Bonkers Tory ad claims UK is 'second most powerful country in the world'. That's 'hilarious propaganda'

Fighter jets, the England men’s football team, big ships and an Aston Martin.

No, you’ve not looking at the posters in the room of a ten-year-old boy. These, according to the Conservative Party, are reasons why the UK is “as strong as ever” – and the “second most powerful country in the world”.

The beleaguered Tories published – then deleted – a bizarre post accusing “doomsters and naysayers” of “talking down our country”.

The accompanying graphic, which featured King Charles, director Christopher Nolan, and a stern-looking Rishi Sunak alongside various vehicles and sport stars, has sparked ridicule online.

But to some of the ‘doomsters and naysayers’ – AKA campaigners fighting for a more equal Britain – the graphic is not just silly, but a damning indictment of a “tone deaf” government.  The Big Issue spoke to some of them.

What do the UK ‘doomsters and naysayers’ have to say for themselves?

The Conservatives based their outlandish claim on Brand Finance’s 2024 Global Soft Power Index, which ranks Britain second in the world – after the US – for “soft power.”

Closely linked to reputation and diplomacy, soft power is a measure of a country’s ability to shape international outcomes without the use of force. The perfect way to illustrate this type of power, according to the Tories? No fewer than seven fighter jets.

Regardless of Britain’s soft power heft, it’s undeniable that things are pretty grim in the UK at present.

Nearly a fifth of the population are struggling to afford food, warned Sabine Goodwin, director of the Independent Food Aid Network.

“The long-term impact of high levels of food insecurity will be calamitous for the health and wealth of the nation,“ she said.

“Ignoring the scale of poverty and destitution isn’t the answer. Our government needs to find long-term income-focused solutions for everyone and pave the way for a fairer, stronger economy for all.“

Highlighting Britain’s “many issues” doesn’t make you a ‘naysayer,’ said Ben Claimant, a welfare and disability activist who operates under a pseudonym.

“What do the [Tories] prioritise on first? Should it be social care or social security? Do they alleviate poverty or sort out healthcare? This government has done such a bad job in so many areas it is hard to know where to start,” he said.

Claimant said that the government’s relentless drive to “cut disability benefits and ramp up conditionality and sanctions” makes life worse for many people.

“How about the government focuses on dignity and respect? Why not be more patient and invest in giving people more services, help and support?” he said.

According to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, More than one in five people in the UK (22%) were in poverty in 2021/22 – 14.4 million people. This number includes 4.2 million children. It has been almost 20 years and six prime ministers since the last prolonged period of falling poverty.

Meanwhile, the housing crisis continues. More than 1.2 million households in England are currently stuck on waiting lists for a social home – and, according to Shelter, at least 309,000 people are homeless.

“The housing emergency is out of control,” said Shelter’s Polly Neate in December. “Chronic underinvestment in social homes has left people unable to afford skyrocketing private rents and plunged record numbers into homelessness.”

Our national services – including our privatised water infrastructure – are crumbling, too. Thousands of Brits became ill after swimming in polluted water last year, after water firms pumped raw sewage into rivers and the sea more than 300,000 times.

James Wallace, CEO of River Action UK – which campaigns to end sewage pollution in Britain – likened the Tory post to an April Fools’ joke.

“This tweet is one of the most politically blind and hilarious bits of electioneering propaganda I have seen,” he said.

“Apparently, I am a river pollution doomster because I care more about people and the planet than profiteering corporations. In that case, you can take your fighter jets and stick them up your leaky sewage pipes.”

The British Dental Association “fixed” the poster, adding an image of a man with pliers in his mouth

“If Britain really is the second most powerful country on Earth then why are its citizens resorting to ‘DIY’ dentistry for want of access to basic healthcare?” the peak body added.

This country could be a lot stronger, said Cat Hobbs, director of We Own it, if the government stopped “cutting and privatising our public services.”

“Take back control of our NHS, water, energy, buses, railway and Royal Mail by making them work for people not profit, and providing decent funding,” she suggested.

“A strong country has a healthy population (and enough doctors, nurses and hospital beds), clean rivers and seas, regular letter deliveries, functioning public transport and publicly owned energy that supports the switch to renewables and lower bills. All of this vital infrastructure would help our economy.”

Online, detractors pointed out the graphic’s flaws. It’s got no women, for example – despite the Lionesses being far more successful than their male counterparts. And Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales are absent.

Oh well – at least we’ve got all those big jets!