't see the elephant in the room. And when it's pointed out to them they cover their eyes and ears. Ask them, "Why are the poor, poor?" They may reply, "Because they are out of work." Then ask, "Why?" They may offer, "Because there are no jobs." Ask them, "Why?" And keep asking "Why?"
Eventually, they'll become exasperated (because they either genuinely don't know the answer or they do know and just don't want to admit it) and then they'll tell you they don't wish to talk about it any more. Go on, give it a try! (They won't mind continuing to churn out pages of sanctimonious crap, however)
What am I getting at? Well, here's a clue...Many years ago (no, not in some distant galaxy! - Muddz) a member of the Catholic clergy serving the destitute in a South American country remarked: "When I give food to poor people, I am called a saint; when I ask why the people are poor, I am called a communist." So, have you identified the cause of poverty yet?
Returning to the Poverty Report contributors - (and if you've stayed with this so far, well done! - Muddz) - from where do these people get the idea that they can do some good by appealing to the very government whose policies are actively and quite deliberately manufacturing the hardship? This is a government of millionaires, and the otherwise very rich and privileged, that considers the elderly and frail, the sick, the disabled, the unskilled, the semi-skilled, the unemployed and the otherwise hard-up to be unworthy of breathing our good, clean British air. They consider them to be worthless creatures, non-productives who contribute nothing towards the creation of substantial profits for their betters. These feckless, valueless, objects are simply an unsustainable drain upon the economy and a bloody liability. They are the "Undeserving poor", so for God's sake keep this vermin off the streets because we don't want to have to see them. (The government has just passed a bill giving local authorities the power to remove homeless 'rough sleepers' from streets. - Muddz)
Now I need to turn my attention to some specific items in the Report which runs to some 27 pages (so no chance of dealing with everything here! - Muddz) and look at some things written by Caroline Hoggarth in her Foreword:
We were seeking to shine a light on the hidden deprivation across Furness that lies deep underneath the statistical data. We wanted to find out who was stoney broke - Muddz
The meeting of people from different areas and sectors with a common goal of tackling increasing deprivation ensured the Furness Poverty Commission was born. Locals, who are not skint and on their uppers, met to think what could be done about people who are skint and on their uppers - Muddz
The people who have been involved and spoken out to support this Commission...are not prepared to watch Furness slip further into deprivation. We haven't a clue what to do about the situation so we'll probably have another Commission a bit later on sometime - Muddz
This report is a huge step towards joining agencies together and calling the people of Furness, politicians, public sector workers, voluntary workers and our communities to take action. We just hope somebody can come up with an idea pretty quick, please - Muddz
Space dictates this post must now be concluded. The Foreword written by our Member of Parliament, John Woodcock, will be addressed in the next posting that shall follow shortly.
In the meantime: "Look on the bright side of life......."
What I have seen of the report so far has sickened me because the 'Goodies' are so busy looking heavenward in their evangelical enthusiasm that they can't see the elephant in the room. And when it's pointed out to them they cover their eyes and ears. Ask them, "Why are the poor, poor?" They may reply, "Because they are out of work." Then ask, "Why?" They may offer, "Because there are no jobs." Ask them, "Why?" And keep asking "Why?"
Eventually, they'll become exasperated (because they either genuinely don't know the answer or they do know and just don't want to admit it) and then they'll tell you they don't wish to talk about it any more. Go on, give it a try! (They won't mind continuing to churn out pages of sanctimonious crap, however)
What am I getting at? Well, here's a clue...Many years ago (no, not in some distant galaxy! - Muddz) a member of the Catholic clergy serving the destitute in a South American country remarked: "When I give food to poor people, I am called a saint; when I ask why the people are poor, I am called a communist." So, have you identified the cause of poverty yet?
Returning to the Poverty Report contributors - (and if you've stayed with this so far, well done! - Muddz) - from where do these people get the idea that they can do some good by appealing to the very government whose policies are actively and quite deliberately manufacturing the hardship? This is a government of millionaires, and the otherwise very rich and privileged, that considers the elderly and frail, the sick, the disabled, the unskilled, the semi-skilled, the unemployed and the otherwise hard-up to be unworthy of breathing our good, clean British air. They consider them to be worthless creatures, non-productives who contribute nothing towards the creation of substantial profits for their betters. These feckless, valueless, objects are simply an unsustainable drain upon the economy and a bloody liability. They are the "Undeserving poor", so for God's sake keep this vermin off the streets because we don't want to have to see them. (The government has just passed a bill giving local authorities the power to remove homeless 'rough sleepers' from streets. - Muddz)
Now I need to turn my attention to some specific items in the Report which runs to some 27 pages (so no chance of dealing with everything here! - Muddz) and look at some things written by Caroline Hoggarth in her Foreword:
We were seeking to shine a light on the hidden deprivation across Furness that lies deep underneath the statistical data. We wanted to find out who was stoney broke - Muddz
The meeting of people from different areas and sectors with a common goal of tackling increasing deprivation ensured the Furness Poverty Commission was born. Locals, who are not skint and on their uppers, met to think what could be done about people who are skint and on their uppers - Muddz
The people who have been involved and spoken out to support this Commission...are not prepared to watch Furness slip further into deprivation. We haven't a clue what to do about the situation so we'll probably have another Commission a bit later on sometime - Muddz
This report is a huge step towards joining agencies together and calling the people of Furness, politicians, public sector workers, voluntary workers and our communities to take action. We just hope somebody can come up with an idea pretty quick, please - Muddz
Space dictates this post must now be concluded. The Foreword written by our Member of Parliament, John Woodcock, will be addressed in the next posting that shall follow shortly.
In the meantime: "Look on the bright side of life......."
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