What springs to mind when
you think of J.K. Rowling? Her international success as an author, her
contributions to modern pop culture, her millionaire status? Her political
commentary…perhaps not. There’s a reason Rowling’s years in the spotlight
haven’t seen her deemed the political voice of a generation – and if you take
one look at her Twitter account, you’ll understand why. Rowling’s hot takes on
the UK’s upcoming general election are more fantastical than her magical
wizarding world.
Most are familiar with
Rowling’s heart wrenching journey to success. A victim of domestic violence,
she raised her daughter single-handedly while battling depression, earning just
£69 a week from unemployment allowance. She wrote the Harry Potter books in
coffee shops around Edinburgh to escape the freezing conditions of her flat,
and ultimately caught the eye of publishers with her now-iconic tales of
witches and wizards.
Having lived through such
struggle, you’d expect J.K. Rowling to empathise with those currently in a
similar situation. With 1,182,954 people resorting to food banks and an
estimated thousands of welfare-related deaths last year, you’d imagine Rowling would be
fervently anti-Conservative. As a domestic violence victim, perhaps reports
that two thirds of women’s refuge centres are facing closure due to Tory cuts
would lead her to campaign for Labour this time around. Apparently not. Just
days after the announcement of a snap general election, Rowling took to Twitter
stating: “Election 2017: what should you do if you support Labour but can'tstand Jeremy Corbyn?”
That question can be
answered in two words – vote Labour. It’s that simple.
This isn’t the first-time
Rowling has blasted Corbyn to her 10 million Twitter followers though. When he
was first elected as party leader, she called his supporters “utterly deluded”and deemed him “unelectable”. While polls and right wing media outlets have
consistently claimed that Jeremy Corbyn can’t be Prime Minister, the irony is
that Rowling has outright stated multiple times that she wants a Labour
government. By constantly repeating anti-Corbyn sentiments, she is feeding the
Conservative campaign. It’s more illogical than a seventeen-year-old school-boy
being told to lead an army against the evilest wizard in the world, and winning
because he has a magical scar.
If Rowling thinks Corbyn
is unelectable, she should campaign for him. With her huge social media
following and never-ending media attention, she could have some genuine
influence. However, she’s instead choosing to continue her Twitter campaign of
hatred against a man who wants the same things she does, meanwhile helping the
Conservatives secure what could be one of their biggest wins in recent history.
With mere weeks to go
until the election, what exactly does Rowling think she’s going to achieve by
berating the leader of the party she actually supports? Let’s not kid ourselves
into thinking the UK offers anything but a two-party system. There’s no real alternative
to Labour. The Liberal Democrats’ campaign is likely to be effected by leader
Tim Farron’s alleged belief that homosexual relationships are sinful, not that
they could ever achieve a majority anyway. Rowling tweeted a link to an article
showing how to tactically vote against the Conservatives without voting for
Labour, which may lead to some gains for smaller parties, but ultimately will split
the left’s voting and allow a Tory majority.
For somebody who agrees
with Labour’s values and policies, holding a grudge against their leader in the
run up to such an important election is plain irresponsible. Maybe developing
such an elaborate fantasy world for 20 years has messed with Rowling’s
perception of reality. Maybe she thinks everything is as black and white as a
fight between good and evil. Maybe she thinks we’re not electing MPs for
Westminster, but the Ministry of Magic. I’m sorry Joanne, but Dumbledore isn’t
going to fly down on a Hippogriff on election day to prevent Brexit and five
more years of austerity measures.
As a child of the Harry
Potter generation, I grew up loving everything J.K. Rowling stood for. When I
got older, her personal story inspired me. She was a victim of harsh Tory policies
for years, but despite all odds overcame it by using the power of her
imagination and writing prowess. Seeing her using her platform now, to feed the
right-wing narrative that Corbyn can never win, seems reckless and ugly.
The NHS, women, refugees,
the disabled, the poor, the young and the elderly, will suffer further cuts and
consequences under another Tory government. J.K. Rowling can claim to support
those effected by austerity all she likes, but actions speak louder than words.
I suppose she doesn’t have to worry too much about the effects of Tory policy
anymore though. Ah, to be a millionaire.
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