The Sun Says Be-Leave In Murdoch

The inmates of the Baby Shard bunker have spoken to their adoring public at long last, or rather their boss has: The Super Soaraway Currant Bun has urged a vote to Leave the European Union in next week’s referendum. This, we are told, is about Britain, but there was, as Captain Blackadder might have said, only one thing wrong with that idea - it was bollocks. This is about one person who does not even have the vote.

We know this because of a rare moment of candour from faithful Murdoch retainer Trevor Kavanagh in response to questioning from Evan Davis (and heckling from Alastair Campbell) on BBC Newsnight recently. Kavanagh deflected when asked about the Sun’s decision on which side to back. Big Al told him it would be down to the phone call from Rupe. Davis asked again - who would decide?

Only then did Kavanagh come clean, and reply that Rupert Murdoch would decide. That would be Rupert Murdoch who was born in Australia. That would be Rupert Murdoch who is a US citizen. The same Rupert Murdoch who does not have the vote in the UK, but for the past 40 years has meddled in our democracy, attempting to subvert it in his favour and bend successive Prime Ministers to his will.

And, yes, the same Rupert Murdoch who wants to cut down the BBC so that he can enjoy even more influence through his holding in Sky - while extracting even more money from hapless taxpayers, who can chuck out the Government, but not the twisted propagandist who wants to use them as pawns in his war against the EU. Murdoch cannot bend the EU to his will. Getting to UK to leave it will weaken it and help his cause.

Readers are fed the usual bigotry: German domination, Greek insolvency, claims that Italy will follow Greece, scare stories about Spain, scare stories about other countries joining the EU that are actually a very long way from doing so. There are the customary dog-whistles about “Our way of life”, being able to “pick and choose the best migrants”, and “controlling our population”. There are appeals to past glories.

“To remain means being powerless to cut mass immigration which keeps wages low and puts catastrophic pressure on our schools, hospitals, roads and housing stock” says the Sun, then tells its readers “Look over there are Project Fear”. Blame is heaped on all the usual bogeymen, those “Elites” that we are now instructed to despise.

And who is issuing those instructions? Rupert Murdoch, a bigoted, vindictive, manipulative, uncaring, bullying, greedy tyrant is one. Rebekah Brooks, his vicious, dictatorial, short-tempered, intolerant and by her own admission incompetent representative on Earth, is another. The only peoples’ interests they have at heart are their own. For them, it is about showing they have power, that they are still strong. They could not give a rat’s arse about the British people. It is all a big game for them. For them there will be no downside.

There they are, people of the UK. Laughing at the little people. Shielded from the real world. And taking you all for mugs - as they have done for decades.