Labour MP Michael Dugher is not exactly what you’d call ‘a class act’. He writes for the worst end of the right-wing rags, has a short fuse, doesn’t respond well to ‘inconvenient’ facts and resorts to abuse at the drop of a hat, at least on social media:
In spite – or because – of these and other shortcomings, Dugher was appointed by deputy leader Tom Watson as his ‘fake news czar’, even though it’s far from clear that Watson had the authority to set up his own inquiry into fake news. It was quickly apparent that Dugher was going to give the main source of fake news – the mainstream media (MSM) a free pass and focus his attention on alternative sources of ‘inconvenient’ news, such as the Canary.
If irony hadn’t already died with his appointment, it would be gasping a last breath now, though, because the man heading Watson’s ‘fake news inquiry’ – yes you guessed it – has been peddling fake news.
Yet again, his target is Jeremy Corbyn. Last autumn, Dugher shared Saving Labour‘s completely fictitious claim that Jeremy Corbyn attended the funeral of Fidel Castro, attempting, laughably, to turn it into an antisemitism smear.
This time he’s sharing an article by Total Politics.
Dugher tweeted a contemptuous take on a Corbyn photoshoot on the pitch at Luton Town FC to promote the launch of Labour’s £10 minimum wage policy:
Dugher is attempting a dig at the competence of Corbyn and McDonnell, claiming that they didn’t think through the location selected for the photo opportunity – because there’s a football supporter’s flag in the background with ‘dangerous’ and a wheelie-bin. There’s a similar scene in The Thick of It, so Dugher’s tweet doesn’t even have the virtue of originality.
And it certainly doesn’t have the virtue of any truth.
Here’s the actual photo set-up from a couple of slightly different angles:
As you can see, no sign of a wheelie bin, nor of any fans’ flags.
The Total Politics photographer did, however, wander round to the side to capture a photo when the group of subjects were clearly not posing for a photograph:
Corbyn and the gentlemen in ties are not looking at the camera, nor is McDonnell, who is standing off to the side. If anything, it looks like they’ve just entered the stadium and haven’t walked to the position near the players’ tunnel that had been selected for the shoot.
In other words, this is not an incompetent photoshoot, it’s mischief by the photographer – at best, since he was clearly looking to tout that picture as it ended up the main and only image in Total Politics‘ article.
That makes Dugher’s application of the image outright fake news. Which ought to result in Dugher’s immediate resignation from the ridiculous inquiry he’s heading.
But it won’t, because that’s not the world we’re living in any more.
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If my memory serves me right, on Labours first national education campaign day, didn’t Watson et al take a photo outside of their venue posing to support the campaign whilst taking part in a Labour First get together? Pot Kettle
Watson & co’s fake campaigning pictures were on NHS Day: https://skwawkbox.org/2016/12/01/progress-director-angell-busted-faking-nhsday-campaign-watson-follows-suit/
Michael Dugher’s tweet reminds me of the S*n’s fake news story about Jeremy Corbyn ‘dancing’ on Remembrance Sunday. The S*n has taught him well!
It was the NHS Day last autumn. Watson with L 1st while Progress’ Angell faked his ‘campaigning’ by standing outside the hall
Your memory does indeed serve you right Sue.
Dugher is the laughing stock of twitter, just ahead of Akehurst and Watson is in first place, ahead of both of them!
On the day that Labour announces a policy which will provide economic growth, that will lift people out of poverty through work and that will win votes for the party, the cretin that is Michael Dugher has decided he would prefer to sabotage the party rather than promote this excellent Labour policy.
Whilst Dugher is sitting pretty on a large majority, which he owes entirely to the support and funding of the Labour Party and its members, he chooses to selfishly lob political hand grenades in order to undermine his own party. A party to which he owes his entire political career.
If his fellow MPs lose their their seats as a result of the treachery of the plotters it will finally sink in to their thick skulls that the real problem for the party was always the loud mouthed yobs like Michael Dugher incessantly slagging off the Labour Party and constantly inciting voters to not vote Labour.
It is abundantly clear that Dugher, Watson, McNicol and all the rest of the right wing traitors in the PLP actually want Labour to lose the General Election. They place their own careers above the interests of the party and the country. They view it as an acceptable price to pay for Labour to lose so that they can keep power over the party machinery and personally gain from that power.
Let’s not give them the pleasure. Let’s fight for every vote so that we can return a Labour Government in 2020 with Jeremy Corbyn as our prime minister.
The increase in the minimum wage to £10 an hour is certainly a very good start indeed.
Reblogged this on Declaration Of Opinion.
Reblogged this on Sid's Blog and commented:
Tom Watson has appointed the “Harold Shipman” of the Labour Party, to give Corbyn the kiss of death
This petulant childish man is doing a fine impression of a Tory plant in the Labour Party. How can he possibly maintain his position. If only Dugher and Watson took the trouble to read the responses to their tweets.
His arrogance knows no bounds!
One day it will come and smack him!
When he least expects it!
I have had 38 years WAITING for LABOUR to return to it’s roots. These JUVENILES need to be sent to the CONSTITUENCIES who need @IKLabour most. I invite Dugher to visit East Yorks he would be taken for a long walk on a short pier the DIPSTICK
Dugher really is just one big Fake News Item. Has absolutely nothing to say about decent policies. He’s so up his own rear end, it’s a wonder he hasn’t choked on himself!!! How on earth did Labour manage to get these morons in the party. He should be told to get back to do a job that the public have to him to do. Not hang around on Twitter being offensive. He’s an ignorant, pathetic miscreant.
Surely there is something we can do about these weasels, why do we have to put up with this? Does anybody know what can be done! They are using members money to purge members! There has to be laws that stop any organisation doing that! It must be fraud as they are only purging Corbyn supporters, ! 20,000 was the estimate before the leadership election! I was suspended for retweeting 2,tweets that called these rebels traitors and Blairites! I’m now unsuspended but haven’t rejoined! I can do the rebels more harm that way than being gagged! I’m on a warning for something that wasn’t in their rules until a month later when those 2 words among others were banned! I will keep using those words now while telling everyone I can on FB and Twitter about their dirty tricks!! I’ve also joined my 3 grandchildren as members so trebled my vote too!
Reblogged this on perfectlyfadeddelusions.