OK, first a disclaimer. This is not a political post, it is a social documentary one. As a photographer living in one of the most politically charged areas of the country, with one of the most important, confusing and extremely sudden General Elections coming up (the last one was two years ago and we’ve had two Prime Ministers since!)–I am simply ‘aware of my surroundings’. Evict Amber Rudd in big red letters on the seafront doesn’t take much awareness!
Amber Rudd is current the Hastings MP and Home Secretary. The BBC is reporting today on the Sussex Police call for witnesses regarding graffiti around Hastings. Most of these say: ‘Shame on you, Amber Rudd’. There are stickers that say ‘Stop Amber‘. These gave me the idea to do a photo documentary project about Hastings in the run up to the General Election. Amber Rudd is a very contentious character, especially as she was not forthcoming about her involvement with Bahamian Tax Havens, as well as her extremely divisive totalitarian political viewpoint. Her ascent through the Conservative Party ranks makes her one to watch. This election might be a decisive moment in her career. Especially as the Green Party have tactically stepped down to allow less dilution of a Labour vote. If this tactic works, we’ll be seeing a whole new style of voting. One that may suit a generation that has been pretty much failed in terms of representation in parliament.
The contrast of Amber Rudd’s ‘glamourous’ tax haven work, with the fact that Hastings, and especially Ore being so extremely poor seems an interesting topic to document. So far, I have seen a few examples of the ‘Shame on you, Amber Rudd’ graffiti. According to the BBC, there are eight examples in Hastings. So far, I have not seen any anti Labour graffiti or ‘street communication’.
All the above would almost be a non-issue, but for the BBC story. This piece, ‘Evict Amber Rudd’ is sprayed on the front of a Grade II listed crescent. Let’s be very clear about what the BBC have failed to mention. The crescent is beautiful, there is no denying, but:
- The wall with the writing looks like a dump, wheelie bins, electrical junctions etc.
- Some of the apartments in Pelham Crescent are just slums. They are rooms divided by plasterboard. It is common knowledge that some don’t even have any means to cook, just a cut out hole in piece of chipboard. I viewed one myself and it was the easily the worst room I had seen anywhere in any country, including backpacking hostels.
Despite Pelham Crescent’s exterior elegance, it’s interior is a litany of a failed social housing policy. Mention that please, BBC.
Sussex Police are calling the writing ‘politically motivated’. No shit, Sherlock. Move along, nothing to see here.