Brexit Party Rebrand - The Con Is On

Such was the initial enthusiasm for the Brexit Party, latest vehicle for the advancement of its Oberscheissenführer Nigel “Thirsty” Farage, that initially few stopped to ask just what kind of democratic body it was that had been set up as a limited company with no way for its supporters to hold Farage and his pals to account. Few have since asked where all the money paid by those supporters, and indeed candidates, ended up.

And some more credulous parts of the media establishment are still lapping up the machinations of the Farage Falange, not least Christopher “No” Hope of the increasingly desperate and downmarket Telegraph, who has announced “The Brexit Party is to be relaunched as an anti-lockdown party called Reform UK, in a move which could alarm Conservative MPs jittery about Covid-19 policy. Plans to change the name of the Brexit Party to Reform UK were submitted to the Electoral Commission last week”. Do go on.

“Writing in tomorrow's Daily Telegraph, [Nigel Farage] and [Richard Tice] declare that ‘lockdowns don't work’ and say their new party will back a ‘focused protection’ policy to protect only the most vulnerable to allow the rest of the population to develop herd immunity”. Two Nobel virologist laureates they are not. And there is more.

“Reform UK hopes to stand a slate of candidates at next May's elections - when the Tories are contesting thousands of shire seats - as well as policing and crime commissioner elections, and the next general election, expected by 2024”. Reform UK is so new, the “Draft” background to the logo has not been removed. So what say the doubters?

Ian Dunt had seen Mr Thirsty coming. "This feels really dangerous. Media extremely susceptible to Farage's bullshit and will be searching for covid ‘controversies' … Plus the effect it'll have on Tory lockdown-sceptics will make it more newsworthy. He'll likely be able to pump out his degenerate self-interested anti-science crap extensively, politicising the pandemic and helping the virus to spread”. People will die, and it won’t be Nige’s fault.

He had more in the same vein. “The next year will be an important moment for broadcasters and especially the BBC. You can't one-the-one-hand-and-on-the-other this thing. We must be clear where the scientific consensus is and what non-vaccine herd immunity would entail … As a principle of public health - of saving lives - these people must be shown for the ignorant grifting narcissists they really are”.

Also, the BBC is vulnerable as never before, with new DG Tim Davie aimlessly bending over backwards to do what the right-leaning establishment demands, and showing zero backbone while doing it. Whether they, and other broadcasters, pick up on the media softening-up operation already in progress will be critical in calling out this scam.

After Martin McLaughlin of the Scotsman noticed that a “Lockdowns Don’t Work” projection onto the Palace of Westminster was the work of Restore the Balance, one of whose directors was also a director of a company called World4Brexit, Carole Cadwalladr of the Observer made the connection. “Farage’s World4Brexit was explicitly set up to fundraise for Brexit from US & overseas (who? We have no idea). It’s now projecting anti-lockdown messages on parliament. It’s exact same transatlantic dark money grift we’ve seen before. It’s dangerous. And it works”. Oh look, a Farage connection. And there is more.

“The utter failure of the UK to stem the flood of foreign money into our politics is about to reap its most serious victim yet: tonight Farage launched a culture war on our public health. And we have literally no idea who funds him”. How many so-called “Think Tanks” will suddenly start to echo Mr Thirsty, sow doubt, encourage conspiracy theories?

And to top it all, Marc Owen Jones has picked up on some decidedly Fake News being pitched via social media. "Strange digital deception going on about UK hospitals trying to create idea covid19 isn't serious or stressing the NHS”. A Fake nurse has been pushing the idea they work in “a 1600 bedder” and claims to be a “ward sister”.

Except there is no such title as “Ward Sister”. Jones concludes (thread HERE) that “it is clear that this disinfo appeals [to] the Farage set”. The Fake adverts start up, the Fake nurses start up, and in march Farage and Tice. This is not a coincidence.

But it is dangerous, more people will fall ill and die, and as a result the prevalence of Covid-19 in the UK will last for longer. That’s how much Farage really cares.

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