The other side of snow

Last night, people died on our streets. It’s impossible to believe otherwise. A thick layer of snow added to a recent cold snap makes its unthinkable that all of Britain’s homeless would have been able to survive.

Sometimes in takes a cold snap to make us look down and see the people huddled in doorways, swaddled in blankets and peering out at us from underneath the hoods of old coats. For so much of the year, Britain’s secret shame is invisible – hidden in plain view. It’s not that we ignore them, it’s that we choose not to see them. Subconciously we’ll avoid certain cashpoints or come out through different exits at the train station to avoid these people that society has left behind. It’s as if they don’t exist.

In the cold and freezing conditions of the British winter though, the starkness of their plight suddenly hoves into view. Shivering, cold and hungry. We think about them, perhaps even worry about them. But when the snow has melted and spring comes, will we remember them? Will we do anything about it?

Worse still, the establishment of the benefit cap (or at least one that includes housing benefit) looks set to increase homelessness. That’s more people in doorways. More homeless families. More people freezing on the street and more people dying.

Homelessness fell under Labour – but it was never eliminated, even during the good times. Now it’s on the rise again, and it’s about to get much, much worse.

The most basic test of any society is its ability to house, clothe and feed itself. Yet our so called civilised society – led by politicians of all parties – has failed that most simple test for too many people. People died on our streets last night, frozen in the snow. But to listen to the news, you’d think the major problem was “travel chaos”. Shame on us. Shame on all of us. Shame on a society, a media and a political class that has lost all sense of perspective.

People died on our streets last night – but to hear the news today, you’d never know. Civilised? We’re anything but…