The Cruelty Trap

Rishi Sunak's attempts to weaponise performative cruelty against marginalised groups have only hurt his own party. Labour must avoid making the same mistake

“All cruelty stems from weakness” the great Roman philosopher Seneca once observed. And so it has proven to be.

As the Conservative party’s chances of clinging onto power have tumbled, so too have their qualms about dishing out cruelty to the most vulnerable people in society.

Whether it’s posting videos of immigration officers bundling people into vans, passing a law criminalising homeless people for smelling, or announcing a crackdown on those making a “lifestyle choice” to be sick and disabled, Rishi Sunak’s political strategy has increasingly revolved around inflicting the maximum amount of cruelty onto the most marginalised groups of people.

Like that other great modern day philosopher Dril, Sunak’s strategy has often resembled a man turning a big dial with the word ‘cruelty’ written on it and then looking back at the audience for applause. 

Yet with one poll this week suggesting the Conservatives are at risk of losing all but handful of their MPs at the general election, the potential audience for such a performances is looking increasingly sparse.

So why have Sunak’s attempts failed so badly, will an incoming Labour government really bring an end to such performative cruelty, or will they merely announce the beginning of a new run of shows?

Here’s what we should expect.