Ub40 “One in Ten”: Raising Political Awareness

“Economics are the method; the object is to change the soul.” It seemed that the Thatcher government of 1979 to 1990 had instead destroyed the soul of communities and people across Britain. The reforms of Thatcherism had greatly improved Britain’s economy at the expense of millions who were left homeless, in poverty and frustrated mainly because of unemployment. Unemployment is the main issue tackled by British reggae band UB40 in their single “One in Ten”, attacking Thatcher for leaving millions struggling and not caring to do anything about it. “One in Ten” was released on UB40’s second album Present Arms in 1981.

The political context in which “One in Ten” was written features Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government. During Thatcher’s time, drastic reforms were introduced to tackle declining economic growth and rising inflation. These included the increase of interest rates, implementing indirect taxation and increasing value added tax to 15 percent. Businesses, particularly in the manufacturing sector were hard hit as unemployment passed two million by 1981. State intervention in the market economy decreased and state-owned enterprises were privatised. Entitlements to social security benefits were reduced and services such as pensions and health insurance were becoming increasingly privatised (Riddell, 1989: 130). As a consequence, during 1979 to 1985 the number of people with an income at or below the poverty line rose by 55 percent to 9.4 million. The number of children taking free school meals rose between 1979 and 1986 from 12 to 18 percent (Riddell, 1989: 155). Thatcherism was also blamed for the growing inequalities between ethnic groups. The 1981 British Nationality Act for example, ensured only white people with close ties to Britain had an automatic right of entry and settlement. Increasing segregation of black people occurred in sections of certain cities along with increasing deprivation and violence as reflected in the riots of summer 1981 and autumn 1985 (Riddell, 1989: 156). Therefore by writing “One in Ten”, UB40 were able to raise awareness of and attack a government that seemed to put economic welfare before human welfare. Britain in the 1980s was thus testament of a society which was split, with some succumbing to poverty and violence while the wealthy continued to prosper.

The effects of Thatcherism are painted harshly in “One in Ten” with UB40 voicing the pain of millions across Britain as they struggled to survive. Having experienced the hardships of unemployment themselves, the band members of UB40 were expressing their frustrations at a government who seemed to treat citizens as if they were just “a number on a list”. Even more shocking about this message however is the way UB40 referred to those who were unemployed, starving, suicidal and homeless as “statistical reminder(s) of a world that doesn’t care”, further emphasising the lack of action in dealing with such worrying social issues. References are made to the “dole queue”, malnutrition (”malnutrition dulls my hair”), drug addiction (”I’m a housewife hooked on Valium”) and “beggar(s) on the corner”. Children are also seen as victims of this social turmoil through examples such as “I’m the child that never learns to read/’Cause no one spared the time”, “another hungry baby” and “an accident of birth”, showing the extent to which young innocent people also had to suffer under Thatcherism. A line that had a particular impact on me however was: “I’m the murderer and the victim”, reflecting on the idea that those who turned to crime and violence were doing so because of the rising need to survive and express their frustration at the growing poverty. It is little wonder then that violent crime and robbery rose at an annual rate of over 5 percent between 1980 and 1987 (Riddell, 1987: 170). Through “One in Ten” it is therefore clear to see just how much UB40 valued the importance of equality and dignity, and just how strongly they opposed Thatcherism for the way it was treating the “common” people.

The legacy Margaret Thatcher left behind upon her resignation in 1990 was that of a fractured society that lacked hope, dignity and soul. Her economic reforms had made Britain wealthier at the expense of millions who lost their jobs, their homes and their livelihood. “There is no such thing as society. There are individual men and women, and there are families.” Such disregard and lack of care for the struggling population being expressed by Thatcher and her government would have surely left citizens lost for words. Musicians like UB40 however were left with plenty to say about Thatcherism and the world that did not care.