There shouldn’t be any surprise that a Tory government isn’t going to jump at the chance of supporting a fuck-tonne of self-employed creatives (amongst various other self-employed peoples) but it would be a fib to say that I wasn’t a teeny bit disappointed with their proposals. After half-inching a fair amount form the Labour budget, Sunak is not only late in offering support to the self-employed, it is also resplendent with caveats. As I read through these conditions, I made a mental list of who would find these economic measures helpful. A big arl duck egg was what I came up with (that would be 0). I look forward to those creatives refusing to play Rishi’s Ma’s 70th birthday because they’re working full-time hours on a zero-hours contract in an Amazon distribution centre. That'll learn him….?!
Yet again, the contempt that is shown for the creative arts is clear and bright. We have seen the national curriculum gradually chip away at arts education in schools, peripatetic music teaching has reduced dramatically, drama courses are being dropped and the focus on what makes a good story has shifted to fronted adverbials and subjunctives.
I find it amusing and galling in equal measure that during this global lockdown, the masses are using films, TV, music, radio and books to while away the hours but aren’t necessarily willing to invest in them or fight for them.
Recommends
Song: “Daily Routine” Disq
TV: I’m rewatching Band of Brothers to lighten my mood.
Book: “How to get over a boy” by Chidera Eggerue.
Other shit: The New Statesman’s daily email especially by Stephen Bush.
