Making fun of the unthinkable ……….. badges we wore

Now, one response to a dark moment is humour, and back in the 1980s there was plenty of that.

The election of a Conservative Government in 1979, and its reelection again and again, through the next decade and beyond was for many a series of disasters, which saw unemployment rise to record figures, squeezes on public spending and a worsening of the Cold War.

One response was the "Don’t Blame Me" campaign, which sat beside the the other very successful campaign  run by the Labour Party, carrying the slogan “Upset Her ……..… Join the Labour Party”, which appeared on badges, posters and t-shirts.

The campaign emerged fairly soon after the 1979 general election.

I am not one for personality politics or leadership cults, and while Mrs. Thatcher was an easy target to mount a more general campaign against the Government, it hid the bigger forces at play who saw deregulation and unemployment as useful tools in advancing the interests of one section of the population.

But the badge was fun and sat beside scores of responses from community groups and individuals, and of these one of favourites was the Dog Lovers Against the Bomb.

I am fairly convinced it was produced here in Chorlton.

Leaving me just to add the badge I know originated here, in Chorlton because it was produced by Chorlton Labour Party.

How many of these are now still knocking around would be fun to find out.



Location; Chorlton








Pictures; badges from the 1980s, from the collection of Andrew Simpson