On 29 May, Conservative MP Robert Jenrick released a fare-dodging video that has sparked a heated controversy. Shadow Secretary of State for Justice filmed himself confronting people going through barriers at London Underground stations without tapping their cards or paying their fares, as he pointed the finger at London Mayor Sadiq Khan for letting law-breaking behaviours slide. Whether or not fare-dodging is ever acceptable is a whole other topic, but what is clear from this charade is how simple a political game can be.
Supporters applaud his ‘courageous’ act of voicing a pervasive societal issue while officers turn a blind eye. Fare dodgers cost Transport for London (TfL) a staggering £130m a year in lost revenue. Browsing social media, the public’s annoyance towards fare evaders is easy to spot. Most people are concerned about the physical aggressiveness fare dodgers can show when they slip through gates, and the knock-on effect it has on increasing prices. By acting on this, Jenrick speaks for this group of angry passengers who pay and get shoved away at the gates.
Jenrick, like many politicians, has expertise in publicity. He knew that a video like this one would go viral, and he was right. Whatever your opinion may be, you must have seen the video circulating and have your take. He expected the debate, the praise, and the criticism. So, what is the hidden agenda behind all of the calculated reactions? More importantly, what did he achieve?
An act like this reminds us of how those currently in positions of power often fail to enforce rules and maintain order. By condemning the authorities, Jenrick reiterates his stance. In the video caption, he says that “He’s (Sadiq Khan) not acting. So, I did,” which is the message he wants to bring out. Similar to thefts, littering, and other disorders in the country, a lot of people want change and are dissatisfied with the apparent lack of will the government has in rectifying these issues. Jenrick’s actions have intensified fellow Labour opponents’ discontent towards the party and established him almost as a vigilante figure, disciplining those whom the authorities should but do not punish.
While supporters crowned him a hero, it has been pointed out that Jenrick broke rules by filming in the station without TfL’s permission and that he is in no position to play hero. Apart from the rule-breaking, these accusations are based on a disapproval of not respecting boundaries and of publicly shaming individuals. Any attempt to change the focus from fare-dodging itself to Jenrick’s approach however, is a far-fetched attempt to prove him wrong. Responses like this display a failure to assess the breaching of rules and inadequate policing, instead calling out the man and using idealistic concerns against him. Casually dropping a comment to dismiss his video is risky because it can be used to demonstrate how people prioritise seemingly irrelevant and impractical ideals over pragmatic and real-life issues, giving Jenrick another reason to mock his opponents. Compared to fare dodging, accusations like filming without permission don’t really figure.
Instead of trying to pick on his lack of permission to film, why not delve into Jenrick’s history to reveal his hypocrisy? In 2020, the then Housing Secretary admitted that he deliberately helped Conservative donor Richard Desmond avoid a £40 million levy by speeding through the approval of his housing development scheme, despite the Government planning inspector’s advice against it. The man who acts virtuously about it being unfair for people to dodge fares is the same person who unlawfully approved a scheme to favour his counterpart. Also in 2020, The Sunday Times reported Jenrick had claimed expenses of over £100,000, straight out of taxpayers’ pockets, for “a third home” in his constituency of Newark. During his time as the Immigration Minister, Jenrick spent £15.4 million to buy a site in East Sussex to house asylum seekers, only to find out that “asbestos-containing materials in existing buildings and contaminated ground” meant another £20 million was spent before the site could be used. Not to mention his time in office during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the Conservative administration ordered Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) totalling £14.6 billion for the “VIP lane.” Jenrick and his party have been ripping off taxpayers for years, and yet he dares to call out people who dodge a few pounds while citing a lack of enforcement.
When confronting fare dodgers, Jenrick emphasises the ‘unfairness’ by telling them that “everyone else has to pay,” and yet his past doings are nowhere near fair for most taxpayers. His lavish expenses, corner-cutting, and non-existent integrity greatly contradict the righteousness that he promotes. These should be targeted before his lack of permission to film, or the somewhat racist reference to Turkish barber shops when saying, “It’s the same with bike theft, phone theft, tool theft, shoplifting, drugs in town centres, weird Turkish barber shops. It’s all chipping away at society.” It is not to dismiss these issues, but to say that they aren’t the criticisms that will stick.
Jenrick has exposed himself as a cynical, hypocritical politician. He deliberately caused a dispute by dropping a video. It is a selfish plan to stir up anger and make a show to catch attention, and he has achieved his aim. He is, of course, someone who grabs the headlines now and again. A few days after the fare-dodging drama, the UK Shadow Justice Secretary proposed arming prison officers. This has unsurprisingly triggered substantially less noise than his widespread social media video, where he was the centre of attention. Jenrick has proved his eagerness to gain exposure for his own benefit, and the fare-dodging stunt should not gloss over the kind of politician that he is.
Regardless of your take on this stunt, it should not overshadow Jenrick’s track record. To those who think he is a hero who raised concerns that you didn’t dare raise, think about the benefits he has unjustly claimed using your money, or the deals he has struck at your expense. The act is obnoxious not just because he filmed without permission, but because of the pretentious swagger that follows everything that he’s done and his hypocritical presentation that suddenly values morals when it benefits him. Jenrick’s political approach deserves little to no respect, and the fare-dodging act doesn’t change that.
Words by Megan Wong
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