I don't know whether Iain Duncan Smith and Richard Desmond have ever met, but they certainly work to help each other. Desmond is the owner of Channel 5 and the Daily Express, and he uses both to demonise the poor. After Channel 4 had screened the infamous Benefits Street, it was Channel 5 which hosted the "debate" on the subject. Now, Desmond's channel is making a series of its own. No title has been decided, they say (but the makers of Benefits Street said the same, and they lied) but it's about the benefits "culture", and they are in the process of filming.
We can see how they go about it through the protests of one of the cities unwillingly involved. Hull has a lot to be encouraged about at the moment, in the midst of one of the worst unemployment rates in the country. But now the film-makers have been leafletting the poorer estates seeking gullible people to take part, and have already done some filming. Local councillors are furious, but seem helpless to prevent it.
Of course people should have the freedom to take part, if they are given accurate information and understand what they're doing. But what about the people who live in the area and have not consented to this? Benefits Street led to children who live in James Turner St being bullied. Other residents felt that they had been stigmatised simply for their address. Many of those who did take part believed that they were misled by the film-makers. If there's a redress in law, none of them can afford to sue.
I have a suggestion. Send Katie Hopkins to live on one of these estates for a while. I'd watch that.
I would like it better if IDS was put on a program for a month, with a challenge to live in a squalid bedsit run by a buy to let HMO landlord with only JSA to pay for bills/ extra council tax etc. and jump through the hoops of being subjected to Jobseeker rules.
ReplyDeleteHe would have to have no contact with any of his high up friends and his bank access would have to be curtailed for the duration of the program,
THAT would be entertaining...
I watched the Work and Pensions today,Esther McVey keeps repeating the same lines over and over again,I found her to be very condescending and ill informed,are they all in denial,do they really believe what they are peddling,
ReplyDeleteIn one of the papers they said she had "Passion" Righhht! a severe complex maybe!
DeleteIt's a shame they're doing this- Desmond also owns The Star, which actually hasn't been too bad for defending benefits claimants and criticising zero hours contracts.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/11112129.Government_admits_Mark_Wood_s_benefits_cut_before_he_starved_to_death__was_wrong_/
ReplyDeleteand
http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/11116002.Benefits_death_family_consider_legal_action/
I'm not sure it will do them any good, but good luck to them
If you know where they are filming, get a mob up there to get in the way - peacefully of course. It would be a shame if their nice shiny cameras accidentally took a knock.
ReplyDeleteThey won't get much done if those protesters make their public filiming difficult. They may have a right to film in public, but the public have a right to occupy public spaces.