Politics reached a new low last week, with Labour’s adverts attacking Rishi Sunak by name. Their claims are ridiculous. I do not believe that Sunak – or anyone – thinks that convicted child abusers, violent offenders or any other dangerous criminal should avoid prison.
I am a lifelong Labour voter but untrue allegations, personal attacks and immature controversialism are not a decent way to win over the electorate. Labour should be persuading voters by making bold promises based on constructive critique, so that voting is a positive act inspired by transformational thinking and realistic planning.
Sunak became prime minister six months ago and isn’t responsible for the failures within the criminal justice system. These attacks against the UK’s first non-white prime minister are from a party that has never had anything except a white, male leader.
Not only that, but Labour is now targeting Sunak’s wife, Akshata Murty. Imagine if this happened in front of you on the street; the underlying dynamics would be obvious. What’s next in the bullies’ playbook? They’ve already gone for the wife – are they going to bring the mums into it now?
I will never vote Tory, the party of the hostile environment, Brexit and the long-term hollowing out of investment in healthcare, schooling, housing, infrastructure and social services. But these ads from the opposition have left a bad taste in my mouth, not just as a Labour voter but also as a non-white Briton and (now they’ve pulled Murty into it too) a woman.
Spreading lies about individuals has legal consequences. Don’t they realise – since they’ve sneered at it so many times – that Sunak has the funds to sue them for defamation?
Rise of the bullies
I’m unsurprised by recent reports of antisocial audience behaviour at theatres and performance venues. Anyone who’s been out in central London couldn’t fail to notice the simmering rage, selfishness and belligerence that increasingly spills out these days.
Last week, at a branch of Pret in Holborn, I witnessed a customer tell one member of staff to sack another – because he didn’t like the way the worker had placed the drink on the counter. The aggressor was white, while both staff members, plus the few other customers present, were all non-white. The staff member apologised quickly – so quickly that I realised this is their policy to mollify abusive customers. The perpetrator swaggered out, visibly satisfied, without a backward glance.
Aggression and abuse are not random, they’re decisions. Sex, race and status always come into it when abusers feel entitled to perpetrate against their chosen targets. They are not doing it because they’re worried about the downfall of democracy, the cost of living, the climate emergency or war. Exactly the same forces are acting on their victims, who don’t choose to behave that way.
Sayonara, Sakamoto
I’m mourning my original crush, the Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, who has lost his battle with cancer at only 71. Sakamoto was also an actor, model, film composer and a friend of other stars such as artist Shirin Neshat and designer Rei Kawakubo, and he was so beautiful that I had a photograph of him on my wall as a teenager. But it wasn’t just that, I loved his restlessly innovative avant-garde creativity, combined with his mass-media-friendly global ambition – a tricky balance to maintain, let alone for 50 years. He’s gone but his work and sophisticated attitude will live for ever.
• Bidisha Mamata is an Observer columnist
Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a letter of up to 250 words to be considered for publication, email it to us at observer.letters@observer.co.uk
