Ryan Chapman – Austerity Britain: The Culture Of Cuts

Austerity Britain is a series of short films challenging the claim that “we’re all in this together” and exposing the ‘culture of cuts’ as a counter-productive ideological obsession.

Ryan Chapman is a documentary filmmaker and makes films that question the political status-quo. He also founded the Destination: Utopia platform (Twitter: @DestUtopia) in order to share content that inspires positive change in the world. Website: www.ryanchapman.net

 

“Austerity is not just naive, because that assumes a degree of innocence”, argues political economist Richard Murphy. “Austerity is malicious because it’s deliberate”.

There’s too much proof for Murphy to be wrong. The British government has time and again seen the consequences of austerity – less effective public services, rising inequality, increased day-to-day hardships for the most vulnerable people in society – and yet the purse strings continue to tighten.

From education to the arts, infrastructure to health, and children to the elderly: nothing and no one is safe. They argue it’s simply “living within our means” and that we must balance the books, even at the expense of our quality of life.

This – to some – might sound fiscally sensible, but there’s a growing school of thought that says treating the country’s finances like a household does more harm than good.

“If the government spends less it actually generates less income”, says Steve Keen, Professor of Economics at Kingston University.  “You don’t create economic activity by saving”.

In that case, austerity fails on both counts. It’s both immoral and economically harmful, so how long can it be until we seek an alternative? How long can it be until this economic policy – that so disproportionately harms the poor while making the rich richer – is resigned to the scrap heap of history?

Austerity Britain is a series of films challenging the claim that “we’re all in this together”, and exposing the ‘culture of cuts’ as a counter-productive ideological obsession.

Each of the four parts focuses on a different aspect of society detrimentally affected by austerity. The films feature aforementioned economists Richard Murphy and Steve Keen, as well charity workers and activists on the front line.

Parts One focuses on the UK’s homelessness epidemic, specifically in the affluent city of Cambridge. The East Anglian city has recently witnessed a huge spike in rough sleepers and was confirmed the most unequal city in the UK, with an even worse income distribution than London.

Part Two explores how austerity reduces the life chances of children thanks to a two-pronged attack on education funding. Not only do cuts in school funding lead to larger class sizes, demoralized teachers and over-stretched resources, but the closure of hundreds of children’s centres up and down the country has had a devastating impact on early years development.

Part Three goes behind the scenes at a foodbank to dispel myths about how they run and who uses them. Foodbank use has skyrocketed over recent years and whilst it’s true to say this is partly due to greater awareness, the issue of food poverty in the UK can’t be ignored.

The fourth installment could have looked at any number of issues – from the NHS to public spaces – but then, on June 14th, the country woke up to horrific news from Grenfell Tower and Austerity Britain: Part Four found an obvious focus.

Now, looming over West London casting shadows of shame, austerity has an emblem.

Part One: Homelessness

Part Two: Education

Part Three: Foodbanks

Part Four: Grenfell