REMEMBER? Benefit cuts, legal aid, bankers’ profits, unqualified teachers, disability tests, tax evasion, selling off the NHS, secret courts, anti-immigrant vans, bedroom tax? THEY’RE ALL HERE.

“The test of a good society is how you look after the elderly, the frail, the vulnerable, the poorest...” (David Cameron 2.5.10)

If that’s the test, we’re failing. The coalition has talked about cuts, but the reality has been drastic change at huge expense. These poems by Paul Francis are not neutral, hinting at unease or withholding judgement. They are an angry indictment of what has been done to our society over the last twelve months.

Launched on 24 January 2015.

A glimpse inside:

Balancing the Books

Listen up! The money all got spent
by a wasteful Labour government.
Although that’s not the expert view
we keep on saying it, so it’s true.
No argument, no ifs, no buts,
we’ll sort their chaos with our cuts.

We take advantage of this mess
to privatise the NHS.
There’s contracts, lawyers, adverts, fees;
cutting the staff will be a squeeze.
The system’s bound to feel the pain
but private firms will see the gain.
Can we afford big changes now?
Sod it, we’ll make them anyhow.