On Wednesday evening in the House of Commons, Labour voted against the government’s ‘EU Withdrawal Bill’ for very good reasons.
The Bill, in spite of its name, was not about withdrawing from the EU – that matter was settled long ago.
Instead, it was about a Tory plan to tear up human rights when the UK leaves the EU – a cynical and damaging plan that Tory recent Education Secretary Justine Greening identified and criticised, warning that Brexit will be unsustainable if it fails young people.
Labour’s Shadow Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer had already made perfectly clear that Labour would oppose the Bill because of its damage to human rights – and that the UK’s departure from the EU is settled.
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But in spite of the clear facts, after the vote the Tories launched a social media offensive ignoring them – and revealed that they have learned nothing about social media or about the reasons for Labour’s ‘Corbyn surge’ at the ballot box in June and subsequently in polls.
Labour’s success and its dominance of social media are rooted in authenticity – the honesty and integrity of Jeremy Corbyn and the authenticity of the grassroots surge among people genuinely motivated by the party’s policies and its ‘real deal’ leader.
But the Tories stuck with what they know.
The lies and misdirection.
The endless repetition of soundbites and catchphrases that make Conservative MPs sound like ToryBots – and make the UK public sick to the back teeth of false, interminable ‘messaging’.
The Conservatives’ Twitter account was copied by a host of Tory officials, bots and sockpuppets, all hammering the same stock phrase: “243 Labour MPs”:
Repetitive, drone-like and completely dishonest – since the Bill was not about ‘a smooth Brexit’ and had everything to do with the stripping of our rights.
Human rights that are important to all of us, whether we want to leave or remain.
Such robotic, inane behaviour might reinforce the prejudice of the already-convinced – but to anyone else it looks like ‘business as usual’ politics.
In other words, “more of the same” – and in their failure to recognise that people are hungry for change, the Tories exposed their political, moral and intellectual bankruptcy.
Yet again – so share this to make sure the real message gets out.
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These are weak and unstable tactics being deployed by the Tories.
If they think this type of strategy will help them to reach their objective of a no deal scenario that allows them to have a bonfire of human, consumer, worker and environmental rights then I believe they are sorely mistaken.
The sooner we can get rid of this dreadful Con government … the better. Keep up the good work SKWARKY!
You don’t mention the 48 Labour MPs who voted for the SNP amendment calling for continuing membership of the single market and customs union when the official Labour position on that amendment was to abstain. Good for those 48 MPS, keep the pressure on the Tory Brexiteers! They were doing what JC did constantly throughout his parliamentary career, ie rebelling against the official Labour party line.
These Tory bleaters, walking the party line, should open up their minds, look at the full picture and realise there existence rely on the lies told by the MSM, along with those in the MEDIA who believe in this Tory Party dogma being spouted on a daily basis!
Thank HEAVEN for SKWAWKBOX along with VOX, THE CANARY, JEREMY CORBYN and the LABOUR PARTY LEFT!
Along with those, who I know, are out there, doing their very best to spread the word!
Otherwise, we, who crave the truth, would be in the DARK!
‘What this country needs is strong and stable government’.
Repeating a slogan makes good sense. But at the last general election, May was too stupid to realise that she was saying it even when it was inappropriate to do so.
Her face when she arrived at her count—highlight of the year.