Just a quick #postnewspolitics today. Taken from The Guardian. 

I’ve been thinking a lot about the oscillating love/hate I’ve had for The Guardian over the past few years. A decade ago I’d buy it religiously especially on Saturdays (and the Observer on Sundays). I felt a real affinity with the columnists and political writers. What they wrote spoke to me – I aspired to be like them and enjoyed seeing the world through their eyes. Probably ‘Observer Columnist’ would have been my dream job. 

The Labour leadership elections and Brexit made me look at events differently – I realised a chasm had opened up between what was printed in these pages and the world as I was experiencing it when working in north Wales communities. At the time I felt really angry towards the Guardian/Observer and its writers in a way I didn’t feel towards other papers – perhaps because I’d remained so loyal it felt like a betrayal. 

I’ve moved on since then because I realise that they’re just people reflecting the world around them – and London life is not Wrexham life, or north Wales life. I can’t expect people to understand the complex social and political perspective here from a London lifestyle. It’s also been good to remind myself that we’re all on The Left – even if at different ends of the spectrum. It’s the Tories we should all be fighting. North Wales’ communities have suffered the oppressive weight of Tory policy in a way that is truly awful and I’m just hopeful that The Left manages to put egos aside and pull together long enough to topple May and her billionaire cronies from power.

I’m going to keep posting #postnewspolitics on the @poetlifewales Instagram and would love to see yours. If you make one please tag me so I can regram?