Released: 18th June 2022 (Hardback)
Genre: Non-Fiction, Politics, Society, History
Number of Pages: 368
When it comes to the haves and the have-nots in Britain, you don’t have to look far to see the damage. The recent pandemic revealed a nation in a spiralling downturn, its social systems and political connections incapable of pulling up those who lie in the gutter. Working alongside several contributors and utilising a large array of sources, Darren McGarvey’s The Social Distance Between Us is a scathing release, one that demands the attention of any reader.
Across multiple regions of the UK, Darren illustrates the plight of those in poverty, planting himself on ground level and sharing many stories of hardship. This includes drug addicts, evicted tenants, young people with nowhere to go and prisoners who are keen to talk about their struggles through music. It’s a large collection of perspectives placed alongside McGarvey’s own commentary which comprises history, society and political leanings. He drills down to the heart of these problems and ties them in to how they are perceived by the middle and upper classes. As you absorb the details, the author explains how multiple issues stack on top of each other, compounding the squalor and sense of hopelessness.
The Social Distance Between Us packs a ton of detail into its pages, showing how the struggles of the poor are closely connected to broken social systems. Darren goes a step further by discussing the political spectrum that led to these awful conditions. If you’re expecting a raging takedown of one political party over another, the author asks that you put your factionalism aside. The two wings are shown to possess a small measure of care for the downtrodden, but they both have crippling flaws that stop any progressive change or efforts to win elections. It’s an incredibly pragmatic and level-headed analysis of the political duopoly, one that has dominated the country for decades.
Recommended?
YES: Darren McGarvey delivers a searing indictment of the UK system that everyone needs to read, regardless of their individual place and circumstances. He breaks down the rotten situation consuming the working class then proceeds to lay out how we reached this point. He doesn’t mince his words and takes an unbiased approach, deconstructing both left and right wing ideologies in a detailed, fascinating manner. Don’t be put off by the title; this book offers the most revealing picture of modern Britain.
Comments