THREAD: Ahead of my semi-retirement from Twitter tomorrow, I’m going to be self-indulgent & re-up some of the stuff I’m proudest of from these past 3 years. (Spoiler: nearly all about Brexit: a mix of analysis, advice & scathing, sweary invective). [1/x]
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My time on Twitter has been a journey. I started out naively arguing for what I believed in, assuming our opponents were similarly acting in good faith. I’ve learnt a lot. Along the way, I’ve had fun, made friends, & valued the sense of community here when things felt bad.
My time on Twitter has been a journey. I started out naively arguing for what I believed in, assuming our opponents were similarly acting in good faith. I’ve learnt a lot. Along the way, I’ve had fun, made friends, & valued the sense of community here when things felt bad.
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There’s not much to say about my first 18 months on Twitter. For the first year, I was living in Japan so it was my way of feeling connected with the politics of my home country. I felt the looming EUref was big. I argued with Leavers, including Julia H-B & Louise Mensch.
There’s not much to say about my first 18 months on Twitter. For the first year, I was living in Japan so it was my way of feeling connected with the politics of my home country. I felt the looming EUref was big. I argued with Leavers, including Julia H-B & Louise Mensch.
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As a university-educated member of the liberal metropolitan elite, I was convinced that reason and common sense would prevail and that Remain would win. Little did I know... When the unthinkable happened, I was devastated. I still am.
As a university-educated member of the liberal metropolitan elite, I was convinced that reason and common sense would prevail and that Remain would win. Little did I know... When the unthinkable happened, I was devastated. I still am.
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Like many of us, I continued to make the case for UK membership of the EU: to explain why leaving was against our national interest & why (despite the propaganda stating the contrary) there was nothing undemocratic about advocating continued EU membership after the EUref.
Like many of us, I continued to make the case for UK membership of the EU: to explain why leaving was against our national interest & why (despite the propaganda stating the contrary) there was nothing undemocratic about advocating continued EU membership after the EUref.
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I returned to the UK for reasons unrelated to Brexit & remained active on Twitter. In April 2017, I tweeted a list of the reasons why Brexit is a terrible idea. It went a bit viral when James O’Brien retweeted it; my mentions went crazy for a few days.
I returned to the UK for reasons unrelated to Brexit & remained active on Twitter. In April 2017, I tweeted a list of the reasons why Brexit is a terrible idea. It went a bit viral when James O’Brien retweeted it; my mentions went crazy for a few days.
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As well as arguing why the UK should remain in the EU, I also started to reflect on *why* the result had happened and to pay closer attention to *how* the campaigns had communicated.
As well as arguing why the UK should remain in the EU, I also started to reflect on *why* the result had happened and to pay closer attention to *how* the campaigns had communicated.
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A key realisation was that social media was a crucial part of political communication in the modern era, and that most of us on the Remain side didn’t really get it, whereas key people on the Leave side (and their soulmates, the Trump campaign) did.
A key realisation was that social media was a crucial part of political communication in the modern era, and that most of us on the Remain side didn’t really get it, whereas key people on the Leave side (and their soulmates, the Trump campaign) did.
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Fast-forwarding, political communication has become something of an obsession of mine here. Put simply, those pushing Brexit have remained far more disciplined & effective (even when it *looked* on the face of it as if they were behaving erratically):
Fast-forwarding, political communication has become something of an obsession of mine here. Put simply, those pushing Brexit have remained far more disciplined & effective (even when it *looked* on the face of it as if they were behaving erratically):
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Another case study here. Sure: Dominic Grieve backed away from voting against the govt in the end. But here I catalogue some of the intimidation he was subjected to while publicly standing up to the Brexit juggernaut, & the SoMe manipulation behind it.
Another case study here. Sure: Dominic Grieve backed away from voting against the govt in the end. But here I catalogue some of the intimidation he was subjected to while publicly standing up to the Brexit juggernaut, & the SoMe manipulation behind it.
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So far, so earnest. (I know I can be a bit preachy.) But I tried to have fun too; that mainly meant ripping the piss out of the ridiculous, pompous, thin-skinned individuals who have promoted Brexit & brought ruin on the country, e.g. Daniel Hannan:
So far, so earnest. (I know I can be a bit preachy.) But I tried to have fun too; that mainly meant ripping the piss out of the ridiculous, pompous, thin-skinned individuals who have promoted Brexit & brought ruin on the country, e.g. Daniel Hannan:
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Or not-so-lovable-buffoon Boris Johnson
Or not-so-lovable-buffoon Boris Johnson
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Or Daniel Hannan & Boris Johnson together. This was when Johnson said Brexit would be a “titanic success” & po-faced Hannan got shirty with ppl who pointed out that using the word “titanic” was a massive self-own. (Typically he soon deleted his tweet.)
Or Daniel Hannan & Boris Johnson together. This was when Johnson said Brexit would be a “titanic success” & po-faced Hannan got shirty with ppl who pointed out that using the word “titanic” was a massive self-own. (Typically he soon deleted his tweet.)
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Daniel Hannan again (he blocked me for this😂👍)
Daniel Hannan again (he blocked me for this😂👍)
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I invented the hashtag #BigBensBellends in ‘tribute’ to the Brexity politicians & media types upset that the famous bell wouldn’t toll on Brexit Day (& was amused when a Turkish newspaper didn’t get the double-entendre & used it in a serious report.)
I invented the hashtag #BigBensBellends in ‘tribute’ to the Brexity politicians & media types upset that the famous bell wouldn’t toll on Brexit Day (& was amused when a Turkish newspaper didn’t get the double-entendre & used it in a serious report.)
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More niche this one, but I also invented a none-too-shabby hashtag to mark the slomo defenestration of diminutive Brexit zealot Priti Patel, when she had to fly all the way back from Nairobi to be sacked.
More niche this one, but I also invented a none-too-shabby hashtag to mark the slomo defenestration of diminutive Brexit zealot Priti Patel, when she had to fly all the way back from Nairobi to be sacked.
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I guess this is a good moment to talk about the T-word. I have, on occasion, over-used the #twats hashtag to describe pro-Brexit politicians and media types. Coarse? Guilty as charged. Sexist? I don’t think so.
I guess this is a good moment to talk about the T-word. I have, on occasion, over-used the #twats hashtag to describe pro-Brexit politicians and media types. Coarse? Guilty as charged. Sexist? I don’t think so.
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All my sweary anti-Brexit humour has with a serious intention behind it. For example, yes: the “Will of the People” rhetoric we have been bombarded with since 23 June 2016 is utterly ridiculous, and deserves relentless mockery...
All my sweary anti-Brexit humour has with a serious intention behind it. For example, yes: the “Will of the People” rhetoric we have been bombarded with since 23 June 2016 is utterly ridiculous, and deserves relentless mockery...
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...but “Will of the People” is also sinister and insidious concept, and (if normalised in a nation’s political discourse by people who should know better) it leads inevitably down a slippery slope to a very dark and dangerous place.
...but “Will of the People” is also sinister and insidious concept, and (if normalised in a nation’s political discourse by people who should know better) it leads inevitably down a slippery slope to a very dark and dangerous place.
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Thinking about the causes of Brexit has also fuelled another obsession. A lot of the failures in this country’s politics go back to our shitty, archaic voting system. FPTP has fucked the country, and will continue to do so until it is ditched.
Thinking about the causes of Brexit has also fuelled another obsession. A lot of the failures in this country’s politics go back to our shitty, archaic voting system. FPTP has fucked the country, and will continue to do so until it is ditched.
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Anyway, that’s enough about Brexit in this “Eurosluggard’s Greatest Hits” compilation. As is to be expected with this kind of collection, I’ve probably made a few puzzling choices. Oh well...
Anyway, that’s enough about Brexit in this “Eurosluggard’s Greatest Hits” compilation. As is to be expected with this kind of collection, I’ve probably made a few puzzling choices. Oh well...
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Just to prove that there’s a little bit of non-Brexit material in my 24.4k tweets, here’s a random grumpy-old-man tweet about walking my dog in the park. #parklife
Just to prove that there’s a little bit of non-Brexit material in my 24.4k tweets, here’s a random grumpy-old-man tweet about walking my dog in the park. #parklife
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And here’s a really niche tweet about 80s pop music which most of my followers ignored (2 retweets😂- I guess most are as Brexit-obsessed as I am) but which I still think is one of the best things I’ve ever written.
And here’s a really niche tweet about 80s pop music which most of my followers ignored (2 retweets😂- I guess most are as Brexit-obsessed as I am) but which I still think is one of the best things I’ve ever written.
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But of all my tweets, this is the most important. Twitter’s great: empowering, fun, it helps connect you with your community. But it can be all-consuming. And it is *not* the real world. And tweeting isn’t a substitute for real-world political action.
But of all my tweets, this is the most important. Twitter’s great: empowering, fun, it helps connect you with your community. But it can be all-consuming. And it is *not* the real world. And tweeting isn’t a substitute for real-world political action.
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I’ve said enough now. Thanks for everything. Take care of yourselves & each other. Don’t fall into the traps laid by the Brexity Trumpkins on social media & irl. I’ll still be with you in spirit, calling out the absurdities of Brexit, and may join in from time to time.//
I’ve said enough now. Thanks for everything. Take care of yourselves & each other. Don’t fall into the traps laid by the Brexity Trumpkins on social media & irl. I’ll still be with you in spirit, calling out the absurdities of Brexit, and may join in from time to time.//
