I’ve realised something over the years. A fair chunk of billionaires don’t just want to be rich. They want to be untouchable. Question them and you’re either jealous or a communist. That’s the playbook.

Take Jim Ratcliffe. Raise concerns about tax, integrity his divisive (let’s face it, racist) rhetoric and the comments fill up with frothing defenders who can barely write, telling us Jim is only saying what we’re all thinking. Grown adults angrily protecting tax avoidance and racist dog whistles as if their next crate of Stella depends on it.

The Distraction Trick

For people at that level it must be hilarious. If scrutiny creeps in, simply toss out the ol’ culture war grenade. Suddenly everyone’s arguing about migrants or “woke nonsense” while the serious stuff, like tax avoidance and stripping back workers’ rights, slides quietly through the side door.

It’s not subtle. Yet, amazingly, it’s effective. It’s appalling but you can see why they do it.

The maddest part is who lines up to defend it. Often it’s people on low wages who would be absolutely hammered in a race to the bottom. The first to suffer when regulation is slashed are the very people cheering it on. The lads mocking health and safety are the same ones who’ll be on the scaffold when corners get cut.

It’s grim. Worse still it’s avoidable.

The Jealousy Myth

Are most normal people jealous of billionaires? No.

I think most normal people are similar to me. I’d like a bigger house and a pool but I can’t be bothered with the hassle of it. I quite like not working myself into an early grave. I enjoy walking the dog, a bit of cricket and a pint, the odd holiday even. That’ll do me. Most people don’t resent wealth. They resent hypocrisy.

Make billions if you can, I don’t care. Just pay your way, that’s all. Don’t hide money from the country that made you rich while preaching about national pride. Why not do something good with the money you’d never be able to spend, rather than counting it and getting angry when people call you out for running off to Monaco?

As a PAYE director of a small business, like many others, I constantly get scrutinised, nudged and reminded to do exactly what I already do: pay tax, VAT and corporation tax. Yet billionaires glide about as if contributing fairly is optional. That’s what grates me and others in a similar position.

The Grift

Then there’s Farage, touring the country telling people he’s on their side while being backed by the very interests who’d happily deregulate their protections into dust. Some genuinely believe he has their back. That slashing environmental rules and workplace safeguards will somehow transform their lives. Or at least make decent people’s as shit as theirs. Perhaps that’s the challenge?

It won’t. But if Farage shouts loudly enough about immigrants, plenty will crack open a Stella and climb a lamppost with a nylon flag made in China.

Part of me, darkly, wonders what would happen if he got real power and properly broke things, showing him up for the crook that he is. The problem is his most loyal supporters would still blame everyone else. They’d be told democracy itself is the obstacle that doesn’t allow Nigel to drown brown people. The roundabout painters would gladly bin that too. They’d vote to end democracy if they could wank over a YouTube video of people drowning in the English channel.

That’s the bit that should worry us.