Thread by @stand_for_all

It is genuinely hard to see how some of the @Conservatives defending things coming out of #cpc21 can claim to have any semblance of a commitment to "conservativism". Funnily enough, this isn't a "get" at Conservatives though. Some of the biggest issues are apolitical. 1/

When you see the language and attacks from likes of Raab and Patel though, and the cheers which they received, you have to wonder what happened to some of the old school, small state, individual liberties, Conservatives. 2/

I grew up in a household of them. My mum used to collect Margaret Thatcher memorabilia. Pretty much my first memories are of sitting watching her in Council Meetings, where she was a Conservative Councillor. Before she died she was about to run for Parliament. 3/

Conservatism was what I was brought up in. I'll admit I'm not. I don't hold to any party. What I wonder though is what happened to that party. You can complain about a lot which it did, but it held to certain beliefs and those are gone, as today's circus demonstrated. 4/

Maybe it never really was there. Maybe it's a nostalgia on my part for memories of my mum, but, again based on stuff coming out of #cpc2021 nostalgia for a past which didn't exist seems to be flavour of the month. 5/

It was a Conservative government which signed the UN Refugee Convention though. They recognised the need for it and they signed up to what it meant. Now, times may have changed, but the fear and need for those fleeing persecution haven't quite so much in real terms. 6/

Let's bring this up to date though, in recent months how many Conservative MP's, and supporters, have criticised lockdown measures in some way or another for restricting "civil liberties", because surely the #Conservatives are the party of a small state? 7/

How may times in @pritipatel's speech today did she highlight how the @Conservatives were the party of "law and order"? How many others have emphasised their care and focus on "family values"? I mean, they sound like they're quoting "conservative values". 8/

So, how does this reconcile with pushing laws which could see people prosecuted for travelling to a protest. Note, not attending, just travelling to a protest. Now, I'll admit I think "Isolate Britain" have played straight into Patel's hands, but that's still no excuse. 9/

How about preventing people reaching family members, and safety for that matter? Because when you hear "why don't asylum seekers stay in France" what you are really hearing is someone saying "why should they be with their family". 10/

You see, for those who know where they are going to end up, which isn't all of them by a long shot, very few asylum seekers in the grand scheme of things come to the UK, and the main reason they do is because they have links here, family, language etc. 11/

So civil liberties and family values seem negotiable based on whether you support government. If that's how you want to play it then here's a question, what happens when you aren't in power, because unless you're planning a dictatorship you need to plan for that eventually. 12/

You see, whatever you put in place now can potentially be used against you later. That's why things like Judicial Review and Human Rights Act are important. They may seem a nuisance now, but if you need them you really need them, and how confident are you that you never will? 13/

What about the whole "law and order" bit. Like it or not it isn't illegal to seek asylum. 98% of those crossing the channel do it, which kind of negates the "economic migrants" argument, and they are protected in doing so by international law. 14/

Even if the "economic migrant" line wasn't false by the way, you're still left with the fact that poverty and starvation are pretty good reasons to move and people move to where they know people and feel safe, so say hello to those "family values". 15/

So it isn't illegal to seek asylum. So long as you submit your claim within the requisite time it is also not illegal to cross the channel in practical terms. Where it is illegal though is in penalising asylum seekers for their manner of entry. That's actually a big no no. 16/

You know what else is illegal, entering another nation's sovereign waters without permission in a state vessel, causing loss of life at sea, failing to provide support for people in distress at sea, a government landing people in territory of another state without permission. 17/

That's just for starters by the way, the list is a long and distinguished one and they are all things which have been not just suggested, but declared as government policy today in one form or another. 18/

Look, I get it, well I don't but I'm trying here, you want to reclaim your independence. Question, how does undermining your own rights do that? Because that's what we are talking about here with the Human Rights Act, Judicial Review, Right to protest etc. 19/

I'd also imagine that as an independent nation you want Britain to be a global player? Yes? No? If no, sorry for wasting your time and congratulations. If yes though, how do you achieve that by showing you can't be trusted to uphold international obligations? 20/

Imagine your a business leader, I'm sure some of those at #CPC21 are. You've a choice of dealing with someone, but find out they've a history of breaking contracts and leaving other companies to take on debts and obligations. How quickly are you signing a contract with them? 21/

We're not living in the past here. This is the globalised world, like it or not. That isn't changing. We can communicate and deal with people in another country and easily as those down the corridors, that means we have to work with them. 22/

We have responsibilities to those at home, of course we do. Spending £420 million denying other people safety, and undermining our international standing, seems an odd way of following up on those responsibilities, particularly for a party which talks about saving money. 23/

What we are seeing now isn't #Conservatism. Patriotism isn't blindly following your government and thinking you're the best country in the world. It's doing what needs to be done to be proud in your country. That's missing right now. 24/

This is jingoism, it's nationalism, and those are not exactly laudable qualities. If anyone should be standing against the big state, erosion of liberties, undermining of law and international order, it should be the @Conservatives, ironically. So, what the hell happened? 25/