What has amazed me throughout the coronavirus crisis has been how compliant populations have been. Fear has been the predominant sentiment, and because of that people have done what has been asked of them. I'm not saying that is wrong: what I am suggesting is that this period may be coming to an end.
There have, of course, been periods of stress. Dominic Cumming's trip to Barnard Castle helped no one because his explanation of it was simply not credible. The prospect of further successful lockdowns thereafter was reduced. The exam fiasco was, however, more significant: public anger forced change upon the government. I strongly suspect that two further factors are now going to deliver the same outcome.
Firstly, any attempt to impose widespread heavy fines upon the community for failing to lockdown is going to cause anger and resentment, particularly when it is literally impossible to know what the rules are on any one day. Unless considerable constraint is shown it will be very easy for the legal system to be overwhelmed by any attempt to impose lockdown through the courts. For those who doubt this, just think back to the era of the poll-tax non-compliance: the courts were overwhelmed with cases and policy had to change as a consequence.
That, however, will not be the most significant point of friction unless the police get carried away with their new powers, which I hope they do not. Instead, the most significant friction will, once again, come through the education system. There are two issues here, both of which could explode quite soon.
The first is, of course, the position of university students. I completely understand why students have returned to university, even when it was already apparent that their student experience was not going to be normal. Purely pragmatically, for most young people between 18 and 21 there are a few other options but study at present. Work is already desperately scarce. The option of volunteering has all but disappeared. Travel is virtually impossible. Going to university makes sense in that case.
But, government failure to deliver an effective test and trace system that makes working anywhere safe has undermined universities' chances of supplying anything like a normal undergraduate experience for most students.
And coronavirus lockdowns are destroying the at least as important opportunity for life experience that university provides.
Of course students are angry, most especially when they are accumulating debt at a rate of more than £1,000 a month for this non-experience. And their parents are angry to, as I know from talking to them.
It is not going to be long before this situation explodes, and when it does expect massive knock-on consequences, including courts being overwhelmed with rent non-payment litigation. Unless the government gets their act together on this issue they are in very deep trouble indeed.
The same can also be said of a second issue, and that is next year's school examinations. Only Scotland has, so far, shown any initiative on this issue, but the likelihood is that fair examinations of 16 and 18-year-olds cannot happen next year using current systems. This will only be exacerbated as the scale of lockdowns increases.
Again, stress is going to rise unless arrangements are put in place to ensure that fairness is going to happen. Already it would seem essential that a mix of assessment and teacher grading be used to compensate for the fact that many students have lost significant parts of their education, but which parts of the curriculum will have been forgone by each student will differ, meaning that a coordinated exam approach is almost impossible to deliver already. I predict as much anger will be forthcoming on this issue in due course as happened over the summer of 2020.
People were compliant with coronavirus demands because they shared a sentiment in common, which was fear. People share other sentiments as well. Another is a sense of justice. And then there is hope for younger generations, which is an almost universal sentiment. Injustice matched with the denial of hope to young people is a powerful motivator to populations at large, and not just the young people directly affected. There is a rebellion looming in this country at present because the government does not appear to appreciate this. This anger may not spill over, but I will be astonished if it doesn't.
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I was going to say that most people in the UK are totally uninterested in politics. So for example the Brexit disaster looming on the horizon simply gains no traction.
However, when it becomes personal, that is, your own flesh and blood being denied opportunities people will get angry. Look at how the anti-maskers gathered a pretty large following in London. I’m in agreement with you that very soon there will be a backlash from the frustrations, not all of the governments making, but people with lots of time on their hands….
The youth of this country have been abominably treated – the exams fiasco then the uni ‘experience’ and subtle blame going in their direction for the spread of Covid-19. If they ever get a chance to vote, the Tories will be out but with the FPTP system, focus groups, marginals we get an 80 seat majority when Johnson was booed, hid in a fridge, stole a mobile phone and refused to be interviewed.
What this needs is organisation, not random riots. In the internet age, it should be a piece of cake to get this done but as we know the hidden hand of dark forces (FaceBook and their ilk) will scupper any organised opposition.
Richard,
To that list lets add
Redundancies
Evictions
Housing
Inequality
Brexit related chaos
A Government perceived as incompetent
Food shortages
Depending in what the situation is like next year, I could see that there could be some ‘interesting’ situations in holiday areas as holidaymakers move in.
To what extent will the Police & Armed Forces want – at the top, and be willing – at the front line to back up the Government
I totally agree with you about the schools Richard and also about local track and trace and the complete Horlicks that has been made of that. I have a pre GCSE child and pre-A level child in my family.
But students on degree courses……………………………?
Look, I went back to Uni at the ripe old age of 29 having realised that I should have done my A levels when I had the chance, I worked very hard – I’d never seen a PC in my life before and my Uni (Westminster) had begun asking for word processed submissions. It was a steep learning curve and my foundation year course set me up well for the BA(Hons) I went on to do as well as the MA eight years later.
A question – what is University all about really? Is it about getting pissed, taking drugs sex, parties, and going to the odd lecture? Oh – and is that expected as a right? Is that what students actually pay for?
Or how about looking at the course handbook, looking at the submission requirements and dates, using your laptop to actually study the subject (rather than social media and other content) you have chosen and answer the fucking questions??
The good thing about the competitive element in Universities these days is that the better ones go to a great deal of trouble to explain to students what is required for a performance for a First, Second etc. As I keep saying to my kids, the University learning method really is to set you off for independent learning within a subject context because when you leave Uni and become a professional person – updating your skills and knowledge will be down to you anyway. At Uni, you learn how to learn by doing it.
We must avoid getting over emotional about this issue. Many of these kids have a great opportunity even with Covid to do well and arm themselves for a future. These kids are not suffering a war or invasion or a pogrom like students have in the past; they have to contend with a pandemic and badly managed one at that but they CAN deal with it.
They just have to accept their situation and their part of the bargain – they are going to have to grow up more quickly, and take a more mature view. It is as simple as that I’m afraid. And if they bear any resentment about that, they need to remember which political party was in power and made it like that.
Will they?
We’ll see.
My message to students is that ‘THE’ life experience at University is in my view learning the subject you have chosen and putting in the hours. You have your whole life ahead of you for the other stuff. And it s not just them who are having to curtail their social lives – we are ALL having to do that.
To make a big deal out of this just for students is straying into ‘identity politics’ and we have enough of that already.
Sorry PSR – but you’re being far too rational here
I agree with a great deal of what you sy
But I know parents are already panicking, young people are moving out of universities they have jus5 moved to, and well being is going to very seriously harmed by this
The risks may well be overstated, but that consequence of harm is not, I suspect
And the backlash from people who believe education is a commodity now is going to be significant
That is the typical “bloody students” working class view of University education and many students do blow some of the education bit of the degree learning about life away from home. There is nothing wrong with that. If you want a soviet style education where students only learn “practical” things that are useful for future work then they might as well stay at home do an OU course or an apprenticeship and become a wage slave in line with what the state wants and dictates. What that doesn’t give you necessarily is the ability to discuss, disagree and inform yourself of other views without the strait jacket of working life. By all means get rid of that if you like but there will be unintended consequences.
Not at all Simon – you are being far too reactionary and presumptuous. Yes I’m working class but I have also studied as a mature student OK? I have walked my talk so to speak. Did you not read my post? just react to it did you? How novel!
As I’ve said in other posts we live in a very emotional world these days. Well, let’s try to bloody calm down here shall we?!
The question is this: Do you want the most stupid, callous incompetent and uncaring Government perhaps in this nation’s history to destroy your children’s opportunities? Do you want their stupidity to win do you? To defeat your childrens’ futures?
I don’t think any parent wants that (I’ve got two children remember primed for the same system).
So, at times like this we are on our own. And we have to fight. And the best way to fight back is that we as parents and students have to face up to the reality of being on our own. These kids are going to have to learn to be independent learners more quickly than ever before. All that tech that they’ve got has got to be put to use to study the subject and work with the Uni’s to get the courses delivered.
And where have I suggested that the social side of study should be sacrificed? No where. Where have I suggested a ‘Soviet style’ study? No where! God – even I went to the student bar to recover from lectures. We all did . But it’s about being able to prioritise, especially now. Students – supported by parents – need to stand their ground and make a good stab at it as an ‘up yours’ to the Government.
That is my view . I commend it to you all where relevant. Fuck Boris, get on with it. Don’t let them destroy your dreams.
And as for rationality Richard – hell! – you’re damn right I’m trying to be rational because I use the same rationality to support the GND and MMT which are both supremely rational things to do now. So the next big thing is that students have to stay in doors during Covid. And what will the Government get up to whilst we are all crying over that eh, as we are all distracted?
But you are right about the commodity aspect of Uni life now (look, even the Uni’s themselves acknowledge the social aspect as something that you are paying for like some sort of package holiday) and how it distorts expectations to unrealistic levels. Who will these ‘customers’ blame – the University they have just paid or the Government? This relationship suppresses anger by diverting it away from the real cause.
Boris has done that on purpose – placed more and more rule making on businesses, schools and Unis so that it appears that THEY are bringing in these rules and not the Government and people loose their rag with the provider of the service they want rather than the Government. The private best-mates-with-Boris crappy track and trace system is labelled ‘NHS’ when it is nothing of the sort just so it will make it easier to sell it off later because we will be angry with it having failed us (apparently).
The simple fact is that we are confused as to who to be angry with. That is what is going on – mass obfuscation of our anger.
But I tell you this: I’m not confused – not at all. I know EXACTLY who is responsible for all of this. And that means fighting back by staying calm, steeling yourself and trying to get on with it (students too).
I mean what else are we going to do? Storm no.10? Get shot and be called terrorist? Kidnap some Tory MPs and demand change? Assassinate a few of them? Burn down Rees-Mogg’s country pile in protest?
So go on then, tell me exactly what we should do………….I’m all ears.
Not just the working class view of students, but also too often the view of middle-class baby-boomers from their lofty perch of a nice house and generous pension. They fetishise the war and post-war austerity, not realising that they can only do this because, compared with many other European countries, we got away pretty lightly, and decry students and ‘young people of today’. Except, of course, for their darling little grandchildren.
Begs the question, if everyone is worried about the future of young people why did they vote for Brexit?
One way students can express their anger is by withholding the rip-off rents or better still all the student unions cooperating in a national student rent strike. Money talks and the authorities have no leg to stand on. If the universities and government play hardball the students should take class action cases against them for not abiding by the student course contracts.
This has to be co-ordinated
Unless it is it will not work
And the rip off fees.. Uni lecturers are on easy street
It takes a lot more time to work this way
But idiots like you think otherwise
I use the word idiot advisedly
@Brian
So speaketh someone who doesn’t work in academia.
It is not easy street. Funding is becoming harder and harder to come by (the increase in fees did not come with an increase in income, apart from bloating of admin and greater pay for those at the top) and most academic progression is through “dead man’s shoes”.
Easy street?
Nope
Agreed
There is so much to be concerned about and that in itself creates a further concern as it provides plenty of opportunity for the govt, the media etc. to focus on one aspect (such as the negotiations with the EU) and ignore others (such as Universities) and practice that well known ‘divide and conquer’ strategy. There are also ‘dead cats’ being thrown on to the table – Harry and Meghan’s Netflix deal – to further distract some and avoid discussion on the important issues.
Craig
Given the subject of the majority of your blogs, I am surprised you have accepted the rhetoric of students taking on debt. Surely student loans are not like ordinary domestic debt, they are simply a political ruse allowing imposition of a graduate tax, plus for the majority of students a government accounting trick to defer some current national expenditure to a future balance sheet.
But like you we have a personal interest in the university experience our own child will be getting, and are also angry about the way students are being used as pawns.
I do not for a moment accept the rhetoric and have always opposed it
I suggest my sons take on the debt and assume it will one day be written off – which I believe will happen
I would put forward the following thesis for the slow rise in anger in the UK. There are two stages.
Firstly, the whole issue of Brexit was and continues to be seen as one problem when in fact it’s two. There was a strong desire to better regulate economic migration by a large number of voters. What they failed to see was the importance of addressing this by also simultaneously addressing a second globally based problem. This failure is at root due to not understanding money is a “valuing” instrument just like a set of scales is weight measuring instrument or tape measure a length measuring one.
The global problem is that there are many countries engaged in distorting the measurement of the money “valuing” instrument in order to achieve price point for their countries manufactures and services in global markets. The obvious example is currency rigging with China being a big player in this but there are many other methods including non-money ones such as standards barriers to make import access to your country’s market difficult.
Brexit supporters have never thought much how best to address this issue largely because they don’t understand the role played by money in any great detail in today’s monetary based economies. They have therefore become fixated on the economic migration issue and will continue to support this government until they are assured they’ve fixed it.
The second stage has been the arrival of Covid-19. As an invisible enemy it’s been seen as wise, or natural, by most to look towards the government for leadership to defeat this enemy and certainly this will be enhanced by those who are convinced this government will also sort out the economic migration. There is therefore on the whole a prevailing mentality of acquiescence amongst voters. This is not going to last the longer the government fails to get Covid-19 under control and fails to achieve trade deals and the economy goes further into deflation.
Hi Richard – I generally like your stuff — which is widely shared on Indy/Yes groups in Scotland – and, as such, I’d prefer it if you could stop referring to the UK as ‘this country’; and if you could be clear when you talk about ‘the government’ you’re talking about the clowns in Westminster … happy for criticism of Scot Gov to be similarly clearly identified, when appropriate …
BRs
Ian W
Fair comment – except you have it realise how alien that is in England and so how hard many would find that to read
It’s a really difficult balancing act
I do not always get it right, and that’s because I’m human
I have seen it suggested that if courses are entirely on-line accommodation contracts could be regarded as ‘frustrated’
But only if they are with the university and many are not
Once upon a time, you had a reputation. You’ve absolutely shot it to pieces. OK: the government is currently pretty poor under the circumstances with regard to Covid. I accept that, and genuinely think that May, Cameron, Blair, my next dour neighbour, could do a better job. But Boris and Co are there to do one thing: get Brexit past the finishing line. And had your lot accepted all of that when May was in power, then we would not be in the situation we are today with regards to Covid. So: get Brexit across the line. Dump Boris and move on. All this nonsense about fascism? It really is a load of tosh. I genuinely don’t understand. Also: if you think Scotland is so great and England is bad, then why don’t you move up there? It is not as if you have a wife any more to consider….
You do realise that the invitation to leave – to secure the purity of those who remain – is a sure sign of fascist thinking, don’t you?
Replying to Unbelievable
I find the use of casual cruelty, peppered throughout your post and in particular, your last sentence, abhorrent. It appears that it was written by you to cause hurt and offence. Surely, times are hard enough without the need to spread hurt.
So let me get this straight. You think Johnson and co are incompetent, useless, are handling the Covid crisis worse than Blair, May, Cameron, and your “dour next door neighbour”. You think virtually anyone could do a better job of guiding the country through this crisis. Yet you trust them to deliver Brexit? You apparently don’t think that their plans for leading the UK to sunlit uplands are equally incompetent and misguided. You admit that Johnson and Co could not organise a piss up in a brewery, yet you support them in their plans for a latter day Charge of the Light Brigade. It is surely this incoherence and irrationality that allows you to make snide nasty personal remarks about our host on this blog – which makes one wonder whether your “dour next door neighbour” is seemingly dour and keeps his distance from you for a very good reason.
I think there are unexplored avenues of anger to be found in child care provision during the crisis.
If a childcare provider has to shut, as my daughters has, due to Corvid, I am still obliged to pay the £50 a day fees.
PSR – I guess you have answered the title of the post.
No offense was meant.
Simon – I’m angry for everybody I really am. No offence taken.
At work today, in the Midlands doing the rounds is this idea that local authorities with a population of around or under I think 300,000 citizens are not ‘efficient’ or viable. So the hunt is on to find smaller partner LA’s to build up numbers.
What we know is that the Government is still hell bent on denuding local authorities of support grant. This means that LA’s who join with others can make savings – and that will mean jobs going because jobs will be duplicated . Yes – I will declare a self interest – I work in one.
But hang on a minute?
We’ve got BREXIT; we’ve got Covid and this country is STILL EVEN NOW thinking of cutting jobs and making further cuts under austerity!!!
What did that woman from New Labour say ‘ Now is the time to bury bad news’?
Richard’s ‘econocide’ concept existed BEFORE Covid 19 and BREXIT – we were dealing with austerity. We still are. There were going to be fewer jobs for graduates anyway under austerity (as some Right wing commentators have pointed out as if it is the most natural thing that ever happened – it’s not natural – it’s a bad, mad choice) . Fewer post in LAs, fewer planning officers, fewer social service workers, fewer environmental health officers – less of everything, including geographical access to these services that everyone knows does not make services cheaper or better.
Behind Covid, this Government is still up to mischief and it is getting a way with it. When we react to the student issue, (or any issue) bear that in mind. They know exactly what they are doing like the extremists they are always do.
There is an issue with universities – in fact with all levels of education – that nobody really wants to acknowledge, let alone address. How many teaches have not had this experience toward the end of the summer term when next year’s arrangements are announced…….’Oh bugger, I’ve got Mr So-and-so’s class next year, so I’m going to have to cram a whole year into one term and then this year’s work into the other two’. We have as pretty damned good body of teachers overall, but the damage done by the useless ones is immense. Does any party have a view on sacking teachers for incompetence? Yes; they all have exactly the same view which is ‘ Let’s not change anything’. Naturally they take this position because teachers vote. There is another issue here in Scotland which may not apply elsewhere. We have a subject called Modern Studies. I know two principle teachers who believe it is their duty to teach their students to vote Labour. One (at least) knows that the GERS exercise is utterly dishonest, but that does not stop her from telling her students that GERS is clear proof that the nats are just totally wrong and wicked.