Why the Harry Enfield character in ‘Loadsamoney’ is more important than ever
“Money makes the world go around”, sings a backing vocalist towards the end of Harry Enfield’s 1988 hit ‘Loadsamoney (Doin’ Up the House)’. From our modern viewpoint, the track is very of its era, with the titular character Loadsamoney, an apparent relic of the past with all his talk of “Me bird’s page three and me car’s a nutter”.
However, when listening, one thing is reaffirmed in spite of the dated musical and thematic aspects. When it comes to British attitudes, some things haven’t changed at all. It might have been 34 years, and technology might have significantly developed, but we’re still stuck in 1988.
Loadsamoney, the comic creation of Harry Enfield, is still around. He’s just aged, with his skin now as rubicund as the most perfectly cooked gammon joint and his outlook more vulgar than ever before. He is Plato’s tyranny of the ignorant incarnate, and it is thanks to his ilk that we’re standing on the edge of such a bottomless chasm. They didn’t bite the hand that feeds; they ate it. To put this into another perspective, Loads is George Orwell’s Napoleon from Animal Farm.
Enfield’s loathable character was always the most astute satire of Thatcherist economics and neoliberal greed in the expansive alternative comedy scene of the decade. Now the cause for ridding the country of the philosophy he represents is more necessary than ever. His shortcomings, which have gone unchecked for so long, are doing more permanent damage than anyone thought back in 1988.
Whether it be the menagerie of Thatcherite disciples in the British government or in broader society, Loads takes many forms, and he has been running riot for too long. The outlook he embodies never went away, and parts of the population have been living a lie if they thought it any differently.
Despite the promise of Thatcherism and Brexit, the country is becoming increasingly sclerotic, with the Bank of England recently warning that we are facing the worst economy since the 1940s. People of all ages and creeds are starving and freezing to death, but people like Loadsamoney don’t care. They’re alright, Jack.
Remarkably, Loadsamoney has a longstanding connection to British politics. He was thrown into mainstream discourse in May 1988 when then-leader of the Labour Party, Neil Kinnock, used the term ‘Loadsamoney’ to criticise the politics of the Thatcher government. It was subsequently picked up by journalists who began to refer to the “Loadsamoney mentality” and the “Loadsamoney economy”. Both of these are still ubiquitous, thanks to the line of Prime Ministers we’ve had since Maggie, who have all ascribed to her loose ‘ism’ in one way or another.
Clearly, their dream has now died. With the cost of living crisis now affecting people once firmly ensconced in the “middle class”, it is astounding that still many – in government and society – continue to exhibit this attitude when they earn relatively nothing compared to those at the top of the food chain.
Would the executives of a company like Shell, who have just listed record profits, ever entertain the thought of hanging out with someone like Loads? Never. It’s a point that doesn’t get made enough. One thing underpinning Loads’ attitude is total and utter delusion. Despite their cars on finance and designer gear, we know they’re having jam sandwiches for dinner. Even if it isn’t a facade, I’d wager that the taxman may owe them a visit.
I was alerted to the fresh pertinence of Loadsamoney when Enfield emerged as a middle-aged version of the character on the return of Friday Night Live at the end of October. This time, the once spritely devotee of the green idol had put on weight and was more deplorable than ever before. Commanding the crowd to shut their mouths and look at his “wad”, he dubbed them “fuel-poverty wankers” before boasting that he bought shares in British gas after Thatcher sold off “all the things that belong to you.”
After telling the story of how he’d been in Saudi Arabia all these years building on his fortune by plastering palaces, Loads quipped that he’d returned to the UK after Saudi passed a law that goes against his moral conscience – legalising women drivers. Remarkably, this shocking epitome of the very British-styled misogyny still prevalent wasn’t even the most powerful thing he said. The comment after that was just startling.
Demonstrating Enfield’s sharpness and the historic genius underpinning Loadsamoney, he said: “So I come back here, right, and it’s just like the ’80s again, innit? The rich are richer than ever, and the poor are poorer than ever, isn’t that fucking great? I am the son of wad, and I have risen again!”
That’s the thing, though. He hasn’t risen again. Over the past 13 years, he’s been gradually brought back from the shadows and given a prominent voice as he did in the time of Thatcher. Following the disaster of Brexit, we know what dangers this brings.
After this surreal quip, Loads opined that now that all the Russian oligarchs have left the country, he’s probably the wealthiest man in Britain. Another incisive moment, this sent up the greed of the little man, before the old sow made awful comments about dealing with homeless people and how he’d “shag” former PM Lizz Truss.
Bringing it back to earth, Enfield pulled the argument together with one telling final hurrah. Before bidding us farewell, Loads said: “But on a serious note, right, I would shag Trussy, but I didn’t vote for her. I voted for Boris, and I want Boris back. Because Boris speaks my language. Because Boris is a lying, cheating, fat c*** like me!”
Loadsamoney is the scourge of Britain. There has never been a better time to cast him into the bin once and for all. However, I’m not advocating brutality, as this is the final act. Soon, the past will come back to haunt him, and once more, he’ll be just another person struggling to get by in the dirt. After the dawn of this collective cognisance, maybe we can start to move forward together again.