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Jun 5 • 5 tweets • 4 min read
.@UKLabour's latest attempt to rebrand itself as "the true party of patriotism" troubles me: "When it comes to upholding British values, securing the future of our world-leading institutions, & the promise for the next generation, it’s the Labour party which puts BRITAIN FIRST!"
I understand why @UKLabour are attempting this, & while it IS possible to re-accent what #patriotism & #nationalism mean, imho, their recent efforts have all the nuance & focus of a drunk Boris Johnson & Nadine Dorries doing naked body popping at a wake.

theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/j…
"Our British values, which we hold dear & are known for around the world: diplomacy, rule of law, decency & integrity. Our country has ALWAYS led the way as a measured & decent example to the world!"

Including the centuries it spent murdering, colonizing, exploiting & looting?😬
Last week Keir Starmer attempted to outline @UKLabour's "new patriotism" in the right-wing non-dom billionaire-owned Telegraph, which also said next to nothing specific about "patriotism", & also struggled to speak authentically or convincingly to his intended audience.
Like I explain here, previous @UKLabour Parties HAVE reclaimed & re-accented the concepts of #patriotism & even #nationalism - but this takes serious thought, avoidance of condescension, authentic communication & a convincing narrative people can support.

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More from @docrussjackson

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Jun 6
#THREAD

In January 21, a Republican member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives introduced a bill that would bar schools as well as organizations that have entered into a contract or subcontract with the state from endorsing “divisive concepts.”

theatlantic.com/politics/archi…
Specifically, the measure would forbid “race or sex 'scapegoating',” questioning the value of meritocracy, & suggesting that New Hampshire—or the United States—is “fundamentally racist.”

Contrary to their often repeated claim, the Right actually HATES *certain* free speech.
The bill is one of many that Republicans have introduced. In Arkansas, lawmakers have approved a measure to ban state contractors from offering training that promotes “division between, resentment of, or social justice for” groups based on race, gender, or political affiliation.
Read 15 tweets
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Jun 6
#THREAD

The @Conservatives' long-term plan to destroy #Britain's #NHS & replace it with a private health insurance model is nearing completion.

Just add it to the growing list of casualties caused by Tory acts of short-sighted ideological vandalism. 🇬🇧

theguardian.com/society/2022/j…
The poor will make do with a dangerously underfunded #NHS, while the rich will hand money to corporations in exchange for profit-motivated superficial corner-cutting healthcare, from which, many @Conservatives with private healthcare interests will do VERY well.
A survey of more than 20,000 frontline #NHS staff reveals that four out of five respondents said staffing levels on their last shift were not enough to meet all the needs & dependency of their patients. The @Conservatives knew this would happen & failed to adequately plan ahead.
Read 46 tweets
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Jun 5
#THREAD

The anti-NHS Express reports Sarah Jarvis, a regular on the toxic #JeremyVine show, has called for fines for #NHS patients who fail to turn up for GP appointments. Unmentioned in this article is that she is also Clinical Director FOR PATIENT UK.

express.co.uk/news/uk/161788…
Missing GP appointments is serious, & most Doctors surgeries make it clear to patients that it has consequences.

But there are many legitimate reasons why patients miss appointments & fines would disproportionately hit already poor/marginalised groups.

bjgp.org/content/71/707…
Predictably, controversial anti-lockdown & anti-#NHS Professor, Karol Sikora, now an Express columnist, said: “How do we solve the problem? Fines for those who fail to attend appointments without fair notice could be considered. We have to try something."
Read 9 tweets
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Jun 5
#THREAD

In May, Hungary’s authoritarian far-right nationalist leader, Viktor Orbán, hosted America’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), designed to strengthen links between the radical right in the US & Europe under the banner of the “great replacement” conspiracy.
CPAC is an annual conference attended by conservative activists & elected officials from across the USA & beyond. CPAC is hosted by the oldest ongoing conservative lobbying organization in the US, the controversial American Conservative Union (ACU), founded in 1964.
CPAC itself was founded in 1974 by the American Conservative Union & Young Americans for Freedom - a conservative youth activism organization that was founded in 1960 as a coalition between traditional conservatives & libertarians on US college campuses.
Read 43 tweets
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Jun 3
Yet more evidence of institutional #racism in the MET:

The MET Police's "Project Alpha" unit comprises more than 30 staff scouring social media sites looking specifically at drill music videos & other content, with males aged from 15 to 21 a focus.

theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/j…
Head of Project Alpha, Michael Railton, hailed its benefits: “Having decoded the hyper-local context of the lyrics, hand gestures & symbolism of the visual content used by aspiring rappers, we have identified threats & proactively intervened to prevent escalation of violence.” 😬
MET blunders over an earlier anti-gangs database helped fuel concerns about Project Alpha, the privacy of children, & police focusing on young black children for signs of criminality.

Sometimes, it feels like the racist MET has learned NOTHING from the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry.
Read 6 tweets
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Jun 2
#THREAD

Tony Blair's son, Euan, who started his career in investment banking & now has a £22 MILLION London home, founded an apprenticeship training BUSINESS now valued at £700 MILLION, & has been awarded an MBE for "services to education".

In the UK, social mobility is dead.
Last year it was reported that Euan Blair's start-up – Multiverse – had been valued at £639 million, making him worth around £160 million.

I'm sure it's just a coincidence his dad is Tony Blair.

But did he really benefit from an accident of birth?

tatler.com/gallery/tony-b…
Nothing against Euan Blair, & I don't know much about his Multiverse business, but imho his life trajectory highlights unequal Britain's absence of true meritocracy & the abject failure of successive Govt's to break the elite stranglehold on top jobs & improve social mobility.
Read 60 tweets

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