I was fascinated by this data sent to me by the Institute of Employment Rights:
New research this week revealed that only 6% of people in the UK want the economy to continue as it was before the Coronavirus pandemic hit.
A poll by YouGov revealed that nearly one in three people — 31% — are in favour of major changes to economic policy, while 28% backed moderate changes.
Almost half — 49% — of respondents felt that the pandemic had deepened existing inequalities, and 44% were pessimistic about the country's economic future.
I am bemused by those who are not pessimistic about the country's economic future right now. But let's leave that aside. The really interesting figure is that 31% are interested in major change to economic policy and 28% think there is a case for some reform.
Of course, this is a poll. And of course, these things tend to confirm biases in questions. I know all that. But some people clearly disagreed. So the option of doing so was very obviously present, and some people took it.
In that case, I think this is indicative of a desire to do things better: to find a new normal. I hope so because what we have been doing is so horribly wrong. Will this time be different?
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Hope springs eternal, but it seems that those who hold the reins of power – in 2020 – are those who resist and block rather than facilitate real change. Rather than support a new , progressive and sustainable way they will fight tooth and nail against it. Rather than apply the brakes and steer us all in a new direction, their inclination is to double down, and foot to the floor accelerate towards the approaching abyss. Trump’s regime is the most glaring example of that, but the UK’s Conservative government and Establishment is no less culpable: Johnson, Cummings, Gove, Raab, Patel etc – is there really the slightest chance that these people will ever do anything that really meets the social and ecological challenges of the times? They are emblematic of the problem, not the solution.
I take a historical view. For instance, about why parliament was set up in the first place, who it was for and whose interests it served. The Labour party was in my view originally an insurgency into parliament and some sweeping positive changes were made, but this was a battle and ever since, the true owners of parliament, the state, the land, and much else, have been steadily dismantling that, using the convenient narrative provided by neoliberalism (individualism, self-determination, the downplaying of context, freedom of choice, homo-economicus, state-as-enemy, etc.) to create consent for doing so. As per Animal Farm, once the insurgents found themselves in parliament, the desire to finish the project of emancipation waned in the face of newly-acquired power. So, here we are. As I see it, parliament has 1 MP (Caroline Lucas) standing against varying degrees of status quo-ism, including all the right-enabling centrists taking hold of the Labour party (a spent force in my opinion). Having lived for almost 50 years with centralised governments the world over, I’ve reached the conclusion that they’re the problem. And that, if history tells us anything, it is that what happens next does not simply unfold, it is made. In the UK context, to make this place better will also involve a fight against Westminster, since at every turn it will try to cling to and extend its power and interests, to the detriment of everyone, including ultimately themselves. In short, this time can be different, but that depends upon people really seeing that Westminster, the MSM, giant corporations and so on, do not have their interests at heart. I’m hopeful, because the lie takes relentless effort (how much effort was spent demonising the last Labour party manifesto, with hardly a dent in voting figures, putting the distorting effects of FPTP aside), and reality is really biting – climate change, global ecocide, inequality. The gap between the established narrative and people’s experience is widening, maybe people will notice that the narrative is false and really begin to feel the fear and rage warranted by the situation.
Is the underlying data available somewhere? Where have the missing 35% gone? (31% for major change, 28% for moderate change, and 6% for no change… what did the others want? Did not know?)
It is possible that some of the 59% in favour of change (or the 90% with an opinion) was a different sort of change to the ones you might advocate – perhaps along the lines of American-style deregulatory, bonfire of red tape, “let the market rip” capitalism; or Chinese-style state owned enterprise, central government authoritarianism. A bit like the Brexit vote -where there was a coalition of people voting to in favour of an ill defined destination – a question “do you want change” gives no insight about what sort of change they want. Few people will ever say everything is completely fine with the status quo.
I have given the link – I do not have the rest but I k ow they’re very good so will be open if asked
I’m with Jim G….. “hope springs eternal”…! But then I’m looking for an Independent Scotland …(!). I doubt if we’re going to get it without a nasty fight..( Worse than the ‘14..) Boris & Co are hell-bent on the recreation of the British Raj with but few opponents within England but certainly a. growing number in Scotland, Wales and, surprisingly Northern Ireland…. their arrogance will be their undoing this time..!