After the election, with five years until the next, there is more need than ever for a strong, independent voice to stand out against the prevailing winds. Ahead of us lie decisions that may change the nature of Britain irrevocably – and it is essential that there are journalists who are asking tough questions and challenging the status quo.
With the Human Rights Act in jeopardy, the Guardian will be there exposing the myth-makers. When the home secretary herself repeats media distortions about human rights – “The illegal immigrant who cannot be deported because, and I am not making this up, he had a pet cat” – someone needs to set the record straight: no, minister, the judge did not say the cat stopped the man’s deportation.
When severe benefit cuts fall on those least able to cope, the Guardian will make sure the impact is revealed. When the public is told that Benefits Street-type scroungers take the lion’s share, the Guardian strips the factoids from the facts: only 3% of the social security bill goes to the unemployed, while half goes to pensioners. When the bedroom tax and benefit sanctions leave families without food, the Guardian shines a light on the plight of those using food banks.
Britain faces a monumental decision in the EU referendum. However strict the rules for the yes and no campaigns, nothing will stop the blasts from Britain’s Eurosceptic media. A wall of sound will warp the democratic process – and the Guardian’s independent voice will matter more than ever. No press baron owns us, so we are free to think, write and report without constraint.
I doubt anyone agrees with everything we publish, and indeed we make a point of encouraging a rainbow of views from contributors. But in a tipped-up, one-sided media, the Guardian is here to restore balance, hold power to account, challenge the conventional view and give a voice to the voiceless.
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