Thread by @swardley

As someone who started on a council estate, living with grandparents, single mum working in another part of the country ... this ... 100% this ... youth services, grants, libraries, investment in schools etc made all the difference ->

https://twitter.com/davidschneider/status/1407314795687202821

Oh, and I ended up going to Cambridge but that was long ago. If I had been born in today's climate with the same start ... I doubt that would have happened. Nothing to do with people saying "white privilege", everything to do with destruction of the state and supporting systems.

Of course, if I hadn't gone to University, I'd never have come up with mapping which itself has saved this Gov £millions. I'd love to see a study on just how much austerity has actually cost us ... we'll never know of course but I suspect the answer is vastly more than it saved.

But then that would require people to investigate causes and this narrative is the opposite of that ... it's about trying to set one disadvantaged group against another in order to avoid any investigation, any discussion, any progress and any real challenge to the status quo.

If they really want to "level up" then start by refunding surestart, invest in local services, expand the social net, introduce UBI, abolish private schools and reform the house of lords with sortition (random selection). It's a start but it'll set us on a better path.