Old Labour Poster - National Government And Their ‘Equality Of Sacrifice' Policy Is Being Repeated It Seems

1st September 2024

This poster has all the hallmarks of the current Labour government policy that more pain is coming for all of us. Have they forgotten a poster that Labour issued in 1929. If the National Government at that time had not forced austerity we may have avoided the recession of the 1930's with huge unemployment and increased poverty.

This Labour Party poster criticises the 1931 National Government and their ‘Equality of Sacrifice' policy.

This policy was based on the ideas of John Stuart Mill, who believed that tax laws are fair as long as they are applied to everyone equally.

The cartoon, by J. F. Horrabin was created in 1929, at a time of economic depression in Britain.

Each man on the ladder has a different income, and as each one steps down a rung, the unemployed man at the bottom of the ladder becomes submerged in water, suggesting that the equality of sacrifice would affect the poorest the most.

One step down and the poor man drowns.

Are pensioners really the broadest shoulders in the latest pronouncements of the new government. Cutting government spending seems to be repeating the mistakes of 1929 - 31 Let's hope we do not get the 1930's all over again.

Posted on October 29, 2014 by Catherine O'Donnell
A guest post from volunteer Amber Greenall-Heffernan
https://phmmcr.wordpress.com/2014/10/29/things-you-find-when-doing-a-bit-of-research/