A Kentish Walk, Class Cleansing & Downton Abbey

Back from a lovely day walk in stunning Kentish countryside.  6 mile up and down circular stroll along the 
Wealdon Ridge - "Mereworth Woods and West Peckham".

At the end of the walk I went and had a look at Mereworth Church (see picture). Which is very impressive but as you can see, not the usual rural countryside church you will find in a village mentioned in the Domesbury Book of 1086? 

It turns out that the village and Church use to be half a mile away near to Mereworth Castle (or rather a fortified Manor house).

In the 18th century the owner John Fane, 7th Earl of Westmorland, decided he didn't want poor people to over look his home. So he moved the entire village and built a new church (and destroyed the old).

At the risk of upsetting my two sisters (this is always a very dangerous for a brother to do regardless of age) who are ardent fans of the popular romanticised Television series "Downton Abbey". I do think that we ought to remember what being a rich and powerful landowner actually meant in the past (and arguably even now).

Stretching the point I know, but the sons of rich landlords play a disproportionate role in the Conservative Party, who are responsible for bedroom tax and total benefit cap, which will soon make it impossible for many poor people to continue to live anywhere in London. They will be forced to live elsewhere (ironically many in cheap unfashionable Kent seaside resorts - run by Tory Councils!). 

By a complete East London coincidence, the architect of the redeveloped Palladian Mereworth Castle, Colen Campbell, also redesigned Wansted House which was built to rival Blenheim Palace. Ironically Wansted House was completely destroyed by aristocratic gambling and spending excess and it is now a public park managed by ....the City of London.

Update: check Facebook here for more pictures on walk 

Class: Parliamentary Launch "Why Equality Matters"

Collage is from the Parliamentary launch last Wednesday evening of "Class" The "Centre for Labour and Social Studies". A new "left" think tank.

The launch featured its latest report "Why Equality Matters". Which is a more populist and accessible version of the book "The Spirit Level - Why Equality is better for everyone". 

The meeting was packed with loads of Labour MPs. Including Stephen Timms from East Ham.

Steve Hart from Unite chaired the meeting, Emily Thornberry MP spoke first, then we had John Trickett MP, Owen Jones, Professor Richard Wilkinson and new TUC General Secretary Frances O'Grady. Check out my twittering here on the event (31 Oct).

I asked the question about whether we were really preaching to the converted here tonight when we should be asking what actual policies will be needed to bring about a more equal society. Should we be honest with the electorate, that everyone will have to pay more in taxes not just the super rich, to bring about a society that benefits everyone? (such as truly affordable housing and childcare)

Owen Jones responded by saying that at first we we need to start with a tax on the rich and make sure that they do not evade their taxes, then we could be more ambitious. The wealth of the Sunday Times "Rich List" has grown during this "recession" by more than the total sum of the deficit.

Frances O'Grady was fiery and passionate in her response. Growth in real wages is key in reducing inequality and recession. UK companies have reduced wages and accumulated £750 billion in reserves. No wonder we have no demand in our economy.

Afterwards I met up with my best ever blogging mate, Dave Stroppy, (nee Osler) and we went with UNISON comrades to sort the world out at the Red Lion.

Middle picture hat tip Seph Brown

TUC 2012: Why Inequality Matters fringe

During lunchtime I went to this launch of an authorised summary of Professors Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett's "The Spirit Level".  The fringe was sponsored by the new "left think tank" Class (Centre for Labour and Social Studies).

Chaired by GMB Tim Roache. Unite General Secretary Len McCluskey kicked off by introducing "Class" and the reasons why it was set up. For too long right wing think tanks have dominated political policy and research. Katherine Round spoke next. She is producing a video documentary on "The Spirit Level". 100k copies of the book have been sold in the UK while the gap now between the rich and poor is the widest for 30 years.

While Richard started by posing the question - is inequality an ethical or empirical issue? Many perfer to believe it to be ethical rather than empirical since then it can be dismissed as being subjective. He explained that in the 600 odd lectures and seminars that he and Kate have given there has been no good counter arguments. People are surprised about how how inequality has such a profound impact in so many ways. He is clear that you cannot have a classless society without addressing income equality.

Mehdi Hasan from the Huffington Post told a witty tale about how he was thrown off a right wing USA TV programme (are there any others?) for arguing in favour of a wealth tax even though a "wealth tax exists in communist Switzerland and is supported by that well known Marxist, Donald Trump".

Owen Jones (not in picture he was speaking at another fringe) came on last and made the point that Labour leader Ed Milibands "Predistribution has a point since billions spent on family credit were in effect a subsidy for low pay...whatever predistribution actually means".