Tag Archives: John Harris

Fṛm ɖ Gardịn: Britain is slowly waking up to the truth: Brexit has left us poorer, adrift and alone

Illustration: Matt Kenyon
Iḷstreśn: Mát Céńn

Britn z slǒli wecñ p t ɖ truʈ: Brexit hz left s purr, adrift n alon

(Transcription of an article published in the Guardian on 9 October 2022)

Nǎ Boris Jonsn’z gn, ol bt ɖ most hardnd v līvrz hv bn forst t si ʈru ɖoz rozi viźnz v lîf ǎtsd ɖ YY

John Harris

Jon Haris, Súnde 9 Octobr 2022

Last wīc, hvñ ẃîld awe tū joys dez at ɖ Tōriz’ confṛns in Brmñm, I spent a loñ afṭnun an aur’z drîv awe, in ɖ cʈīdṛlsiti v Wŭstr. Ɖ plan wz t sampl ɖ mūd v ɖ cnd v ples wns cnsidrd t hold ɖ ci t Britiś ilex́nz: rmembr “Wŭstr wmn”, ɖ swñ-votñ sterịtîp tōct p in ɖ Ny Lebr yirz? Bt I wz olso ɖr t gaɖr mor evidns v hǎ mć ɖ YC’z cuṛnt woz r afctñ ɖ cnd v aṿrij-t-aflụnt plesz ɖt mt wns hv weɖrd eni ic̣nomic storm.

Nt intîrli s’prîzñli, ppl sd ɖe wr wurid n scerd. Sm tōct abt grounup ćildṛn sudnli teṛfaid ɖt a morgij z bynd ɖer rīć; uɖrz dscrîbd a ny n unseṭlñ habit v yzñ spẹrñ amǎnts v gas n ilectriṣti. Ɖ ōtm’z incrisñli ōfl mūdḿzic – fṛm tōc v cansld locl Crisṃs marcits t ɖ posbiḷti v ʈri-aur pǎrcuts – informd jst abt evri convseśn I hd.

Mnśn v poḷtics drù sm vri inṭrestñ rsponsz indd. “I jst mis Boris,” sd Jūli, hu wrcs at ɖ sitisntr branć v Būts, n tld m ś hd loñ sins got yst t convseśnz wɖ hr custmrz abt ɖ imposbiḷti v ɖer livñcosts. Az ś n a fy uɖr ppl sw it, Jonsn hd s’xesḟli manijd ɖ Covid vax̣neśnprogram, n bròt sm pizaz n hymr t ɖ borñ wrld v poḷtics, ẃć hd nǎ rvrtd t tîp. Ɖe olso vôst smʈñ I hv hŕd a fy tîmz lêtli: a b’lif ɖt h hd reprizntd ɖ last hop v Brexit smhǎ oṗnñ ɖ we t a hapịr n mor prospṛs cuntri, a drīm ɖt daid ẃn h left Dǎnñ Strīt.

Clirli, ɖt z a vri jenṛs opińn v a man hu tld jst az mni slf-srvñ lîz abt līvñ ɖ YY az h dd abt most uɖr ʈñz. At ɖ hart v sm linġrñ fondnis fr him, phps, z a lot v ppl’z rfyzl t admit hǎ mć ɖe wr dypt. Bt ɖt vy v lîf bfr n aftr Jonsn hîlîts smʈñ ɖt z nǎ seṭlñ amñ ol bt ɖ most hardnd Brexit s’portrz: a qayt, slîtli torćrd rịlîześn ɖt ol ɖoz opṭmistic viźnz v lîf ǎtsd ɖ YY r nt gwñ t mtirịlîz, īvn f ɖ crîsīz trigrd bî Vḷdīmir Pūtin ivnć̣li sbsîd.

Britiś ppl biyñ Britiś ppl, ɖs z nt yt a matr v eni wîdspred angr. Ɖo ɖe probbli òt t, nwn z abt t ćarj intu ɖ strīts n dmand eni cnd v Brexit rec̣nñ. Bt f y wont t unḍstand ɖ cuṛnt p’liticl momnt – n sm v ɖ rīznz ẃ ɖ Cnsrṿtivz hv so sudnli n spectaklrli implodd – hir z a strenjli oṿlct part v ɖ stori.

Huevr ppl blem fr ǎr cuṛnt pridic̣mnt, wn vivid fact z iniscepbl. Ɖ fyćr ɖt 17 miłn votrz bòt intu six yirz ago hz nǎ c’lapst intu its prisîs oṗzit. In ɖ sumr v 2016, let s nt fget, Jonsn, Mîcl Gove n ɖ formr Lebr MP Jsela Stywt jôntli pt ɖer nemz t an articl in ɖ Sún ẃć insistd ɖt wns Brexit hapnd, “ɖ NHS wl b strongr, clașîzz smōlr n taxz lowr. W’l hv mor muni t spend on ǎr prîoṛtiz, wejz wl b hayr n fylbilz wl b lowr.”

A yir lêtr, Jecb Rīs-Mog – hu stl sīmz t b trayñ t snif ǎt undiscuvrd “Brexit oṗtyṇtiz” – aśurd enwn hu wd lisn ɖt līvñ ɖ YY wd opn ɖ we t mć ćīpr fūd, n ɖrfr incris ppl’z dspoẓbl incm. Brexit z nt ɖ onli ʈñ ɖt hz rvild ɖ imposbiḷti v ɖoz drīmz, bt ɖt z nt qt ɖ pônt: mcñ proṃsz lîc ɖt wz bʈ stypid n denjṛs, n w r nǎ startñ t liv wɖ ɖ consiqnsz.

Fr Liz Trus n hr guvnmnt, post-Brexit poḷtics z pruvñ t b imposbl. Ɖe wont lîf ǎtsd ɖ YY t mīn Darwińn īc̣nomics, public-spendñ cuts n a smōlr welférstet – ẃć z nt ẃt miłnz v līv s’portrz ʈt ɖe wr votñ fr in ɖ 2016 reḟrendm, nr ẃt ɖ Tōriz ofrd in ɖ tū ilex́nz ɖt foloud. Mnẃl, trayñ t rigl ǎt v Brexit’s endlis cnstrents in psyt v groʈ ʈretnz t tî ɖ guvnmnt in nóts. Suela Breṿmn, a homsecṛtri hu imbodiz ol v modn Cnsrṿtizm’z nastinis n intṛvrśn, sz ś wonts t cut net mîgreśn t “tnz v ʈǎzndz”. Bt Dǎnñ Strīt hz bn sigṇlñ ɖt it wonts t libṛlîz ɖ YC’z iṃgreśnsistm, a muv ɖt wd defiṇtli snd a srtn cnd v Brexit votr intu paṛxizmz v fyri. Evrʈñ z a mes bcz ɖ lojic v Trus n hr alîz’ pziśn canot hold: az ɖ Brexit reṿluśn ɖt uptrnd Cnsrṿtiv poḷtics n bròt ɖm t pǎr unravlz, ɖ rīzn fr ɖer s’xes z olso a gaṛnti v ɖer fełr.

Gvn its loñstandñ rfyzl t qsćn ǎr xit fṛm ɖ YY, Cir Starmr’z Lebr parti fesz sm cmpaṛbl contṛdix́nz, bt sīmz t b tnttivli trayñ t fînd a we ʈru. Wn v ɖ most faṣnetñ momnts v ɖ past tū wīcs v p’liticl ʈiytr hapnd jrñ Starmr’z confṛnșpīć in Liṿpul, ẃn Starmr acć̣li mnśnd ɖ B wrd, n tnttivli tōct abt ẃt Brexit’s c’laṃtiz mīn fr ppl’z vy v poḷtics. Mni hu votd fr Brexit, h sd, dd so bcz ɖe wontd “deṃcratic cntrol ovr ɖer livz … oṗtyṇtiz fr ɖ nxt jeṇreśn, cḿṇtiz ɖe flt prǎd v, public srṿsz ɖe cd rlî on”. Ɖs wz a slîtli rouz-tintd rīdñ v rīsnt hisṭri, bt it jst abt rañ tru. H add: “Ẃɖr y votd līv or rmen, y’v bn let dǎn.” Hiz clem ɖt h wl smhǎ mc Brexit wrc stl sǎndz dīpli qsćṇbl, bt ɖs z a start: an acnolijmnt, at līst, v ɖ lîz n siṇsizm ɖt got s hir.

Ẃɖr mǎntñ dis’pôntmnt n rzntmnt wl simpli mīn a nīt swić fṛm ɖ Tōriz t Lebr z anɖr matr. Ɖ untruɖz Toni Bler tld abt ɖ Irac wor ivnć̣li pleid ɖer part in ɖ hyj crîsis v public trust ɖt léd on t Brexit, n ɖ endlis p’liticl flux ɖt foloud it. Nǎ, 2016’z dsits r biyñ rvild in an īvn mor toxic p’liticl invîrnmnt, awoś wɖ cnspiṛsiʈiyri n poḷrîześn. Enwn hu asymz ɖt a mūd v siṇsizm, fir n daśt hops wl pt poḷtics ɖ c’rect we p òt t mbi ʈnc abt rīsnt ivnts in Iṭli, Swīdn n Frans – n, closr t hom, ɖt instnt nstalja fr ɖ reclis, oʈoṛterịn stîl v līdrśp ɖt Jonsn cmbînd wɖ hiz mor śǒbiz aspects. Wns Trus z ǎt v ɖ we, ɖ ultiṃt Brexit paṛdox me yt mtirịlîz: a hrific būst fr ɖ vri cnd v poḷtics its fełr òt t hv cild ston ded.

Instroduction to Ñspel

Fṛm ɖ Gardịn: Truss is on an economic rampage with no mandate – so why is Starmer resisting electoral reform?

‘The Daily Mail gravely warns that “scrapping first-past-the-post could put the Tories out of power for a generation”.’ Keir Starmer and Liz Truss. Composite: Getty Images
‘Ɖ Dêli Meil grevli wornz ɖt “scrapñ frst-past-ɖ-post cd pt ɖ Tōriz ǎt v pǎr fr a jeṇreśn”.’ Cir Starmr n Liz Trus. Comṗzit: Geti Iṃjz

Trus z on an ic̣nomic rampej wɖ no mandet – so ẃ z Starmr rzistñ ilectṛl rform?

(Transcription of an article published in the Guardian on 25 September 2022)

Bérli enwn votd fr slaśt taxz, n fevrz śǎrd on ɖ rić. Yt ɖ Lebr līdrśp stl ʈncs a rigd votñsistm cn b yzd fr pṛgresiv endz

John Harris

Jon Haris, Súnde 25 Sptmbr 2022

Ʈancs t ɖ fībrîl stet v ɖ Cnsrṿtiv parti, Wsminstr poḷtics sīmz t b loct intu ɖ tṛjectri v a rapidli dfletñ b’lūn. Poḷsiz n big îdīaz zūm intu ɖ fōrgrǎnd n jst az qcli rsid; miṇstirịl c’rirz rîz n fōl in onli a fy yirz. Ɖ onli constnts sīm t b a ppćl sns v crîsis n ɖ fīlñ ɖt, no matr hǎ bad it gts, Tori guvnmnt rmenz Britn’z dfōlt pziśn. Amd rseśn, mǎntñ poṿti n ɖ prospect v a strlñcrîsis, olmst nwn evr mnśnz a glẹrñ sistmfełr: ɖ fact ɖt w r rūtīnli guvnd bî ppl wɖ onli ɖ flimziist v ilectṛl mandets, f ɖe hv wn at ol.

Ɖ reḷvnt numbrz r starc. Ʈri yirz ago, Boris Jonsn léd ɖ Cnsrṿtiv parti t a “landslîd” ilex́nvicṭri n 80-sīt Comnz mjoṛti wɖ ɖ s’port v 29% v ɖ ilectṛt. Az f h ɖen hd pǎr bynd eni rstrent, h set abt trayñ t le west t enʈñ ɖt got in hiz we. Ẃn hiz misrūl bcem tù mć īvn fr hiz ǒn parti, h wz rplest bî Liz Trus, swept intu ofis bî 82,000 Tori membrz, hu repriznt a tîtanic 0.3% v ol votrz.

Trus’z viźn v slaśt taxz, dīreğletd enṭprîz̦onz, an īvn mor unfetrd Siti V Lundn, n fevrz śǎrd on ɖ rić mt b mor chiṛnt ɖn hr prīdisesr’z flelñ oṗtynizm, bt bynd Tori parti membrz, hu votd fr it? Ʈri yirz ago, ɖ Cnsrṿtivz ofrd ɖ ilectṛt a viźn v a nyli activ stet n an unrilentñ foc̣s on ɖ YC’z ic̣nomic iniqoḷtiz n imbaḷnsz: t qot fṛm ɖer maṇfesto, “miłnz mor invstd evri wīc in sayns, scūlz, aprenṭśps n infṛstrucćr ẃl cntrolñ dét”. Bʈ ɖoz plejz r nǎ ded: ɖ îdīa v guvnmntspendñ rīśepñ ɖ icoṇmi hz bn sîdlînd bî dīreğleśn n taxcuts, n ɖ Tōriz r sudnli telñ s ɖt scîroc̣tñ public borowñ z nʈñ t wuri abt.

Ɖ impreśn v a jîgantic hanbreic trn z cnfrmd bî ɖ end v ɖ ban on fracñ – smʈñ ɖ Tori maṇfesto sd wd hapn onli f it wr pruvd t b sef. Ɖ hol unhinjd pacij ofrd bî Trus n hr guvnmnt śrli ćîmz wɖ an īvn smōlr mnoṛti v ɖ ilectṛt ɖn ɖ wn ɖt pt Jonsn in pǎr, bt sć z ɖ deṃcratic graṿti ɖt Cnsrṿtizm maṇjz t dfî: ilex́nz nǎ fīl lîc mir pōzz fr breʈ bfr ẃćvr Tori cbal z cuṛntli in ćarj gts on wɖ dwñ ẃtvr it wonts.

T stet ɖ blîndñli obvịs, ɖ votñsistm ɖt līdz t ɖz ǎtcumz z hoplisli brocn. Bcz ɖ Tōriz’ s’port z īvnli spred arnd nonŕbn Ñgḷnd, it tc arnd 38,000 vots t ilect a Cnsrṿtiv MP in 2019. Fr Lebr, huz s’port z incrisñli clustrd in sitiz, ɖ figr wz 51,000. Ɖ Lib Dems, mnẃl, got wn sīt fr evri 334,000 vots cast, ẃl ɖ Grīnz’ solitri MP, Caṛlîn Lūc̣s, sat atop a mǎntin v 865,000.

Clirli, frst-past-ɖ-post z ifctivli rigd. It z ɖ rīzn ẃ Tori guvnmnts cn stl lord it ovr Scotḷnd n Wêlz, n ɖrfr a ci factr in ɖ freyñ v ɖ YC (yńnists òt t olso b alarmd at hǎ mć ɖ sistm asists ɖ SNP, huz vots p’ MP r abt 26,000).

Morovr, ʈancs t parḷmntri ẃipñ, ɖ xistñ votñsistm opnz ɖ we fr abṣlut pǎr t b capćrd bî smōl Tori fax́nz, ẃl matrz v hyj naśnl importns r subɉgetd t intrnl batlz – ẃć z ɖ besic stori v ɖ last six yirz v p’liticl hisṭri, startñ wɖ Devid Camṛn’z stypid dsiźn t cōl ɖ Brexit reḟrendm.

Frst past ɖ post olso criets a msplest imij v ɖ public ɖt w tù ofn mstec fr riaḷti. Last wīc ɖ lêtist Britiś sośl-attydz srve rvild plenti v strîcñ fîndñz: in 2011, fr xampl, 42% v rspondnts sd ɖt iṃgreśn wz “bad fr ɖ icoṇmi”, bt ɖt figr hz sins fōḷn t 20%. Mor ɖn haf v s nǎ ʈnc it’s nt importnt t b born in Britn t b “trūli Britiś”, p fṛm 25% in 2013.

Most Britiś ppl tec a libṛl pziśn on qsćnz v sx́l orịnteśn n jndr îdntti, līvñ ɖoz hu ʈnc ɖt sć vyz “hv gn tù far” in a smōl mnoṛti. F poḷtics ofn sīmz t rvolv arnd ɖ îdīa ɖt a big ćunc v ɖ ilectṛt z soṣ́li cnsrṿtiv n fentli netivist, ɖ rîtẉd tilt v ɖ votñ sistm hz a lot t d wɖ it. Pt anɖr we, ɖr z a rīzn hardli enwn woćz GB Nyz.

N so t Lebr. Last wīc bròt līct dītelz v ɖ parti’z consttyśnl rvy, léd bî Gordn Brǎn, ẃć wl apaṛntli rec̣mnd rplesñ ɖ Hǎs v Lordz wɖ an ilectd senit, ny pǎrz fr ɖ YC’z dvolvd guvnmnts, n mor bsdz. Ɖz ʈñz wd hardli b unwelcm, bt ɖ ci elimnts v ɖs ptiklr stori r clir: ɖ absns v enʈñ in Brǎn’z rvy abt hǎ w ilect ɖ Comnz, n ɖ līc’s rɖr sspiśs tîmñ.

Poulñ sjsts ɖt 83% v Lebr membrz nǎ s’port ilectṛl rform. In ɖ bildup t its confṛns ɖs wīc, abt 140 cnstitẏnsipartiz hv sbmitd mośnz cōlñ fr xacli ɖt. Unls bacrūm fixz gt in ɖ we, a reẓluśn pṛpozñ a ny votñsistm śd b dbetd on Munde afṭnun.

Last yir, a cōl fr pṛporśnl repriznteśn wz dfitd ʈancs t ɖ big yńnz – bt Ynisn n Ynît hv sins śiftd ɖer pziśn, n ɖ ppl in ćarj v an umbreḷgrūp cōld Lebr fr a Ny Dmocṛsi sǎnd confidnt ɖt ɖs yir śd si ɖer sîd win. An unḍstandñ v ɖ cōzl linc btwn ǎr endlis naśnl crîsīz n ɖ we w ilect ǎr MPz sīmz t hv wrct its we intu ɖ parti’z c’lectiv soul, n sć big Lebr figrz az ɖ Wlś frst ministr, Marc Drêcḟd, n ɖ Gretr Manćestr mẹr, Andi Brnm, nǎ s’port Lebr’z rformrz.

Unforćṇtli, Cir Starmr n hiz alîz stl si ćenjñ ǎr sistmz v pǎr n poḷtics az an iṛtetñ dstrax́n, n r clirli teṛfaid ɖt eni convseśnz abt cọliśnz n partnrśps wl b a gift t ɖ Tōriz. So Brǎn’z rport wl b frenzidli tōct p, ẃl eni s’xesfl pro-PR mośn wl b ignord. Ɖ Lebr līdr hz olrdi prīemtivli rūld ǎt eni mnśn v votñ rform in ɖ parti’z nxt maṇfesto, a stans cupld wɖ hiz yźl insistns ɖt h wl nt b “dwñ eni dīlz gwñ intu ɖ ilex́n or cmñ ǎt v ɖ ilex́n”.

In uɖr wrdz: ǎr sistmz v pǎr cn b tncrd wɖ bt nt funḍmnṭli ćenjd. Sć z yt anɖr sriyl aspect v ǎr poḷtics: ɖ fact ɖt a parti ɖt nǎ sīmz oṿẃlmñli in fevr v clozñ Britn’z hyj deṃcratic gaps z stl léd bî ppl hu ʈnc ǎr brocn ilectṛl mśīṇri cn b yzd fr pṛgresiv endz.

Wɖ gd rīzn, ɖ Dêli Meil grevli wornz ɖt “scrapñ frst past ɖ post cd pt ɖ Tōriz ǎt v pǎr fr a jeṇreśn”, bt Lebr’z līdrśp sīmz t wont t ple bî ɖ yźl rūlz: jeḷsli gardñ ɖ parti’z custmri rǒl az Wsminstr’z runr-up, n hopñ ɖt it wl cari on gtñ its custmri trn in pǎr wns evri 15 or 20 yirz. Ɖr z a prîs t pe fr ɖt stubņis, n w r siyñ it mor vividli ɖn evr: unhinjd poḷtics n ɖ prospect v yt anɖr unrepriznttiv Tori clīc rīcñ haṿc.

Instroduction to Ñspel

Fṛm Đ Gardịn: Forget ‘levelling up’ – Liz Truss isn’t even pretending to care about inequality

‘What is Truss’s message to voters who live in the kind of areas still routinely termed ‘left behind’?’ Photograph: Peter Nicholls/Reuters
‘Ẃt z Trus’z mesij t votrz hu liv in ɖ cnd v eriaz stl rūtīnli trmd ‘left bhnd’?’ Foṭgraf: Pītr Niclz/Rôtrz

Fget ‘leṿlñ-up’ – Liz Trus z’nt īvn pritndñ t cer abt iniqoḷti

(Transcription of an article published in the Guardian on 18 September 2022)

Undr Boris Jonsn, ɖ ajnda feld bcz v inc̣hiṛns n incompitns. Fr ǎr ny PM, ɖ probḷm’z îdịlojicl

John Harris

Jon Haris, Súnde 18 Sptmbr 2022

Az ɖs most strenj n sriyl v naśnl momnts hz unfoldd, vôsz v pǎr n inflụns hv constntli tōct abt naśnl yṇti n śerd fīlñ. Ɖ mīdia r sudnli awoś wɖ “w” n “s”. Ol ɖoz flǎrz, flagz n banrz imbodi ɖ sem mesij: ɖt ẃtvr ɖs cuntri’z tnśnz n rzntmnts, ɖ Ynîtd Cñdm rmenz xacli ɖt. Bt, bî a grim axidnt v tîmñ, ẃn poḷtics rzymz ɖs wīc ɖ bigist stori wl b abt smʈñ ɖt sjsts ɖ xact oṗzit: a guvnmnt so uncnsrnd bî ɖ hyj gaps ɖt dvîd ppl n plesz ɖt it z gwñ t wîdn ɖm īvn frɖr.

Frîde wl si ɖ mć-treld “fiscl ivnt” in ẃć ɖ ny ćanslr, Qāzi Qarteñ, wl ǎtlîn ɖ dītelz v ɖ guvnmnt’s eṇjiprîs frīz n ɖ taxcuts promist bî Liz Trus in hr campen fr ɖ Tori līdrśp. Ɖ Reẓluśn Fǎndeśn recnz ɖt, on aṿrij, ɖ rićist tnʈ v hǎsholdz wl beṇfit fṛm ɖz meźrz bî abt £4,700 a yir, ẃl ɖ purist tnʈ wl rsiv £2,200. Bî we v adñ insult t inɉri, twdz ɖ end v last wīc nyz brouc v Qarteñ’z pś t rmuv ɖ xistñ cap on bancrz’ boṇsz, a leġsi v ǎr membrśp v ɖ YY. Az wɖ Trus’z hostiḷti t an xtndd windfōl tax on ɖ big eṇjicumṗniz, hir wz mor prūf v hr guvnmnt’s ci intnśn: t “g fr groʈ” bî priṿlijñ wlʈi n pǎrfl ppl n inṭrests, in ɖ hop ɖt dwñ so mt būst ɖ YC’z ǎtpt.

Clirli, ɖt aproć līvz litl rūm fr ɖ jumbl v poḷsiz, reṭric n haf-formd intnśnz noun az leṿlñ-up. Ɖt ajnda wz eilñ olrdi: īvn az Boris Jonsn cntinyd t tōc p sm imajind rībaḷnsñ v Britn az hiz big miśn, transportplanz sntrd on ɖ norʈ v Ñgḷnd wr cansld n cut, ɖ Ẃîthōl scīmz ɖt rplest YY fundñ fr ɖ rījnz v ɖ YC trnd ǎt t b a śado v ẃt prisidd ɖm, n ɖ loñ-awêtd leṿlñ-up ẃîtpepr wz trnd intu a nonivnt bî Riśi Sŭnac’s rfyzl t bac it wɖ eni ny public muni. Bt in ɖ wec v Jonsn’z fōl, leṿlñ-up hz bn sîdlînd īvn az a veg îdīa.

T nwn’z gret s’prîz, Trus’z frst spīć ǎtsd Dǎnñ Strīt md no mnśn v ɖ trm at ol. Ɖ Dpartmnt fr Leṿlñ-up, Hǎzñ n Cḿṇtiz z nǎ ɖ rsponsbiḷti v ɖ lo-wotij Tori ministr Sîmn Clārc. Ǎt in ɖ riyl wrld, ɖ cmpaṛtivli smōl-scel projects fundd bî £4.8bn v dedcetd leṿlñ-up muni r nǎ ʈretnd bî rîzñ infleśn – n lêt last wīc, ɖ Fînanśl Tîmz rportd ɖt amñ bʈ locl caunslz n Ẃîthōl insîdrz, “ɖr wz no xpcteśn v xtra caś fṛm sntṛl guvnmnt”. So far, wn v ɖ fy glimrz v ʈncñ abt rījnl iniqoḷti amñ Trus n hr alîz hz bn a fuzi sjsćn ɖt “srtn eriaz” wl b trnd intu lo-tax, dīreğletd enṭprîz̦onz – a rīhītd vrśn v an old n feld îdīa, n a far crî fṛm past leṿlñ-up proṃsz v infṛstrucćr, impruvd edyceśn n ol ɖ rest.

Undr Jonsn, leṿlñ-up’s fełr cd b pt dǎn t a lac v chiṛns n compitns. Bt in Trus’z ces, ɖ sns v ɖ îdīa hitñ ɖ wōl z ɖ rzult v îdịlojicl cnvix́nz hîlîtd in hr frst big TV inṭvy. For dez bfr ɖ Qīn daid, ś apird on ɖ BBC’z ny program Súnde wɖ Lora Kuenssberg, ẃr ś wz asct bî ɖ host ẃ ś wz prîoṛtîzñ taxcuts ɖt wd hyjli beṇfit ppl at ɖ top. Trus blîɖli cnsidd ɖ pônt. “Bt t lc at evrʈñ ʈru ɖ lénz v rīdistṛbyśn, I b’liv, z roñ,” ś cntinyd. “Bcz ẃt I am abt z growñ ɖ icoṇmi, n growñ ɖ icoṇmi beṇfits evrbdi.”

Trus ń ɖ sgnificns v ẃt ś wz trayñ t xplen, īvn f Kuenssberg dd’nt sīm t. “Ɖs z a riyli importnt pônt,” ś insistd. “Ɖ ic̣nomic dbet fr ɖ past 20 yirz hz bn doṃnetd bî dscuśnz abt rīdistṛbyśn. N ẃt hz hapnd z, w hv hd reḷtivli lo groʈ … n ɖt hz bn holdñ ǎr cuntri bac.”

Sūṗfiṣ́li, ɖs z a vri strenj vy v ɖ past tū decedz: wz ɖt pirịd riyli so “doṃnetd” bî a dbet abt fernis n iniqoḷti ɖt it stîfld ɖ icoṇmi? Īvn in ɖ Ny Lebr ira, sīńr poḷtiśnz tndd t cīp qayt abt sć ʈñz: Gordn Brǎn’z rīdistribytiv poḷsiz, let s nt fget, hapnd larjli bî stelʈ. Morovr, wns Devid Camṛn n Jorj Ozbōrn tc ovr, osteṛti enśurd ɖt iniqoḷti – nt līst in its rījnl maṇfsteśnz – got mć, mć wrs. So hu or ẃt wz Trus’z targit?

Ẃt ś wz riyli bmonñ, it sīmz t m, wz ɖ trn Tori poḷtics tc aftr ɖ Brexit reḟrendm. T’rīza Me n Jonsn me hv qoḷfaid ɖer tōc abt ɖ YC’z iniqoḷtiz bî insistñ ɖt ɖe dd nt intnd t tec muni fṛm eriaz at ɖ top v wlʈ n incm rancñz. Bt ɖe nnɖles tōct p ɖer foc̣s on dis’dvantijd ppl n plesz, n clemd ɖt ɖe cd yz ɖ stet t start t rīśep ɖ Britiś icoṇmi. In Febrri ɖs yir, ɖ ɖen leṿlñ-up secṛtri, Mîcl Gov, cntrastd leṿlñ-up wɖ “tricl-dǎn īc̣nomics”, n sd ɖt f ɖ fri marcit wz left t itslf, “ɖen ẃt y si z iniqoḷti growñ”.

Ɖs z ẃt Trus n hr alîz hv sīmñli cm t avnj: az Ʈać̣rît tru b’livrz, ɖe ʈnc ɖt īvn ɖ most hafhartd inṭvnśnizm mt līd t ruin (hns hr iniśl rjx́n v “handǎts” t īz ɖ eṇjicrîsis), n ɖt ultiṃtli, iniqoḷti z jst anɖr wrd fr ẃt mcs capiṭlizm so dnamic. Hr felo Tōriz si ɖs linćpin v hr b’lifs vri clirli. “Ś hz an ajnda, it’s qt îdịlojicl, n it’s vri Cnsrṿtiv,” sz Ozbōrn. “W dd’nt gt ɖt wɖ îɖr Boris Jonsn or T’rīza Me.”

Ɖt last pônt z tru. Ɖ fact ɖt Trus’z tū prīdisesrz sd ɖe wd muv awe fṛm post-Ʈaćr Toriizm, in fact, wz a big part v ɖ rīzn ẃ ɖ p’liticl loyltiz v formr Lebr hartḷndz bgan t śec in 2017, līdñ t ɖ fōl v ɖ so-cōld red wōl tū yirz lêtr. Hvr dluźnl it me nǎ sīm, plenti v ppl in sć plesz hd votd t līv ɖ YY in a spirit v hop, n bʈ Me n Jonsn ɖen dd ɖer bst t cnvins ɖm ɖt ɖer opṭmizm wz’nt msplest.

Nǎ w r sudnli in a vri difṛnt p’liticl clîṃt. Ẃt, y cn onli wundr, z Trus’z mesij t votrz hu liv in ɖ cnd v eriaz stl rūtīnli trmd “left bhnd”? Ɖt ɖe òt t damp dǎn ɖer hops, d ɖer bst t gt ʈru hard tîmz, n rjôs f sm śŭgŗuś būm in fînanśl srṿsz pśz p naśnl incm bî a fy p’snt? F ɖt rmenz hr guvnmnt’s aproć, miłnz v ppl wl nǒ xacli ẃt ɖe r dīlñ wɖ: ɖ end v eni linġrñ hops ɖt leṿlñ-up wd mīn enʈñ, n ɖ rtrn v ɖ crīdo ɖt enśurd ɖe wr left bhnd in ɖ frst ples.

Instroduction to Ñspel