Politicians are always talking about how they want to help Hard Working Families. Lib Dem politicians have been doing this for some time now. I suspect they continue doing it because research tells them it goes across well with the majority. I suspect they also don't ask themselves WHY it goes over well with the majority.
Myself, I blame the press. The press have spent decades demonising the jobless (workshy scroungers, rather than people living in areas with no work to get) the disabled (workshy scroungers who pretend to be ill to get benefits) the LGBT+ (who don't have families, they have sordid frightfulness), single mothers (who don't count as families because they don't have MEN in them) women who choose not to have children, etc.etc.etc.
The phrase Hard Working Families purposefully excludes and marginalises anyone who doesn't have a job, and anyone who doesn't have a traditional family. This goes across well with the general public because they are used to anyone who doesn't have a job and anyone who doesn't have a traditional family being demonised. It fits into their worldview. It's a dog whistle to the sort of person who says "I've worked hard all my life and paid taxes and why should my taxes go to pay for wheelchairs when I haven't got a new car this year?"
With the deepest of respect to the leading lights in our party, I think that sort of person needs educating, not pandering to.
UPDATE: Tim Farron has listened, heard, and understood, as one can see from
his twitter stream in which he states that Caron (who also
blogged on this) and I are "100% right" and he will, from now on, use different wording. I don't always agree with Tim (he's an uber-Christian football fan, to give you an idea of some of the areas of difference ;)) but I respect that he is always willing to listen to criticism, and when he finds that criticism to have a point he always acts quickly and responds. Tis the mark of a proper Liberal.
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