Thread by @tony_nog

1) The F Word
so I've been banging on about this clip (and the thread on the next tweet) all day

Now there's been a lot of talk about #Brexit Fascism,and a lot of counter talk saying it's ridiculous

But let's examine the evidence, because it's pretty grim

2) in a few short weeks we've seen suspension of parliament, and a number of supposedly moderate Tories pretending it's not a shut down

We've seen a populist PM who is now utterly shameful about lying in Parliament and to the public

https://twitter.com/tony_nog/status/1170242142486315008?s=19

3) but already we are seeing serious talk about how the PM could actually break the law. And this is so normalised now that it's a reasonable question for MPs or interviewers to ask "well, will you or won't you obey the rule of law?"

This is incredible

4) We also have a Brexit party which is shamelessly populist, deeply undemocratic in its structures, and which has a Leader for life

And no one on @BBCNews, @Peston @bbclaura, @bbcnickrobinson, @itvnews etc is even talking about it

5) so we have the rule of law being challenged, a #Brexit campaign based on othering & scapegoating (gentle from Vote Leave, full on from Farage), "intellectuals" attacked as corrupt & useless, one of the 2 major parties set up as a dictatorship....
(Signs of fascism below)

6) by my reckoning you could make a strong case for 8 of the items below, and a weaker case for 3 or 4 more

We know the likely aim of #Brexit is a loss of workers rights for example and we even have church leaders chiming in with support for Brexit

7) if you need evidence of "controlled mass media", well @Peston would. E shocked to see this but look no further than the nauseating softly softly interview he gave to Johnson in the middle of a disastrous week

https://twitter.com/tony_nog/status/1169490655363698689?s=19

8) it gets worse. I've spoken to numerous #Brexit party supporters about the absence of democracy in their party. They don't care. Either they say it's a one issue party that will go away or manifestos are ignored anyway

Bizarrely they can champion democracy via a dictatorship

9) We have to recognise, a lot of decent MPs can't stomach Johnson any more

But a lot of "decent" Tory MPs can

The idea that a conservative PM could even contemplate suggesting he might break the law should lead to a string of resignations, but it's been a trickle

10) this is serious. Anarchists are in charge who just want to break things. There's party leaders who think they know best in all circumstances. And a set of people following a dictator who do not care that they are doing so.

And the dividing line is #Brexit

11) the cold hard reality is, all of these nasty, ugly, divisive forces are on one side of #Brexit

There is no kinder, gentler Brexit anymore

It really is time to pick a side because Brexit is just a totem for what kind of country we want to be, liberal & inclusive or fascist

12) and....hate to say this but @UKLabour need to pick a side. Corbyn has done well the past few weeks but he is a) a brexiter, b) not well liked in the country, c)not a good performer

It's pointless arguing over the above (or saying go on, blame Corbyn again)

13) Corbyn is on the wrong side of #Brexit, so Labour will straddle it again, and provide only a weak and ineffectual message.

If Labour do want to avoid a fall into fascism, it needs a popular, articulate leader with a clear message

End/