One effect of the New Labour years has been to hollow out notions of progress and social good. Almost every MP in Parliament calls themselves, and everything they do 'progressive'. Michael Gove has given another example of this. He wants children at risk of neglect to be taken into care more quickly. The way he describes this however is rescuing children from "a life of soiled nappies, scummy baths, chaos and hunger, hopelessness and despair".
He's taking a good idea, that children should not suffer, and turning it inside out. If there's any key cause of hopelessness and despair in Britain it's the Tory government and it's strategy of Austerity, driving down working class living standards to pay for bankers in need. Chaos and hunger are frequently the products of poverty, rather than neglect, but there's nothing to be done about poverty as far as the Tories are concerned.
The message is clear, lose your job and you're a step closer to losing your family. It's another stick to beat working people with.
