Labour deputy leader’s history raises questions about his current self-presentation
Labour deputy leader Tom Watson, with ample cooperation from the Establishment media, has put himself at the centre of the effort to portray Labour as an antisemitic hotbed, to the consternation of the many who see the party as the country’s best hope in the fight against burgeoning racism and hate in all forms.
Watson’s frequent appearances have provided the media with opportunities to keep the issue at the top of the news agenda – and to almost entirely ignore rampant racism at all levels of the Conservative party, not to mention the Tories’ endemic division and incompetence.
Watson has simultaneously condemned ‘political interference’ in Labour’s disciplinary processes – and demanded it when those processes did not yield the result he wanted. The West Bromwich East MP, according to fellow members of the party’s national executive, has also personally attempted to interfere in disciplinary cases to help local allies facing serious complaints of bullying and abuse.
But hypocrisy in terms of disciplinary processes is not the only troubling aspect of Watson’s current posturing. He also has a chequered personal history in his response to antisemitism, asking voters to ‘hold your nose’ and support a candidate at the heart of an antisemitism storm.
In 2012, as Ken Livingstone contested the London mayoral election against Boris Johnson, Livingstone was accused of a ‘string of antisemitic remarks’ and was embroiled in controversy after calling a Jewish reporter a “concentration camp guard” and suggesting that Jewish voters were too rich to back Labour:
Surely Watson, in those pre-Corbyn days of a supposedly antisemitism-free Labour Party, would lead the charge to condemn Livingstone for the offence he had caused?
Quite the contrary. Instead, as Labour’s campaign lead at the time, he went public with a request for voters to ignore any distaste they might feel for Labour’s mayoral candidate and vote for him anyway:
Such a call would certainly be condemned in the environment that currently prevails.
Watson has also been accused of inaction when one of his closest aides was the subject of a complaint of racist bullying. The complaint is still ongoing.
These events, of course, do not raise questions only about Tom Watson’s personal authenticity when it comes to the issue on which he has assumed the role of chief spokesperson. They also undermine the currently-fashionable centrist claim that there was no antisemitism in the Labour Party before Jeremy Corbyn became leader, since at the time Corbyn was more than three years from ending his relative anonymity as a back-bench MP.
Not only that, but they also shine a bleakly unflattering light on the integrity of this country’s supposedly ‘mainstream’ media, which have eagerly regurgitated the comments of Watson – and of others with similarly tarnished histories – whole without either challenging their claims or probing their motives.
Watson’s ‘secret’ regarding his behaviour in the Livingstone campaign is, of course, not really a secret – it is there for anyone who uses the right Google search terms to find. However, as far the the so-called MSM are concerned it might as well not exist, remaining untouched and unmentioned in their current coverage of the issue and the claims Watson and his allies make.
In this regard, the media inexcusably deceive the public by omission.
Tom Watson was contacted for comment but did not respond by the time of publication.
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When he does have to face a vote it’s good to anticipate that will surely be the end for him? (When can we have it?!)
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Erm, Why has he not been sanctioned by the Party? Removed from the position of Deputy and sent to sit with CW?
A very good question, Butties!
Labour have 18% in the latest poll out (YouGuv), trailing fourth, with the Tories on 24%, and the SquaWkbox has another article about Watson. I wonder why Labour’s polling is so low!!!!?
It is the behaviour of Watson and Co that have done this damage.
And the BBC has been caught lying again:
https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2019/07/03/the-bbcs-reaction-to-a-ruling-that-it-misled-viewers-shows-why-it-cannot-be-trusted/
Exactly, Tony.
Joe is always so keen to direct criticism of Watson away, isn’t he. A quite hopelessly transparent, poorly trained troll!
I have unsubscribed.
I loathe Watson, and all he stands for, but I cannot condone this witch hunt. There is a democratic route to dealing with him, which is preferable to this “News of the World” style muck raking, which had become a daily feature, and 25% of the Skwawbox output.
I don’t understand you, heenan73. Aren’t Watson’s treacheries also a daily feature and about 25% of the MSM’s output?
There’s nothing wrong with exposing them, is there?. It’s not as though anyone else will…
Jeremy Hunt called out for his ‘disgraceful’ comments using the Holocaust to smear Jeremy Corbyn
https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2019/07/03/jeremy-hunt-called-out-for-his-disgraceful-comments-using-the-holocaust-to-smear-jeremy-corbyn/
Oh, what a surprise, the Daily Mail ALSO went with this abominable piece of black propaganda:
Mr Hunt said: ‘When I went to Auschwitz [in 2007] I rather complacently said to myself, ”thank goodness we don’t have to worry about that kind of thing happening in the UK” and now I find myself faced with the leader of the Labour Party who has opened the door to anti-Semitism in a way that is truly frightening.’
(ends)
What I would like to know IS are there any witnesses that heard him say this to himself! It is of course complete and utter garbage lies, and of course he didn’t say such a thing to himself and, as such, has just concocted it whilst trying to think of a way to capitalise on the anti-semitism black op being perpetrated and waged against JC and the left during the past nearly four years. So what we have is a situation where the Tory membership have a choice of voting for a bigoted racist or a Big Liar in the Josef Goebbels tradition, and of the person they DO vote for becoming the next prime minister. What a complete and utter joke!
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7209881/Hunt-blasts-Jeremy-Corbyns-deeply-held-prejudices-Jews.html
And here’s the original interview:
https://jewishnews.timesofisrael.com/exclusive-jeremy-hunt-accuses-corbyn-of-deeply-held-prejudices-against-jews/
Roma rights group slams Hunt for linking Corbyn to the Holocaust
https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/b/roma-rights-group-slams-hunt-for-comparing-corbyn-to-the-holocaust
Please sign and share as widely as possible:
https://www.change.org/p/jeremy-hunt-mp-jeremy-hunt-must-apologise-for-linking-jeremy-corbyn-to-the-holocaust
Isn’t it time the LibDems and the Green Party and the SNP etc started calling out this despicable black op smear campaign! I would suggest it’s WAY past time!!!
Joe kallszczak…….Why don’t you tell us why you think that is?
YouGov is owned and run by Tories. Its ‘polls’ are constant anti-Labour outliers, claiming that the party is doing worse than it is. That is, establishment propaganda.
Here is the latest Survation poll.
NEW Westminster voting intention on behalf of @MoS_Politics. 2016 adults online, fieldwork June 19-20;
LAB 26% CON 24% BREX 20% LD 18% GRE 6% CHUK 1% UKIP 1% AP 5%.
Tweet from “Game hanger’ author @FromSteveHowell on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/FromSteveHowell/status/1146748742487412737?s=19
“It’ll be news when YouGov puts Labour ahead.
The Times leads today with a YouGov poll with Labour on a ‘record’ low.
Of the last ten polls listed by Britain Elects, the six from YouGov ALL had Labour trailing.
The four other pollsters ALL had Labour leading.”
See also latest Opinium poll posted on June 22nd.
Westminster voting intention:
LAB: 26% (+4)
BREX: 23% (-3)
CON: 20% (+3)
LDEM: 16% (-)
via @OpiniumResearch
Chgs. w/ 30 May
Because it’s a Tory run Poll ran by Nazhim Zahawi He is also the co-founder of the international Internet-based market research firm YouGov of which he was Chief Executive until February 2010 and is currently Chief Strategy Officer for Gulf Keystone Petroleum. His various roles have resulted in him being the 2nd highest earning MP in the UK.[2]
Heenan. I too loathe Watson and he should be removed by democratic means, but in the Labour Party, ‘democracy’ is still in the hands of the right wing. This isn’t a witch hunt, where individuals are ‘outed’ and tageted for holding a belief of which you disapprove. Watson operates and is supported in plain sight, there is no need for anyone to ‘out’ him, he’s out there as bold as brass. This is just plain anger at him even being in our Party, trying to destroy it from within.
It appears we can’t get rid of him by democratic methods yet because he has so much support within the Party machinery and the PLP that only those who are like minded such as Emily Thornberry or anyone from the LFI would be able to replace him, we would simply be replacing bad with bad.
What’s the answer? …… a root and branch clear out of Blairites, starting with more care taken over who we nominate for the NEC.
Jack T……Do you know of anyone who has done as much damage to Labour as Watson,because I don’t know of anyone and I am afraid to nail Watson by democratic means will only work if the Labour HQ and the NEC suddenly grow a pair of Cojones .,and pigs will fly.We have no power other than the power and the will of the membership and we can only hope that Watson burns out before we do.Witchhunts by who? I really don’t understand the lodjic of some comrades..We talk! we make suggestions to try to fight Watson’s treacherous deputy leadership and thats witchhunt!…….Whats the point?… Exasperated understatment,,…will be crying in my beer next.. Good night 🌙 off..to bed!
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Joseph OKEEFE. The Witch Hunt to which I referred is the one some people say is responsible for the attacks on Watson. My point is it’s not a witch hunt, it’s anger rightly targeted against Watson for his constant attacks on Corbyn.
There is a real witch hunt going on in the Party though and it’s against those, especially Jews, who oppose Zionism.
Surely there can’t be many sensible people out there who still think Jeremy is following the right Brexit strategy!
What you mean is ‘there can’t be many people out there who still disagree with me.’
Yes there can. Jeremy is attempting to unite the country, the only politician who is. When the dust settles he will reap the electoral rewards of that.
Ceredig. And it’s not working.
The only dust which will settle is that which settles on our Labour Party and it’s so frustrating that all the work we as activists have done to get us this far will be wasted if we don’t quickly come to our senses and oppose Brexit.
” And it’s not working.”
… which is the whole point. Ref. Keynes ref. Einstein for appropriate quotations about ideas that don’t work 🙂
Corbyn’s strategy is spot on. The Tories have opted for 100% Brexit which is an extreme position. But Remain is also extreme. Try asking Remainers if they’d join the Euro or support a federal Europe. Both extremes can expect a sizeable slice of opinion to follow them BUT that will never, as is self explanatory, result in Union. Labour knows success lies in the Centre as it often does in the UK and to simply abandon that stance in favour of an extreme position is not good strategy. Hang on and wait for all the cards to settle. The only action Labour should get involved in is getting rid of Watson and the 70:anti Labour Labour MP’s.
Paul 05/07/2019 at 12:26 pm · ·
>But Remain is also extreme. Try asking Remainers if they’d join the Euro or support a federal Europe.
….and they will simply reply that we have an opt-out on joining the Euro and that even Cameron managed to negotiate a UK opt-out on greater integration. You are inventing an argument that simply doesn’t exist.
Why would you vote for somebody who the senior civil servants say is physically and mentally not up to the job? Memory loss is a problem for a World statesman. The fact it might have been invented by the Murdock journalist is surely unthinkable? We have such a pricincipled press that the Government didn’t think Leveson 2 was necessary. It’s confidently said the ‘culprits’ won’t be identified’ but if they exist they should step up themselves. Maybe it was off the record? Maybe they really wanted the information out there with the prospect of a GE looming? It has clearly knocked Labour’s confidence. Maybe it’s part of Pompeo’s plan to make sure Corbyn is never made PM? It’s said a Minister must have approved the briefing so there is a route (or none) to discovering who was leading the smear. It’s certainly surprising that top Civil Servants should have any contact with their Ministers who know little of their briefs and care less about the job they are supposed to be doing. If the culprits do emerge from the Whitehall swamp I wonder what information they relied on to make such sweeping claims as to ‘physical and mental’ incapacity? If they had medical records let’s see them – and where did they get them from? Did they have personal contact with Corbyn that enabled them to make such a judgement? Calling Corbyn a Communist Terrorist Supporter who is deeply racist and anti- Semetic hasn’t washed, it only firms up his base. So accusations that he is UNFIT to be PM from the most Senior Civil Servants is a smear that is already working because how can it be evaluated? You can argue that he isn’t a Nazi by what he says but to say he’s ‘losing his memory’ is always going to float around. England is determined not to get rid of their beloved Tory party and every trick in the book will be employed.
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‘England is determined not to get rid of their beloved Tory party and every trick in the book will be employed. ‘ Yes, and that goes for the CIA too it seems.
Paul…. You give too much respect to the lodgic behind the smears.The senior civil servants are from a remote usualy privilaged background and similar to the Tory boys they work for.I. Can Imagine them sitting down with their old school chums chucking bits of paper across the office thinking of a good one to taunt those lefty Oiks with today. Basil suggests acusing corbyn of flashing,or maybe obsessed with pornography when he was in primary school.Maybe cross dressing and kerb crawling round kings cross.None of this has to make sense,its all part of the chumley warner boys plan to stop the Labour party from taking office.The whole shit show is a conspiracy to stop corbyn,ably supported by the Watson fanatics.These so called impartiality cival servants have worked with the torys for years and are stuck in a past of empires and the British upper echelons right to decide whats best to maintain their rotten privliged class based culture of born to rule.We shouldn’t spend too much time worrying about why a dog bites are why senior cival servants plot with government ministers,or why Watson’s treacherous?They are what they are and we deal with all of it in any means necessary to install a Labour socialist government.
The fact that Max MOSLEY has been a major contributor to Watson’s “office” might give you an idea of his history on anti-semitism.
You are confusing generations (and I have no particular interest in defending the son or Watson – I just don’t like playing around with the ‘antisemitism’ smear).
I think I get the point made by RH about “playing around” with the AS smear; but I don’t think Bevin is “confusing generations”; Mosley Jnr. has his own form and he isn’t the only right/far right “contributor to Watson’s office”. This isn’t my best loved post from SB and the Livingstone refs need a lot of contextualising (sigh) but it does underline Watson’s total lack of scruple, consistency, morality, sincerity, integrity.
Earlier, Smartboy and I think Allan H too, reflected on the cost the LP is forever having to pay for its actions in the MSM: e.g. Ellie Reeves and the likely MSM spin on “bullying” a pregnant woman.
I’d rather be “bullying” Watson as the MSM will present it, than bullying a pregnant woman – better value for my money I reckon.
“So accusations that he is UNFIT to be PM from the most Senior Civil Servants is a smear that is already working because how can it be evaluated?”
Jeremy could evaluate it for the nation to see by making a party political broadcast of him doing a work out for 5 mins!
Filmed by Ken Loach, of course! Simon Baker RIP
Of course the media by simply not reporting any item favourable to Jeremy Corbyn create the atmosphere to suggest that the Tory leadership race is the only thing that matters as it pours out the ramblings of the two contenders every day. Throw in the antics of Watson and the pro-Blairite MP’s then the polling results, for what they are worth, reflect the public reaction. Jeremy and his team should hold their nerve and not listen to the siren voices urging them to hit the electoral rocks.
Ah for fuck sake!
After all the fucking fuss about the fucking mural. Jesus Christ.
I’m fucking angry
Sorry for fucking swearing
What about Muriel?
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Fucking like i mean
Watson deserves all the criticism he gets (even if I’m sceptical about getting obsessed by him).
But I am concerned at Skwawkbox evidently accepting that Livingstone is actually ‘antisemitic’ and has made remarks that confirm this.
In my experience, Livingstone is another victim of misquotation and partial quotation out of context – you have fallen into the smear trap if you think otherwise. a bit of research wouldn’t come amiss.
Agreed RH and clearly I did get your earlier point (see my previous comment) It appears that we must have been thinking along similar limes.
or lemons, if you prefer..
Re “earlier point”: Apologies, It turns out that it was your later point, RH, 5:37 which, for whatever reason, came to my attention before your point made at 5:33. I must learn to read chronologically.
Richard Hayward,I am glad you picked up on the Implication that was made regarding ken Livingstone being racist.Squawky was only implying the racist piece to spin the story and make Watson’s treacherous hypocrisy even more pronounced..We need to aceppt a little poetic license from them because they show just how destructive this thug is,and can only hope that it rallys the troops.Good point though and I am sure squawky like all of us realise that Ken Livingstone has been a hero for socialism and in many ways sacrificed much of his life for socialism and the working classes.
This article proves without a doubt that ‘anti-semitism’ is just a cover for the old right wing MPs desperately trying to cling on to power by destroying the left. As they know, out in the regions the membership is far more supportive of Corbyn than in the cosy comfort of the present PLP. Let us not allow them to dictate the terms of the debate, because we can apologise till the cows come home but it won’t make any difference – the right wing rump want Corbyn gone.
What would happen if we simply kicked back and repeated ad nauseum there is no endemic anti semitism problem in the Labour party
Safest country in Europe for the Jewish community thanks to JC and Labour movement
AS is statistically insignificant in party 1/2000 members, roughly 250 cases in a party of 500, 000 and is way better than any other party
We now have a barrister led complaints procedure, which is not replicated in other parties
Now what about vexatious claims of anti semitism and complete failure of MSM and toilet papers to investigate the smears
Start with Pantomime Dame and her 200 claims, 20% of total and ask them about her previous smears
Rabid Rabbi Sacks ask about his history of racism and hatred for the Palestinians
Theres a GE coming soon, for the love of whoever your God is, do something
Any rogue MP selects themselves for a long walk off a short plank
My MP is Chris Matheson, one of the anti-Williamson signers. I’m utterly fucking furious. How can I vote Labour when it means endorsing that slime?
Extraordinary times require extraordinary measures. By any means necessary…
In a trigger ballot vote NO!
Trigger ballots? Chance would be a fine thing round here! Way too bourgeois, I fear, comrade!
Different triggers would be required 😉
MediaLens
Suspending Chris Williamson – The Fury And The Fakery
Anyone watching the film can see that Williamson was passionate about combating the ‘scourge of anti-semitism’, was emphasising his pride in the Labour Party’s historical commitment to that cause and was frustrated by the failure of the Labour leadership to adequately defend that commitment. The blogger Jewish Dissident captured the reality exactly:
‘Whether one agrees with Chris or not, it’s hard to think of a single comparable instance where an innocuous comment of this sort has led to such a risible media circus, or to such a sustained campaign of personal and political vilification.
‘The treatment of good old Boris, our next Prime Minister, makes for an interesting contrast. The man who is apparently destined to lead our country has a clear track record of actual, as opposed to bogus, racism and bigotry. He’s the man who has talked about “watermelon smiles” and “piccaninnies”, described women as “hot totty”, professed his inability to distinguish between burka-clad women and letter boxes, and derided gay men as “bumboys”.’
Jewish Dissident noted further:
‘Every single one of Johnson’s vile, bigoted comments has been allowed to pass by the media and the Westminster establishment. Because, after all, it’s just “good old Boris” talking.’
http://www.medialens.org/index.php/alerts/alert-archive/2019/909-suspending-chris-williamson.html
Yes some good points and research has shown that the UK is the safest country in the World for Jewish citizens.
Yes too about 1250 or so ‘claims’ of AS against Labour members in a year, 20%,of the claims from 2 Labour MPs – Hodge (200, only 20 Labour members) and 50 from Tom Watson.
All looked into, some warned, some recommended needed training but 16 out of 560,000 expelled – 0.00001%.
After reading widely I have come to believe that it is a tripartite attack:
1. Right Wing Jewish forces trying to impose one dominant narrative on Diverse Jewish citizens – total and uncritical support for Israel (Silverstein, 2018).
2. The Right Wing Neo-Liberal capitalist media who see a Corbyn Govt. as a threat to their power and to their tax dodging owners.
3. And Oportunist Right Wing Labour MPs who want rid of Corbyn and their cosy club back, jumping on the bandwagon because they are devoid of ideas.
Read a great book by a Manchester academic on Labour and its ’50 Year Relationship with Zionism’ and some shocking comments like the Labour Right Wing Fabian Sydney Webb in the 1920s saying “Thank God there are no Jews in Labour!”
But most of the time niaive Labour Leaders and members were supportive of what was going on in developing Israel thinking it was socialism when it was Jewish jobs for Jewish workers only, and those who self identified as Pro-Zionist were even picketing Jewish employers who had Arab workers, and the best jobs in the British Mandate bureaucracy were reserved for Jewish Workers (the kibbutz were mainly built as miltary outposts on stolen Palestinian land) – some socialism?
The author argues it was the beginning of the New Left in the 1960s which began to challenge the then dominant narrative and began to call for Justice for Palestinians.
A brilliant book by G.D. Smith points out that out of 11 members of a UN Working Group looking into Israel/Palestine in 1947, a majority of 8 came out for what we now know as a 2 state solution but what is often forgotten or is written out of history is that a minority report of 3 recommended one secular democratic state which respected the religious rights of all citizens.
Naura Eraket (CBS Interview, 2018) pointed out that Hamas is a scarecrow and most Palestinians didn’t want them but the (Right Wing) Israeli Govt wouldn’t talk peace “because it wanted to maintain its religious, ethnic and economic supremecy.”
Perhaps it may help to reconsider the UN 1947recommendations.
Justice for Palestinians & Peace to All Citizens in the Region.
Don’t forget that those expelled include Jackie Walker, Marc Wadsworth, Mike Sivier and others who have strongly contested the decision and are widely regarded as wrongfully expelled. We should be careful about damning all those expelled as definitely AS.
The reason it was so easy for Zionism to gain a foothold in the Labour Party is with their kibbutzim some saw it as Socialist in nature and after all, traveling to foreign lands for the purpose of colonisation was something Britain had been doing for hundreds of years, so what’s not to like?
What the Labour Party and others failed to notice is it wasn’t a victimless colonisation. The 95% Muslim Palestinians and the 5% indgenous Jewish Palestinians didn’t want them there. Nevertheless they forced their way in and eventually forced the original population, including Jews, out of their towns and villages to become refugees in their own country.
DNA tests have shown that Palestininians in Gaza and other places are more closely related to the ancient Hebrews than the Zionist colonisers whose DNA is mainly European yet they insist it is their God given right to colonise Palestininian land. These are the people Watson and others are supporting inside and outside of the Labour Party. Two State solution my a.se, they want it all.
Too many ‘in’s 🙂
Of course, the whole ‘antisemitism’ scam is blown apart with a bit of rational thinking by anyone with a more-or-less functioning brain (which seems to exclude the majority of journalists if their speil is taken seriously).
Clearly – *real* antisemites would want those of the Jewish religion *out* of this country, just as was the case in the Germany of the 1930s and 40s. This was what led the then Jewish establishment to oppose Zionism – they saw it as a concession to the real antisemites, and thus antisemitic in its effects.
Those falsely accused of ‘antisemitism’ actually hold the opposite view – their hostility is not towards Jews in their own country; it is to the advocacy and actuality of the colonisation of another country and the disposession of an indigenous people.
Florence – of course – the well-known names of those actually expelled are entirely innocent of ‘antisemitism’. The prominence of (a) Jewish heritage and (b) records of active anti-racism amongst them is irrefutable. And, of course, it is there *opposition* to prejudice and discrimination that has put them in conflict with the Israel lobby.
Jack – Of course, modern knowledge about DNA totally blows apart simplistic racist ideas – not least of which is that the notion that Jewish people form a distinct a ‘race’. The massive irony is that you would think that people of Jewish heritage would be among the most wary of adopting simplistic racial ideas.
For what it’s worth – I find that 35% of DNA in my motherline is shared with Ashkenazi Jews. The area of the Middle East formed a shared corridor for peoples emeging from Africa. In the end – I’m pleased to say – we’re all mongrels (pure breeds tend to die out pretty rapidly by the laws of evolution). Trying to claim ancestral heritage to land based on myths stretching back some 3000 years is an occupation for story-tellers (or the birds) – not an exercise in historical entitlement.
We’re on the case but Skwawky we need to get back to setting the agenda too and I’m on the University Economics section now.
Am forcing myself to read Hayek again and his political ignorance is staggering, he screams for individual freedom but is blind to wage slavery and citizens only being free on evenings, weekends & holidays (thanks to trade unions) NEED THE FREEDOM OF A 4 DAY WEEK & RETIREMENT FOR ALL THOSE WHO WANT TO AT 65 and he didn’t understand the difference between bourgeois socialism (elite leaders, top down, telling people how to live their lives (like China & N Korea now) and grassroots-led, participatory left wing democratic socialism which will mean addressing poverty, everyone having a home, and a say in democratic schools, democratic planning, democratic rail, democratic mail, democratic water, democratic public utilities (all democratically publicly owned).
Fukuyama was wrong – ‘free market’ capitalism has not won, it was not the end of history but with the above it could be a new global beginning by individual nation state.
And just reading the excellent ‘Rise and Fall of Neo-Liberalism’ (Birch & Mykhnenko, 2010) – after the 2008 financial crash the Neo-Liberal Ideologues had to make massive state interventions to save the banks and in the UK it was £1.22tr (or 87% of GPD) with £94b to bail out 5 banks plus funding building projects (a Keynesian style stimulus) of £29b by the UK Govt.
Remember too Thatcher used North Sea oil profits POLITICALLY to break trade unions and to thus enable the age of Neo-Liberal CHEAP LABOUR; yet Norway used its oil profits for is citizens and now has a trillion dollar Wealth Fund – so without the Tories we could have had this too and modernised the UK economy plus there would have been no need for austerity.
And remember too with Austerity the Tories and Lib Dems immediately PROTECTED the rich and powerful with tax cuts for millionaires and corporations so austerity was and is only for working people – I.E. YOU!
We are dealing with The Mediocrity Within but let’s get back to dealing too with the Right Wing Tory Neo-Liberal Barbarians Without!
“The old order, Neo-Liberalism is dying.
But the new cannot yet be born.
Perhaps we are all being tested.
And only the stars will ride the storm!”
Joseph O’ Keefe, the purges, the witchunts, the handling of Brexit are some examples. The polls that are mentioned by others are from about 2 weeks ago. I look at all polls, not just specific ones. I want to see Labour at the head of the polls with a substantial lead against the Conservatives…. But fourth, behind the Lib Dems and the newly formed Brexit lot; time to wake up, Joseph. Labour are on a downward spiral, as was demonstrated in the last real poll, the EU elections.
Joe…..I have been awake a long time to people like you..Why are you even on here.? Constantly regurgitated TORY lies and half truths to undermine the Labour supporters and prop up the Evil of Watson’s treacherous supporters and fanatics.Please go away and repent my son and ask for forgiveness your veiws are corrosive and mainly propoganda!
He’s a wonderful argument against freedom of movement, innee? 😀
Joseph OKEEFE Your comment typifies what baffles me about the modern online world. Someone – it could be Skwawkbox or it could be Boris – writes an article and invites comments. Most are supportive because of the readership base but some are not. The dissenter is then asked “what are you doing here?” The answer is “expressing a view which differs from yours”. What can possibly be wrong with that?
For some reason the Labour Party decided that it would make the deputy Leader the real leader with more power than the real leader and anyone else in the party, including the General Secretary. the Deputy Leader has been appointed by the members to say and do what ever he wants when ever he wants. He cannot be challenged, and he cannot be removed other than by the membership as a whole.
WELL SAID htreeman , my feelings entirely , whats more disappointing is that the Leadership seem unable to help those in the party who want to help them and support them , I just don’t understand it .
I think Corbyn can sack him and by God if it were me I ‘d have done so long ago and fuck the consequences bc I know that the rest of the membership would agree . We can’t have 2 Leaders , it’s either you Jeremy or Twatson , now which is it to be ?
Piss or get off the pot mate
rob 05/07/2019 at 9:03 am
Can he, where does it say that in the rule book?
SteveH I did say ” I think” implying I am not sure , it’s what Ive read here on some of the comments and on other blogs , happy to be corrected and if you know for sure then fine just say so.
Its another avenue closed down and hope gone in that case of getting rid of the twat
Or someone could just shoot the bastard!
@timfrom Is this the kinder politics of which Mr Corbyn spoke back in 2015?
timfrom – Reading your last couple of comments : are you determined to make the left look suspisciously like the right wing nutters. Or do you just lack incontinence pads?
Fuck off Hindson you self confessed Tory voting cunt.You voted for a political party that has murdered 120k innocent citizens
So dont you fucking DARE come on this blog andstart with your smart arse coments on kinder gentler political bullshit
I suppose rob’s latest comment raises the question which potential Conservative converts to Labour (which Labour need to win the next election) face.
Do we believe the “kinder, gentler” narrative put out by Mr Corbyn, or fear that the real face of “new” Labour is that of rob, who holds 13m people in contempt purely because of the way they cast their vote?
Would I vote for a government made up of robs? – never in a month of Sundays.
Graham Hindson 05/07/2019 at 7:39 pm · ·
Would anyone (apart from Graham) vote for a government made up of Graham Hindsons? – never in a month of Sundays.
@Hinson 7.39pm
Listen you tory voting turd what should be feared is another 5yrs of tory rule under those pathological liars Johnson/Hcunt THATS WHAT SHOULD BE FEARED and bastards like you voting for the policies of that govt are responsible , now fucking own it sonny run along asshole back to your shit hole of the Mail,Express,Times etc etc
BTW the laughable attempt by you at trying to enlist support of the “we” on this blog is truly pathetic and transparent you ,Tory troll , are on your own on this blog .Just like were last t ime you turned up here with you utter shite.
Try educating yourself by looking at this and then dare to talk about caring politics
https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/question-time-tory-government-has-blood-on-their-hands-over-treatment-of-disabled-people-says-francesca-martinez/
RH
Have you seen the price of incontinence pads (courtesy of the prescription price) lately?
Nah just letting off steam mate. You must’ve noticed it’s getting pretty hot in here!
Hindson – You support a government that’s the ONLY ONE EVER been found to have been in contempt of parliament.
You are in NO position to judge others on their supposed ‘contempt’.
theavitreeman 05/07/2019 at 8:16 am
“He cannot be challenged, and he cannot be removed other than by the membership as a whole.”
Are you proposing that there should be a way of bypassing the membership’s vote.
Like it or not TW was democratically elected by the membership using OMOV (just like JC), The procedure for removing him from office is exactly the same as the one for deposing the leader of the party.
Steveh like it or not watson was indeed democratically elected by omov BUT the difference is that he was elected on a lie , his lie that he’d support and back Corbyn. Perhaps one could draw comparisons with Twatsons complaints that Brexit was based on a lie but then that would demonstrate hypocrisy and of course Twatson is anything but a hypocrite !
rob 05/07/2019 at 12:32 pm
I’m not disagreeing with your assessment of TW’s time in office but a challenge is still only one way to oust him from office.
Steveh I know you’re not disagreeing and apologies if my comment came over as such .You are more clued up on the rules than me for sure and Iam interested in how and what other routes are open in getting rid of TW
I think its desperation on my part , however I think perhaps we all want the same outcome here on this blog and thats a honest Deputy leader and not some destructive liar , a presumption on my part .
https://tompride.wordpress.com/2019/07/05/far-right-anti-semites-infiltrating-pro-israel-jewish-groups/
Far-right anti-semites infiltrating pro-Israel Jewish groups
05 Friday Jul 2019
Posted by Tom Pride in hopeless naivety
≈ Leave a comment
We have truly gone through the looking glass and come out in a world turned upside down.
Rabidly antisemitic far-right neo-nazis and Holocaust deniers are hiding their previous antisemitism and forging links to pro-Israel Jewish groups in order to further the popularity of their anti-immigration ideas and sow hate against the Left.
SteveH. Excellent link.
There is a similar situation in the Labour Party where pro Zionists such as the JLM and LFI who support the colonisation of Palestine are in the Party to oppose anti-Zionists, including Jewish members, who support the Palestinians.
Their tactic is to get their opponents especially Jews and Jeremy Corbyn, thrown out of the Labour Party by falsely accusing them of anti-Semitism, which has now morphed into ‘Jew Hatred’.
Jack T 05/07/2019 at 11:35 am
Here’s an article from the Jewish Chronicle
https://www.thejc.com/comment/analysis/what-exactly-has-labour-mp-chris-williamson-done-to-offend-jews-here-s-a-long-list-1.485890
There is an awful lot of empty rhetoric in a desperate bid to make something out nowt but at its core even the Jewish Chronicle has had to admit that Chris Williamson didn’t say anything that was anti-Semitic
What Mr Williamson has done
The issue that many Jews have with the MP for Derby North centres around three types of activity:
1. He has repeatedly sought to downplay or dismiss antisemitism in the Labour party.
2. He has repeatedly supported and defended individuals who have made deeply controversial and sometimes overtly antisemitic statements.
3. He has gone out of his way to attack one of the Jewish community’s key representative organisations.
Put this all together, and we believe that at the very least Mr Williamson is guilty of Jew-baiting.
A very revealing article from the Jewish Chronicle, Steve.
Of course, take it apart, and we come down to the re-definition of ‘antisemitism’ as ‘anything that upsets someone who is Jewish’ – A travesty of the memory of those who were real victims.
The other give-away is the following that unwittingly expresses the unerlying *wish* :
“Labour activists and MPs who nonetheless continue to deny, against all evidence, that their party is irredeemably broken.”
Note also :
“He has gone out of his way to attack one of the Jewish community’s key representative organisations. :
The BoD as ‘representative’ – a myth. Then we have the sheer hypocrisy of those who are engaged in rubbishing other Jewish organisations and individuals.
I’d also recommend this re-posting on the JVL website, which puts the ‘new antisemitism’ into a wider international context :
https://www.jewishvoiceforlabour.org.uk/article/maybe-when-it-comes-to-anti-semitism-no-different-germany-exists/
I could only read so much of the malignant propaganda that, as it always does, pervades the Jewish Chronicle article, and having just read the excellent piece that RH linked to on JVL’s website, I couldn’t help thinking that the Jewish Chronicle propagandists – if they haven’t done so already – would have the author – Prof Daniel Blatman – down as a self-hating Jew etc, etc.
“Noam Chomsky, the world’s leading public intellectual and leftwing icon, comes out in support of Chris Williamson. See statement he just sent me below. Please share widely!
https://twitter.com/DCKennard/status/1147064458537263104
Joseph, you really do have problems if your having to revert to patronising. For a dose of reality, I’d take a look at last night’s local by-election results; it’s beginning to look like Labour could be wiped out of Wales like Labour were in Scotland. Labour are in a real mess.
Methinks not
It may be your wet dream but the best I can say is dont put any money on it
Joe kaliszcak…joe my friend whatever the torys are paying you for trolling is too much.Your propoganda is biased vindictive and clearley identifys you as a second rate troll.Any clown realises that to peddle untruths and get caught doing it means your short career as the Tory troll is terminal.
“We have truly gone through the looking glass”
The world of propaganda is a hall of mirrors.
I posted earlier about race, ancestry and DNA. It’s an interest of mine, as it is for many others who get to a stage of realising that they actually know precious little of their family history.
I’ve just been pondering about what would happen if I developed the personal equvalent of the Zionist myth.
My researches surprised in only one way : the extreme concentration of my ancestors in a relatively small area covering the Forest of Dean and the Cotswolds (OK – no cracks about inbreeding amongst the peasantry :-)). My guess – and it is only that – that the ancestors from that area could well go back to Roman times or before, given the degree of geographical concentration.
Now, the Cotswolds have been occupied recently by waves of weekenders and incomers. Natives with any history are getting hard to spot. Applying rather more substantive and verifiable historical facts than apply in Palestine, I wonder if people such as myself might be supported in claiming back ancestral homes from the weekenders and incomers?
I’m not holding my breath in terms of metropolitan media support (after all – they’ll be a fair proportion of the incomers) 🙂
Absurd? Yep. That’s what it is.
Make a seismic shift and learn from cheap and nasty Tory party leadership election
They dont do blue on blue attacks and no matter what the question the answer is its Labours fault
Now take on JC’s offer of an open door policy for PLP members to discuss any issues, perfect for the man of peace and reconciliation
Now for the good bit
Any member going rogue will have the book thrown at them,
add in list of approved spokesman so party can get key messages into MSM and toilet papers
It’s called a rebuttal unit plus bad cop
Been a long time coming
Allan Howard:
Signed petition and contributed. Many thanks.
Hunt’s campaign is partly financed by the Saudis:
https://www.businessinsider.com/jeremy-hunt-campaign-funded-by-saudi-prince-mohammed-bin-salman-ally-2019-7?r=US&IR=T
Doug, time will tell……
I see Noam Chomsky has just come out in support of CHris Williamson , see link below to his statement
https://twitter.com/DCKennard/status/1147064458537263104/photo/1
. More over on The Canary re this development .