Although early October is not normally considered part of the Silly Season, those in charge at the Observer, Sunday sister paper to the Guardian, are doing their level best to give that impression today as they host an Op-Ed by Theresa May in which she appeals to what she assumes to be “Labour moderates”. “Labour voters should look afresh at the Conservatives” is the title, which suggests someone at King’s Place is having a laugh.
The sub-heading is yet more mirth inducing: “We have great plans to build a country with opportunities for all”. With what? Carry on with Brexit and we’ll be so skint that building anything of any significance will be out of the question for some years to come. But let’s look at her pitch, which is basically to slag off Jeremy Corbyn.
“Millions of people who have supported Labour all their lives are appalled by what has happened to a once-great party under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn. Antisemitism has grown, the party’s response to threats to our country’s security has become equivocal, and moderate Labour MPs have become targets for deselection and harassment. These are all alien to Labour’s best traditions“. And to that I call bullshit.
By any measure, Labour members are less likely to be anti-Semitic than Tory ones. The claim about “threats to our country’s security” is merely hypothetical, and a bit rich coming from the Government who have cut back the armed forces, border security and Police to a level which is now causing widespread concern. And as for deselection - One, there haven’t yet been any, and Two, does she not remember Tim Yeo?
In any case, why should anyone “look at the Tories afresh”? “They will find a decent, moderate and patriotic programme that is worthy of their support”. Decent? She appointed as Foreign Secretary someone who can’t keep his trap shut and his trousers zipped up, and her International Trade Secretary is a disgraced spiv. Moderate? Moderate, with all the cruel and draconian welfare cuts? Moderate my arse.
Patriotism? Now she’s appealing to the far-right, who think “patriotism” excuses attacks on Scary Muslims™ and threatening those who don’t agree with them. Nothing decent or worthy in that. Still, there’s room for a few whoppers about the economy.
“Over the past eight years, we have brought our economy back from the brink”. F*** off. Just f*** off. Has she seen the size of the UK’s debt recently? The level of poverty and homelessness? Oh, look out, here’s another highly creative claim: “Our public finances are in much better shape and we have helped businesses create jobs”. Your finances may be OK Prime Minister, but millions of Brits’ aren’t. Also, what kind of job are these? Zero hours, gig economy? Less security, fewer rights, those kinds of jobs?
The paper even devotes a follow-up article to this drivel, telling readers “Theresa May today delivers an extraordinary appeal to wavering Labour supporters to switch to the Conservatives as she attempts to portray her party as the only option for moderate and patriotic voters … Writing exclusively in today’s Observer”.
Theresa May is just taking the piss. She will persuade no Labour voters, partly because she’s not credible, and partly because they’ve given up on the Observer.
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8 comments:
The end of austerity? Where have we heard that before?
Just by cutting public spending and bringing the country to its knees so that (hopefully, but don't hold your breath just yet) the only way is up does not austerity end...
Ah yes.
"Patriotism".
Which makes the droid Maybot nothing more than the usual tory scoundrel and hypocrite.
Only similar mentalities ever thought the crooked mouth gimp worthy of a vote. Like her party, she's sheer poison to anything decent and civilised.
The pr bullshitters attempting to prop up her and the other spivs are bound to intensify this kind of Yankified far right propaganda. It never seems to dawn on them that time is finally beginning to run out on their tired old lies, bitter cliches and twisted tirades. That so many people have been deliberately impoverished and whole communities attacked the mass response of "Enough REALLY IS enough" is almost inevitable - if not now and with Jeremy Corbyn certainly in the near future with a similar life-long principled leader. Blair/Brown and their disgusting ilk have ensured for the foreseeable future there will be no return to that kind of party betrayal.
All of which means what's left of political decency in this country would do well to do at least two things: (a) Through social media, continue to publicly expose the lies and cowardice of far right corporate media, and (b) Ensure voting procedures and counting are fully monitored bearing in mind the ballot fraud that was "hanging chads" in the USA. There are no limits to the corruption and evil the Establishment will deploy to keep their perquisites. We already have the well publicised threat of an anonymous unelected general to commit treason if Corbyn doesn't comply with the general's treacherous version of "patriotism".
If and when Labour and Corbyn are elected you can expect the propaganda assault and lies to intensify, not lessen, as fair social policies are implemented. That includes the wretched remains of the Blair/Brown gang. There will be too the usual currency attacks and spivs whining.
But hopefully there will be enough determined organised mass resistance to face down the REAL traitors and Little Englanders who have looted so much during the last four decades. And, not incidentally, to tell the USA to stuff its "full spectrum dominance" and "exceptionality" sideways up its insane oligarch arse.
The words in the article may belong to the wretched woman, or her minions - but the headline 'bids for the centre ground' are the Observer's (Guardian's) own.
#BoycottTheGuardian
I don't suppose that the millions who will lose £200 a month from being put on Universal Credit will agree that austerity has ended.
And why is the Maybot's article in the Observer? When did it become a Tory supporting paper?
In the late 1930s, The Guardian translated Hitler's speeches into English and published them.
"Gonzoland said...In the late 1930s, The Guardian translated Hitler's speeches into English and published them"
I'm not sure what you're trying to imply, but the then Manchester Guardian under editor WP Crozier was so anti Hitler the paper was banned in Germany from 1933.
@Unknown 18:32
The Guardian relied on the readers' ability to spot a rantings of a megalomaniac.
Some people are angry at The Guardian's decision to publish a piece from May whilst others find the article laughable.
'How gullible would you have to be to believe Theresa May's latest Orwellian propaganda trope?' - Another Angry Voice. A blog by Thomas G. Clarke. Sunday, 7 October 2018.
OK. So now I have a choice. I can climb to the top of a tall building, stick red hot needles in my eyes and then leap to my death.
Or I can vote conservative.
See the first alternative doesn't sound that bad.
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