Thread by @PandaScottish

[thread]

I would like to commend Michael Gove and Sarah Vine

I applaud them on their home bookshelves

Thank you for the insight into your home in these days of home zoom calls and social media/instagram photos

It's actually not a "difficult one" e.g. question to face

It's actually quite easy

You just chose not to exploit lies, racism, xenophobia and islamophobia for political gain

Really a simple principle

“attitudes to migration are less illiberal in the UK now than in any continental European country. It has been a release of pressure, a humbling of the elites.”

theguardian.com/politics/2018/…

Now two elements I want to focus on in this
"humbling of the elites"

Here's a reminder of Michael's early career (Wikipedia)

"He joined The Times in 1996 as a leader writer and assumed posts as its comment editor, news editor, Saturday editor and assistant editor. He has also written a weekly column on politics and current affairs for the newspaper and contributed to The TLS , Prospect The Spectator."

On entering politics

Minister for the Cabinet Office
13 February 2020

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
24 July 2019

Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
In office
11 June 2017 – 24 July 2019

Secretary of State for Justice
Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain
9 May 2015 – 13 July 2016

Chief Whip of the House of Commons
Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury
15 July 2014 – 9 May 2015

Secretary of State for Education
12 May 2010 – 15 July 2014

To remind you of earlier... those global elites

He kept a column at The Times for years after entering the Commons —£60,000pa & remained close to several former bosses, inc. Murdoch. In the 6years since the Tories returned to government... Gove has dined with Murdoch at least ten times,

politico.eu/article/michae…

"Gove has also become close to another newspaper empire — Lord Rothermere, owner of Daily Mail. In 2014, the Goves stayed with Rothermere at least three times, according to Gove’s public disclosures. That included a weekend at Rothermere’s home in France, at a value of £2,134"

Oh and here is one of those "global elites"

https://mobile.twitter.com/PandaScottish/status/1020569318894063617

I suppose we should be perhaps glad - that those "elites" are so incompetent

They are thwarted by a simple pen

independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-n…

A final word on "elites"

Michael Gove & family had to self-isolate because his daughter had symptoms of covid

But - rather than endure the self-isolation

That challenge that everyone else in the country has faced as they may have/had covid

Michael chose a different route

Imagine asking for "special treatment"

Imagine worse - being the person granting special treatment

And yet still worse - being a Prime Minister/Number 10 who actually have to defend that

But hey - "humbling elites"

news.sky.com/story/coronavi…

Now on the other part of those words

"release of pressure"

Perhaps like Boris Johnson he views everything in "spaffing" terminology

". Mair came to regard Cox as one of “the collaborators”, a traitor to his race. The passionate defender of immigration and the remain campaign was a legitimate target in his eyes."

theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/n…

Given Michael's fascination with religion here is another input into the backdrop to that "release of pressure"

independent.co.uk/news/uk/politi…

Rose Hudson-Wilkin, who served as chaplain to the speaker of the house under John Bercow , said she had "always believed" the tone of debate in the country had led to Ms Cox's death at the hands of a white supremacist in 2016 during the height of the referendum campaign.

"Speaking on Radio 4, the first black female bishop to be appointed in the Church of England said: "The discourse that we’ve had over the last three years has been pretty damaging. Damaging not only to parliamentarians, [but also] the wider community and society as a whole."

Of course Core Group in Vote Leave knew exactly what they were peddling

They knew they had to "offer a “respectable alternative” to the “rightwing thugs”"

theguardian.com/commentisfree/…

"To “appeal to their hearts”, Vote Leave needs a message very like that of the despised Farage and Banks. “£350m and Turkey” shouts Cummings, standing on a table, to his staff. Or to be more accurate, £350m, Turkey and the NHS."

"What the film doesn’t tell us is how low he went to push this. It shouldn’t be a secret, since Vote Leave repeated the same election broadcast (now pulled from YouTube) on all terrestrial TV channels throughout the last 30 days of the campaign."

And here

theguardian.com/society/2016/j…

Mark Hamilton, head of National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC),“I believe the referendum debate has led to an increase in reporting of hate crime. It's very clear in the last couple of weeks that more people have been aware of experiencing such incidents than we have had before.”

Reports to police increased by 42%, to more than 3,000 allegations of hate crime across Britain in the week before and the week after the 23 June vote. “It’s probably the worst spike,” Hamilton said.

Hamilton, who is also assistant chief constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, said an increased likelihood of reporting incidents, as well as an increase in incidents, accounted for the spike.

He said there was a direct link to the vote. “Some people took that as a licence to behave in a racist or other discriminatory way. We can not divorce the country’s reaction to the referendum and the increase in hate crime reporting.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Hogan-Howe

“We saw this horrible spike after Brexit,” he said. He revealed there was a connection between the referendum and many of the incidents and pointed out that many of the victims were eastern Europeans.

Charities have expressed alarm at "deeply worrying" new police figures showing a considerable rise in hate-related crime in London over the last year, saying the EU referendum “undeniably” played a role.

independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-n…

Again as Daniel Hannah MEP (Con) or Daniel Kawczynski MP (Con) would probably blame the media for inflaming the media reporting of crime

Or Nigel Farage at people getting a bit "hung up" about hate crime

"Daniel Hannan, an MEP and a leading Leave campaigner, accused the media of “jumping on” cases of people who have been attacked or abused which had nothing to do with Brexit."

independent.co.uk/news/uk/politi…

Nigel Farage says he doesn’t believe Brexit has anything to do with rise of racist attacks, but if it does, then it’s regrettable

lbc.co.uk/shelagh-clashe…

"Divisive" and "anti-immigrant" rhetoric helped to fuel a spike in race hate crimes in the weeks before and after the vote. It said prominent political figures had "failed to condemn" racist abuse and created prejudices during the campaign.

bbc.co.uk/news/uk-371931…

A Tory MP

Foreign Affairs Select Committee: Daniel Kawczynski, a Conservative, goes next.

Q: I engage with the Polish community. There have been some anti-Polish incidents, but I am concerned the media may be overplaying them. What can you say in reassurance?

Gove claims Brexit vote did not worsen communal relations - despite Home Office evidence saying the opposite

lbc.co.uk/radio/audio-vi…

"over 75% said they experienced personal attacks, from verbal abuse, being told to ‘go back’ to their country or being called names, such as ‘terrorist’, ‘prostitute’ or ‘bin scrappers’."

huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/eastern-…

"Hate crimes almost doubled in schools during Brexit campaign period, figures reveal

Statistics from 30 of England's police forces show a 89% hike in police reports of hate crime and hate incidents among pupils in the month before EU referendum was held"

independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-n…

Stephen Lawrence's mother:

"Since Brexit, I think it's as if it's given people the right to come out and use language that we were hoping had gone.

"It's always there under the surface, I wouldn't say it's ever gone.

"And now, it's given them licence."

lbc.co.uk/radio/presente…

Imagine saying to a doctor

'we are going to deport you very soon, you're going to be out of this country'.

lbc.co.uk/radio/presente…

Here is Stephen Phillips Conservative MP who voted Leave in 2016

"I hated the campaign that leave ran. I disliked most of the people who ran it. What they said was divisive, xenophobic and untrue."

theguardian.com/commentisfree/…

Here is Sarah Woolaston on why she left the leave campaign

On lies being unacceptable

newstatesman.com/politics/elect…

Or another MP on the racism and xenophobia front and centre of the Leave campaign

independent.co.uk/news/uk/politi…

Sadly that whipping up of an atmosphere didn't stop in 2016

It continued

With relentless tropes against elites, metropolitans, liberals, enemies of the people, saboteurs etc....

Why not only did they continue

But they were peddled by a "Conservative" Prime Minister desperate to keep her party together as she rolled on the con of brexit

Since I am writing this over VE day 75th commemorations

A reminder one of those "citizens of nowhere" - that flood, swarm, torrent that invaded the UK and put pressure on our public infrastructure, our schools, our housing stock, our health care system

https://twitter.com/PandaScottish/status/1200814467854094336

Now I am going to stop there with links around the prejudice of the EU referendum in 2016

Because for those that wish to deny the racism and xenophobia with which it was sold

Stop

Take a long good look at yourself

Look at what you are trying to defend if you are a buyer

Or look if you are one of the sellers of the con, the electoral cheating, the lies, the fantasy, the nativism, the racism, the xenophobia

Look at what you are selling

If you are a buyer of the con

A reminder

Those who have contempt for you - are those who used you, cheated you, lied to you, peddled cakeist fantasy, racism and xenophobia to win your precious precious vote

And 4 years on they need your anger

Not at them the sellers

But at those who point out the eternally hollow con, cheating, lies, cakeism, fantasy, nativism, racism and xenophobia

Don't continue to prove their contempt for you effective

At some point try and wake up

Now of course

Racism and xenophobia existed in the UK long before the EU referendum campaign

Long before

https://mobile.twitter.com/PandaScottish/status/1015934684231028737

What is different with the EU referendum campaign is that they knew they needed to feed it, fan it, fuel it, inflame it

It was deliberate

It was calculated

Hence their efforts

And also hence their desperation at denying what they did

And the effects of what they did

Anyway moving away from the referendum campaign racism, xenophobia and islamophobia

Michael also decided during the Prime Ministerial reign of Theresa May to demonstrate his prejudice in a different vein

This time instead he went all in on the topic of religion

"Michael Gove thinks there could be a problem with Catholicism’s focus on the “common good” and the “dignity of work and workers” ahead of the pursuit of profit and individual prosperity."

Now this apalls me

First of all

Imagine criticising an individual's personal faith in this manner

Imagine doing it for

Church of England

Judaism

Greek orthodox

Islam

Or doing it for an atheist

But no Gove does it on catholicism

Almost like the previous links on Northern Ireland and his singing ability and songs have a special resonance to him

And he was doing this attack in reference to a Conservative Prime Minister - one Theresa May

Yes, that lying cheating racist husk of a Prime Minister who is enjoying her runs in wheat fields

inews.co.uk/news/theresa-m…

Now I am really confused at why he attacks people who want to work for the "common good"

After all a famous leader of the UK said:

“Let us meet together. Let us work together. Let us do our utmost—all that is in us—for the good of all. “

Now you can of course have your own political choices at how you work to effect change for the common good

But surely you must at least have a starting base principle of what the common good is?

So here are many faiths that profess to work together for the common good

“seek to work together for the common good”

theosthinktank.co.uk/comment/2018/0…

Then you have the attitudes towards the EU

“Warning against “succumbing to our worst instincts” over immigration,”

theguardian.com/politics/2016/…

Now apparently it took Michael a long time to recognise, to realise, to understand the "feel" that leave campaigners sold on immigration with racism and xenophobia front and centre stage

Perhaps he should have studied the bible more - I am sure it provided lessons on such areas

Now Michael attacked catholicism and the "common good" when attacking Theresa May as being “Britain's first catholic prime minister”

Presumably because she didn't believe in brexit enough

She isn't the first

ncregister.com/blog/joannabog…

"I think it's right that we don't flaunt these things here in British politics. But it is a part of me it's there and it obviously helps to frame my thinking and my approach."

premierchristian.news/en/news/articl…

It's a part of you?

Grenfell

Racism

Go home vans

Lies

It frames your thinking ?

Really

Here is a teacher trying to understanding what frames her thinking

“Her closing comments were: ‘you can have all the evidence in the world, but headteachers have told me grammar schools are good for disadvantaged pupils’

independent.co.uk/news/education…

It's a fascinating rebuttal of evidence

Not to actually present any rebuttal to an assertion

But just to fall back on hearsay

Anyway looks like her faith being private fell by the wayside as Theresa May realised she had to weaponise her faith

"Theresa May reveals how her faith in God gives her confidence she is 'doing the right thing'"

independent.co.uk/news/uk/politi…

Oh and here's one on her interview style

theconversation.com/theresa-may-ha…

But anyway back to Michael & Sarah

Now they think or believe their bookshelf helps them understand prejudice

I would argue if they do think or believe that

The evidence of their behaviour suggests otherwise

So I would suggest they need a bigger bookshelf

They "did the right thing at the right time"

And they "followed the science"

So you should be grateful it was an apparent success

If you feel like criticising them

Well Tim Montgomerie and many other right wing apologists and propagandists have a range of bullshit tropes prepared for you here

https://twitter.com/PandaScottish/status/1254903761098682368

Meanwhile - the transition period with the EU ticks down

And those politicians in power are exploiting the disaster and aftermath of the first wave of coronavirus

In which to hide the ongoing hollow con of brexit

They only care about rolling on their betrayal of democracy

The better deal gone

The sunlit uplands gone

The dividend gone

The many solutions to NI gone

Humans as bargaining chips

Foreign aid as bribery

This has been true for 4 years

And now as we approach the end

Those charlatans will say or do anything to roll on brexit

Yup brexit

That thing they claimed they "got brexit done"

It wasn't

It never will be

A reminder how low they have sunk

On honouring your word

https://twitter.com/JamesCrisp6/status/1257700738739904513

A reminder M. Thatcher

1975 May 21

Speech to Conservative Women's Conference

“Britain does not renounce Treaties.
Indeed, to do so would damage our own integrity as well as international relations.”

You have to be careful these days with the "Conservative Party" the gap between "mind your tone" and "calm down dear" is quite narrow

https://twitter.com/PandaScottish/status/1257949220172115973

But remember

Politicians in that party cheered on a leader who lied to the Queen and unlawfully prorogued Parliament

So they can lie to anyone

But most especially

They can lie to themselves

So at the last to wrap up

I would like to demonstrate that I am not picking on Michael Gove

I have written many threads amongst many of the liars, cheats, racists, nativists, fantasists and fools that sold the con of Leave

Actually that's a lie - I have never done a thread on Nadine Dorres partly because if so many years after the referendum she is still unable to grasp the concept of what a customs union is when she has so many grand wizards tried to explain it to her then well.....

So to give a quick speed run through some of the threads I have done over the past 4 years

Here's Liam Fox (who blocked me) - the man who promised the easiest deal in history

https://twitter.com/PandaScottish/status/1064947049119051777

Here's Steve Baker (also who blocked me)

whose email around ways to cheat in referendum's well... you can guess what happened from that

https://twitter.com/PandaScottish/status/1060089943626792960

Here's Dominic Raab (also who blocked me)

https://twitter.com/PandaScottish/status/1091404522059124739

Here is the greatest of the grand wizards

A man who lies in the Commons as easily as he lies to the Queen

Whose range of language stretches from latin to Bagpuss

https://twitter.com/PandaScottish/status/1112610050827268096

Here is David Davis - yes he who joked at a Prime Minister dinner table and who lost that "row of the summer"

https://mobile.twitter.com/PandaScottish/status/1012780901313536000

Here is Marcus 'yada yada' Fysh

https://mobile.twitter.com/PandaScottish/status/1024065147302830080

Here is Daniel J Hannan

https://mobile.twitter.com/PandaScottish/status/1024192887720955904

And we end with a thread on one Boris Johnson

Those who enable him know exactly what a cheating, lying, racist, incompetent charlatan and fraud he is

They don't care

All that matters is that he is *their" puppet

https://mobile.twitter.com/pandascottish/status/1201096472235847681

And a reminder as his disastrous premiership has demonstrated he only has several uses left now as PM

1) to prepare a route for his successor

2) to enable the rolling on of brexit past summer 2020 and ensure no transition extension is asked for

It is self, career, party but ultimately "brexit" first

Fuck business
Fuck democracy
Fuck decency
Fuck integrity
Fuck the country

The Conservative Party lies dead in a ditch

Spaffed on
Pissed on
And demeaned by those claiming its skin as false clothing

Sorry for the long thread

Sorry for not taking issue with specific books / writers and taking it in a different direction with Sarah and Michael

I hope some of this has been useful or interesting

SP

I have added an extra to the end of this thread

A celebration , commemoration with flags flying high

To Boris Johnson and getting brexit done

(sadly it wasn't authentically done but that's a separate topic for @SteveBakerHW )

https://twitter.com/PandaScottish/status/1620355098017951744

@SteveBakerHW @threadreaderapp unroll please