A New Politics
I've had enough.
There comes a time when you have to stand up for what you believe in.
The general election in May 2015 was a very dark time for me. I felt as though all hope for a bright, fairer future was extinguished. Britain had voted for intolerance, greed, self interest propelled by fear.
One could argue that Britain didn't vote for Labour's view of a fairer future and admittedly I was tired of the New Labour vision. But I could never vote Tory, UKIP or for their complicity LibDem.
It felt desperate and that a new harsh, callous regime was about to wage war on public services, the poor, the disadvantaged, those who needed our protection.
Then Labour did something very unusual and quite courageous. the grass roots of the movement took back the voice of Labour from the New Labour clique. Jeremy Corbyn was elected and a new era began. Murdoch and his acolytes hated it and the smears began. He was damned for every action and for not responding. He was mocked, criticised, abused and parodied. He remains to this day, rational, measured and peaceful. His politics have been twisted. He has been portrayed as an apologist for extremists, a supporter of terrorists and a fool. He has calmly responded to all these lies and yes they are lies.
Murdoch and his stormtroopers in Tory Central Office throw lie upon lie in the hope that they will break him. The BBC has joined the fray with its band of ex Tory party activists now preceding to be journalists and all too frightened to criticise the government for fear of their charter not being renewed.
Then the sleaze surrounding the government began to drip out. The junior doctors were pushed into industrial action by an intransigent Health secretary. The chancellor was forced to withdraw savage cuts to tax credits as his party wavered. The prime minister was shamed by past behaviours but all along, the right wing media and press stuck to Corbyn.
Then the Panama papers were published. The Tory elite were found to have their noses in the trough and hiding income abroad to avoid paying tax. And all the while, the right wing press skirted round the edges looking for the Corbyn angle.
Now today.
Today, Ken Livingstone made some maybe ill judged remarks about Zionists and Nazi Germany. It was clumsy and unhelpful. He was quickly suspended from the Labour party but the press had its excuse. The attack dogs turned on Labour. 'Its anti semitic' is the cry from right wing press and media. They quote each other when rounding on Jeremy Corbyn. And the nadir of all this are photographs of Hitler and Goebbels, two men responsible for the murder of millions of Jews, Communists, Gypsies and dissidents; are being used to parody Ken Livingstone on Facebook. This is the final straw for me.
You must be allowed to exercise free speech in a democracy. That should carry a responsibility to be a decent human being but should afford you the luxury of being listened to. The attacks on Labour today are nothing short of scandalous. A week before local elections, the press and Tories are stoking the fires of fear and dissent again.
Hatred is rearing its head again.
I don't want to live in a world where hatred and extremism is the order of the day. Donald Trump is doing his best to whip up hysteria in the USA, do we really want to follow that brand of politics. I am a Labour party member who hates racism, intolerance and extremism. I am proud of my leader. He has stood on platforms with people he fundamentally opposes and condemns in the belief that it is better to argue with them face to face than throw insults and then wage war against them. He is a lifelong pacifist as am I.
I will not share my social network with extremists of any sort. I believe in passionate, debate but not slurs especially about War criminals and those who perpetrate genocide. I look forward to the critical attacks by the Daily Mail tomorrow. Their righteous indignation should always be tempered by its support for Nazi Germany before we entered the war. Remember True Blue Tories who wheel out Winston Churchill as your idol, He was hugely pro Europe, wanted Britain to become one nation with France and was only defeated by his party's fear of a single currency. His wartime leadership was quickly replaced by a government who set out to build a better nation for its people. They are the politicians who brought hope, compassion and idealism to the forefront. They are the true bedrock of the Labour Party I love and respect.
Please have reasoned argument. Please be passionate. But don't mock peaceful politicians with photos of mass murderers.
There comes a time when you have to stand up for what you believe in.
The general election in May 2015 was a very dark time for me. I felt as though all hope for a bright, fairer future was extinguished. Britain had voted for intolerance, greed, self interest propelled by fear.
One could argue that Britain didn't vote for Labour's view of a fairer future and admittedly I was tired of the New Labour vision. But I could never vote Tory, UKIP or for their complicity LibDem.
It felt desperate and that a new harsh, callous regime was about to wage war on public services, the poor, the disadvantaged, those who needed our protection.
Then Labour did something very unusual and quite courageous. the grass roots of the movement took back the voice of Labour from the New Labour clique. Jeremy Corbyn was elected and a new era began. Murdoch and his acolytes hated it and the smears began. He was damned for every action and for not responding. He was mocked, criticised, abused and parodied. He remains to this day, rational, measured and peaceful. His politics have been twisted. He has been portrayed as an apologist for extremists, a supporter of terrorists and a fool. He has calmly responded to all these lies and yes they are lies.
Murdoch and his stormtroopers in Tory Central Office throw lie upon lie in the hope that they will break him. The BBC has joined the fray with its band of ex Tory party activists now preceding to be journalists and all too frightened to criticise the government for fear of their charter not being renewed.
Then the sleaze surrounding the government began to drip out. The junior doctors were pushed into industrial action by an intransigent Health secretary. The chancellor was forced to withdraw savage cuts to tax credits as his party wavered. The prime minister was shamed by past behaviours but all along, the right wing media and press stuck to Corbyn.
Then the Panama papers were published. The Tory elite were found to have their noses in the trough and hiding income abroad to avoid paying tax. And all the while, the right wing press skirted round the edges looking for the Corbyn angle.
Now today.
Today, Ken Livingstone made some maybe ill judged remarks about Zionists and Nazi Germany. It was clumsy and unhelpful. He was quickly suspended from the Labour party but the press had its excuse. The attack dogs turned on Labour. 'Its anti semitic' is the cry from right wing press and media. They quote each other when rounding on Jeremy Corbyn. And the nadir of all this are photographs of Hitler and Goebbels, two men responsible for the murder of millions of Jews, Communists, Gypsies and dissidents; are being used to parody Ken Livingstone on Facebook. This is the final straw for me.
You must be allowed to exercise free speech in a democracy. That should carry a responsibility to be a decent human being but should afford you the luxury of being listened to. The attacks on Labour today are nothing short of scandalous. A week before local elections, the press and Tories are stoking the fires of fear and dissent again.
Hatred is rearing its head again.
I don't want to live in a world where hatred and extremism is the order of the day. Donald Trump is doing his best to whip up hysteria in the USA, do we really want to follow that brand of politics. I am a Labour party member who hates racism, intolerance and extremism. I am proud of my leader. He has stood on platforms with people he fundamentally opposes and condemns in the belief that it is better to argue with them face to face than throw insults and then wage war against them. He is a lifelong pacifist as am I.
I will not share my social network with extremists of any sort. I believe in passionate, debate but not slurs especially about War criminals and those who perpetrate genocide. I look forward to the critical attacks by the Daily Mail tomorrow. Their righteous indignation should always be tempered by its support for Nazi Germany before we entered the war. Remember True Blue Tories who wheel out Winston Churchill as your idol, He was hugely pro Europe, wanted Britain to become one nation with France and was only defeated by his party's fear of a single currency. His wartime leadership was quickly replaced by a government who set out to build a better nation for its people. They are the politicians who brought hope, compassion and idealism to the forefront. They are the true bedrock of the Labour Party I love and respect.
Please have reasoned argument. Please be passionate. But don't mock peaceful politicians with photos of mass murderers.
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