An open letter to the ordinary Tory, appalled and intimidated by the behavior of demonstrators on Sunday

Dear Ordinary Tory,

I agree, spitting,  physical intimidation, and, funny though it was,  even egging, is unacceptable. I'm not so sure about chanting - you've got the entire british media, not so much on your side as in your pockets, chanting is about the only form of public mass communication we control.

But we do need a little perspective. There were 60 thousand plus people demonstrating, a handful crossed a line. This wasn't a hate filled mob. There were a lot of very angry people, many of whom have been badly damaged by the Tories. Their anger is deeply legitimate. These were health workers who have seen their pay cut by almost 20% over the last 5 years, disabled people sanctioned by ATOS, people who've been socially cleansed from their homes by private landlords, graduates with 50k debts and no job... I'm sure I don't need to paint a picture.

The people going to the conference weren't "ordinary people" going about their business. They were dedicated supporters of the conservative party on their way to celebrate their leaders success in creating all the human misery I describe and more besides. The young gloating man deliberately goading protesters with pictures of Thatcher was almost a symbol of the inhuman arrogance of the modern conservative.

The protesters were chanting "Scum". What do you think the Etonian elite, the bankers, landowners and stockmarket fraudsters call us in their relaxed moments? What's the conversation in the country house parties, county balls and city banquets? They really truly believe we are scum, upstart peasants finally getting their comeuppance. Their mindset flows from the resentment and loathing of "people power" and it's postwar translation into a genuinely egalitarian society.

The very powerful never let go of their sense of privilege and entitlement. Thatcher was the tool to start the process of turning things back round - reasserting the historic norm of the dominance of the few who appear to quite genuinely despise us.

I'm not suggesting all the ordinary delegates are of that mind set - but the ethos, political leadership and policy objectives they support are. When it comes down to it - chanting scum is nothing compared to wholesale civil disorder - riot and revolution even, that could happen if the Tories don't let go of their appalling neo-liberal austerity.

Gradual change is always hard to spot - it's like getting old - We don't see see the thickening of the waist and the odd grey hair, then one day we look in the mirror and see a stranger. The Thatcher project has implemented gradual change for 35 years, and suddenly we've woken up to a different world.

Tory policy on tax cuts for the rich and austerity for the poor -
Made in the USA

Globalisation has allowed the very wealthiest corporations and individuals to escape their share of taxation, despite being the biggest beneficiaries of the socialised costs the fallout their businesses create. The myth that privatisation is "more efficient" has been sown. It's object never was better services, and history has shown that to be true - it was always to put those revenues into private hands. The NHS isn't under attack because it's inefficient, it's under attack because it is a hugely profitable investment opportunity for private capital.

Chanting and physical intimidation aren't "very nice" - but the Tories aren't very nice either - the media is owned by the really nasty kind of Tories so they'll be quick to decry the outpourings of genuine fury from the people they are treading under their boots, but they aren't so quick to criticise the greedy dehumanising, morally bankrupt, short sighted policies of a tory government clearly concerned about nothing except the retrenchment of privilege

You response is to say, "I am an ordinary person who goes to Conservative party conference. I am a dedicated supporter who campaigned hard to win. Labour Party dedicated supporters would celebrate if they won. I can't believe you think that people who support the conservatives deserve this intimidation. We are perfectly ordinary people not the klu klux klan. Absolutely appalled"

You may well be an "ordinary person" - but the people you support are not - and actually they don't care about you either - unless you are earning excess of a 150k a year - they really really don't care - it's one of the tragedies of the ordinary conservative supporter - you empower your oppressors.

I ask you

Do you really think the stealth privatisation of the NHS is a good thing?

Do you think it's fair that Nurses and Midwives have had a 17 % pay cut over the last 5 years - was that something people voted for?

Do you think a bedroom tax is fair and reasonable

Do you think it's right that ATOS is sanctioning seriously ill people - declaring them fit for work when they are crippled and blind? What's the point of this exercise anyway? There aren't enough jobs for fit healthy people.

And what about so called Tory economic prowess. The slowest recovery from recession in modern history, the biggest fall in real living standards and a doubling of the defect?

I wonder if you clapped when Hunt said he wanted British workers to be like the Chinese or when Alex Wild urged the party to hit pensioners now, because they'll be dead or unable to remember by the next election.

If the Tories had stood on an honest manifesto - if they had said we intend to privatise the NHS and Education, attack the most weak and vulnerable, have a million people dependent on food banks and slash social services do you think you would have won the election?

Of course you wouldn't. As it was, you were elected by 27% of the electorate and you have a majority of 15 - I would have thought a little more humility and a little less arrogance might  be appropriate.

I'm appalled by spitting - it's disgusting - But 4 people out of 65,000 were arrested on Sunday - Manchester police said the demonstration was largely good humoured and well behaved. As a human being,  I'm sorry you felt intimidated - but are you surprised given the policies you support? To be honest - if you genuinely agree they are a good thing, maybe you are scum - heartless, selfish and greedy.