Britain in the early 2010s was certainly one of contrast. At one end of the spectrum, Prince William and Kate Middleton tied the knot in a historic and ostentatious ceremony. At the other end, thousands of youngsters were being slapped with ASBOs (Anti-Social Behaviour Orders) in a bid to keep them off the streets and out of trouble as crime rates soared.
Yep, in the same year that millions watched the future King and Queen's fairytale nuptials, others tuned in to shows like Neighbourhood Watched (a series showing life "in the raw" for those tackling anti-social behaviour), My Battle With Booze and then later ASBO and Proud.
More than ten years on, things have hardly changed. As the country gears up to host King Charles III's coronation, the government last week laid out a renewed initiative to tackle anti-social behaviour in Britain with "urgency". But, much like the ASBOs dished out in the nineties and noughties, a number of the Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan's key areas appear to be strikingly anti-working class.
Take the Action Plan's focus on supposedly anti-social tenants, for example. Under the government's new plan, it'll be easier for landlords to "evict anti-social tenants who make their neighbours' lives a nightmare" – referring to those who are "disruptive to neighbours, cause damage or [who] fall behind on their rent."
Whilst no one is arguing against the eviction of genuinely disruptive tenants – anyone who has had to live near a noisy/unpleasant/intimidating neighbour [delete as necessary] will welcome the news – the issue here is that being unable to pay your rent in an unreasonably short time period has somehow been confused with being anti-social.
The proposed plans will see landlords able to evict tenants who fall behind on their rent within just a fortnight, risking homelessness for many who are already struggling in a worsening cost-of-living crisis. Recent figures from Shelter show that at least 271,000 people (including 123,000 children) are currently homeless in England. Of these, 2,400 people are sleeping rough on any given night, 15,000 people are in hostels or supported accommodation and nearly 250,000 are living in temporary accommodation – most of whom are families.
Shelter argues that a "chronic shortage" of social housing combined with "grossly expensive and unstable private renting" is to blame, and points out that the number of people living in temporary accommodation has risen by an alarming 74% in the last 10 years – a figure that will certainly increase even further as a result of the government's Action Plan.
"How is not being able to pay rent anti-social behaviour?" one person questioned in the comments section of an Instagram post about the proposal, shared by political commentator @ukfactcheckpolitics. Similarly, another person commented: "Ah, the government's strategy to tackle homelessness is... taking away... homes?"
"How about renting caps or something actually helpful to society?" someone else commented, with another writing: "It’s nothing to do with anti-social behaviour, it’s about demonising the poor."
And the further you read into the Action Plan, the more glaringly obvious that demonising of the working class appears to be. Through the introduction of new laws, "harmful begging" is another area that the government intends to "crackdown" on, essentially meaning that homeless people – and others forced to beg for cash – may face arrest if they're deemed to be a "nuisance" by police officers. So, the Conservative Party will make it harder for people who fall behind on their rent and then arrest them when they’re homeless and needing to beg for food? Gotcha!
"Stopping the criminal exploitation of vulnerable people should be the top of any government agenda – but it's important that any new action does not further isolate those who are being exploited," Balbir Kaur Chatrik, director of policy and communications at Centrepoint, a charity supporting young homeless people in Britain, tells Cosmopolitan UK. "Treating begging as anti-social behaviour will do little to tackle its root causes and could end up pushing vulnerable people towards further exploitation and harm."
Chatrik goes on: "If the government was serious about ending begging then ministers would be focusing on renewing their commitment to end rough sleeping. To do so, they need to stop deflecting with headline-grabbing measures and put in place the funding and planning needed to tackle both begging and homelessness."
Elsewhere in its Action Plan, the government announced that "councils will be given new funding to restore local parks", but the simultaneous pledge to reduce "loitering" begs the question: Who can actually spend time in these parks? And, what's the difference between working class teenagers hanging out with friends after school and loitering? Will posh picnics be considered loitering? I highly doubt it.
To that end, the government has promised to "provide more help for young people to find positive ways to focus their energies, including one million extra hours of youth support in hotspot areas". To achieve this, the government has put out £500m in funding so that "by 2025, every young person will have access to regular clubs and activities, adventures away from home and opportunities to volunteer."
But with the Conservative Party having cut youth services by 70% in the last decade (equating to almost a billion-pound decline in funding), according to the YMCA, is that promise even going to make a dent in the damage that's already been done?
"In the case of young people, much of their anti-social behaviour comes as a result of the decimation of the essential youth services brought about by consecutive Conservative governments," says Claire Cook, founder and proprietor of Employability Solutions, an independent school offering an alternative secondary education for young people who thrive in a smaller, more nurturing setting than mainstream schools.
"While it’s important to tackle the issue of anti-social behaviour, it’s also important for vulnerable young people to be seen, listened to and supported," she adds, noting that "it’s imperative we bridge the gap between generations, showcasing our young people in a positive light and thus reducing fear."
Ultimately, Cook emphasises what many of us already know: "Young people need access to safe spaces in which positive role models can work closely with those most in need of support in order to help unearth their talents and present them with opportunities which have tangible advantages to the wider community."
With the next general election – and therefore, the opportunity to vote the Tories out of office – still two years away, the future is looking pretty bleak for many Brits, but in particular, the working class. Sadly, our options to enact change are limited.
Aside from taking to the streets in protest – like the French have been doing so passionately in recent weeks – it seems our only choice is to wait things out and take that passion to the polling stations in 2025. There, we must remember what the Conservative Party has done for the working class: nothing but damage.
If you're struggling with your bills, you can speak to a number of charities – including Turn2us and the Independent Food Aid Network – set up to help those during the cost-of-living crisis, as well as debt-management charities like Step Change.
Jade Biggs (she/her) is Cosmopolitan UK's Features Writer, covering everything from breaking news and latest royal gossip, to the health and fitness trends taking over your TikTok feed. She also works on first-person features and investigative long-reads, taking a deep-dive into mental health, celebrity culture and women's rights. Jade has been a journalist and content writer for ten years, and has interviewed leading researchers and doctors, high-profile influencers and fitness experts. She is a cat mum to four fur babies and is obsessed with Drag Race, bottomless brunches and wearing clothes only suitable for Bratz dolls. Follow her on Instagram or Twitter.
