Sunday 19th November

It started with Communist theory – the power of the proletariat.  These were the largely uneducated factory workers and peasants who were downtrodden by Capitalism and would, according to historical inevitability, rise up and take control of the levers of the state.  Well, it can be argued that this never quite happened.  Although the very fact of the Russian Revolution probably speeded up the introduction of Universal Suffrage.  And still, occasionally we hear the term ’Proletariat’, usually almost as a denigration – ‘the great unwashed’ – the masses who would rather watch Eastenders than a Party Political Broadcast (and who can blame them?).

But lately we have also heard the term the “Commentariat”; the journalists and those inside the Westminster bubble, who thrive on Political Gossip.  And make the news; the ones who tell us what is news, and put their spin on it.

But only yesterday I heard a new term ‘The Precariat’.  This is another euphemism for the very poor.  We have had the ‘squeezed middle’ and the JAMs (just about managing) – and now we have the Precariat.  Those teetering on the edge of disaster, maybe on zero-hours contracts or unemployed or disabled, often in rent arrears and living on payday loans and food banks.  Day to day scrabbling to survive, where any unexpected bill may push them over the edge.  But again, this term is a convenient label; used to describe a section of Society – but with no real attempt to address the root causes of their precarious existence.  The term rolls off the lips of Politicians or Social Commentators with a glibness which doesn’t even approach the seriousness, the desperation which this growing army of people are facing on a daily basis.

And on Sky news this morning – a report about family rows over which TV station to watch.  The female presenter said why didn’t they simply each watch what they wanted on their own TVs.  When it was pointed out to her that many families only had one telly she was amazed, and voiced disbelief.   The voice of the Commentariat has spoken.  Such is the state of Modern Britain….