The Tories will always despise the poor

Radical pledges are usually the preserve of the outsider desperately trying to get in. In politics, it’s the one without the power who must shout the loudest because that is the only ploy at hand, the only weapon at hand. The government can behave as radically or moderately as it wants, and usually it opts for the latter. It is strange then, that twelve years in, the government of our country still speaks of “levelling up”, of tackling inequalities. How can someone have been in power for so long yet still speak of the radical changes, time and time again?

It is a gift of the Conservatives to be this good at convincing the public that only they can fix the problems that have arisen consistently in their duration of power. Boris Johnson’s plans to fix the chronic regional imbalances were a prime example.

There was always something too good to be true about it. A levelling-up plan to focus on regional inequalities; a mission to help poor white boys instead of cultural elite’s favourite marginalised minorities. The subversive messaging of the Tories, that they would tackle the inequalities — which it seemed must have happened by some other occurrence during their twelve years in power — captivated everyone. And then reality hit, as it always does with the Conservatives.