Spinning the Message

The Independent reported recently on the scandal of 'fake' quotes that have been used by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) to help get a message across about the role of benefit sanctions in changing people's behaviour.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/iain-duncan-smith-faces-calls-to-quit-over-fake-quotes-scandal-10466068.html

Apparently a petition has been started to protest about fabricating or spinning this message which the DWP justified by saying:

“The case studies were used for illustrative purposes to help people understand how the benefit system works. They’re based on conversations our staff have had with claimants. They have now been removed to avoid confusion.” 

Now I deplore this kind of propaganda, but the truth is it happens all the time and the Government is clearly not the only offender.

Party Propaganda (20/11/13)

I didn't catch the Labour Party political broadcast which was shown on TV recently - but I read lots about it afterwards because it caused a bit of a storm with interviews of people allegedly struggling to meet their energy bills.

Apparently, two of the interviewees who featured prominently in the broadcast were not struggling at all - one being a chap called Beresford Casey who lives in a prosperous part of London (Primrose Hill) and owns a chain of fashionable and not inexpensive burger bars with the fancy title Hache Burger Connoisseur.

The other person who was propelled into this five minutes of fame was a young woman named Jack Monroe who is not on breadline Britain either - and writes a food blog for the Guardian newspaper. 

In the Labour Party broadcast Jack paints a grim picture of life in Britain today as she tells the camera:

"Hot water and a comfortable living environment are things that you should be providing for your child.

You know in your head it's not normal to put your child in a fleecy babygro and a jumper to go to bed, or to go to bed at 6 or 7 o'clock in the evening because you've got nothing else to do, nothing to entertain yourself with and the flat is cold and dark.

They're making huge profits for their shareholders but people are turning off their heating and unscrewing their light bulbs."

Now I don't know how many people might be living in such desperate circumstances, but I would be interested in learning more about their situation - whether they are in work, for example, or on benefits - or whether they are in some particular difficulty.

But one thing I do know is that Jack Monroe is not in the position of having to turn the heating off or unscrewing their light bulbs - so why would she or the Labour Party paint a picture which is simply not true.       

So, instead of making me think it has the whiff of a cynical sales pitch - perhaps in the same vein as giving an everyday hamburger the rather overblown title of Hache Burger Connoisseur.