December Articles

Three years ago the now UK Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley, said that the current economic recession would be a 'good thing' as it would encourage a sort of 'stay at home' society - surely every Tory MPs dream scenario for the masses? Of course, at the time he was attacked for such foolhardy comments and even George Monbiot expressed regret for saying similar 'bring on the recession!' statements too. Nevertheless, the idea of Austerity Britain as a vision for the future still animates the political class and intelligentsia. This is why the Royal Society advocated enforced austerity as a way of combating climate change. My scathing response to the poverty mongers can be found here

As part of a spiked round up of 2010, I penned another chattering classes against the masses type piece. Truth be told, this could have been developed much further than the piece that was published, though no doubt there will be plenty of time to return to this theme. In 2011, cultural class hatred is not going to go away....

Finally for December, I also penned a review of Francis Spufford's Red Plenty for Spiked Review of Books. A highly enjoyable and inventive book all round, but marred by the usual anti-growth cynicism and green austerity that passes for a contemporary vision of the future.