THREAD: There are important similarities but also crucial differences between
a) what Vote Leave did with £350m-for-NHS bus lie during EUref &
b) what Brexiters are doing now with Soros rage, Rees-Mogg stunts, attacks on civil service, confected stories about EU ‘bullying’ etc.
a) what Vote Leave did with £350m-for-NHS bus lie during EUref &
b) what Brexiters are doing now with Soros rage, Rees-Mogg stunts, attacks on civil service, confected stories about EU ‘bullying’ etc.
2/
Key similarity: Brexiters are once again setting the news agenda, driving the news cycle. Or, perhaps more accurately, they are engaging in a highly successful rearguard operation: disrupting & shifting the news focus away from where it would otherwise be.
Key similarity: Brexiters are once again setting the news agenda, driving the news cycle. Or, perhaps more accurately, they are engaging in a highly successful rearguard operation: disrupting & shifting the news focus away from where it would otherwise be.
3/
During EUref campaign, they talked about the cost of EU membership & linked it to NHS under-funding. We proved their figures were wrong & called out their lies. On facts/logic, we won the argument hands-down. But the debate was all about their issues. And look what happened.
During EUref campaign, they talked about the cost of EU membership & linked it to NHS under-funding. We proved their figures were wrong & called out their lies. On facts/logic, we won the argument hands-down. But the debate was all about their issues. And look what happened.
4/
We are now in a race against time to wake public opinion out of its passive stupor about what a shitshow Brexit will be and how damaging it is for the country. We need the national conversation to be about the impact of Brexit (on the economy, on families, on our reputation).
We are now in a race against time to wake public opinion out of its passive stupor about what a shitshow Brexit will be and how damaging it is for the country. We need the national conversation to be about the impact of Brexit (on the economy, on families, on our reputation).
5/
There’s a compelling and mounting body of evidence (& emotionally powerful personal anecdotes that support the evidence). The Brexiters have no counter-argument to defeat this head on. So what do they do? Change the subject. Distract. Stunts. Provocation. Outrage. Dead cats.
There’s a compelling and mounting body of evidence (& emotionally powerful personal anecdotes that support the evidence). The Brexiters have no counter-argument to defeat this head on. So what do they do? Change the subject. Distract. Stunts. Provocation. Outrage. Dead cats.
6/
And we fall for it every time (myself included). We respond to their provocations. We need to be more disciplined.
Keep. Talking. About. What. A. Shitshow. Brexit. Is.
Keep. Talking. About. The. Impact.
On families.
And the economy.
And on our international reputation.
And we fall for it every time (myself included). We respond to their provocations. We need to be more disciplined.
Keep. Talking. About. What. A. Shitshow. Brexit. Is.
Keep. Talking. About. The. Impact.
On families.
And the economy.
And on our international reputation.
7/ Remember: thanks to EUref result & Article 50, the Brexiters hold the whip hand. They are no longer trying to convince anybody. They are just trying to run down the clock; wear down those that can be worn down; & distract, browbeat or politically neutralise those who can’t.
8/
Sorry that this thread has become so rambling & incoherent, but that’s the key difference I referred to in the first tweet...
Sorry that this thread has become so rambling & incoherent, but that’s the key difference I referred to in the first tweet...
9/
During EUref, Leave was the ‘change’ option. They needed to *mobilise*, otherwise the status quo would prevail by default. The themes they chose to major on were all about making ppl feel angry, worked up, motivated to turn out and vote for change.
During EUref, Leave was the ‘change’ option. They needed to *mobilise*, otherwise the status quo would prevail by default. The themes they chose to major on were all about making ppl feel angry, worked up, motivated to turn out and vote for change.
10/
Because of the EUref victory & Article 50’s inbuilt ticking clock, Brexit is no longer the ‘change’ option. It is now the default option. We are on a glidepath to disaster.
Because of the EUref victory & Article 50’s inbuilt ticking clock, Brexit is no longer the ‘change’ option. It is now the default option. We are on a glidepath to disaster.
11/
Or, rather, for Brexit to happen they no longer need to mobilise. They just need to obstruct, prevaricate, do whatever it takes to prevent an organised counter-force from emerging, prevent the public mood changing. So, again, they need to influence the news cycle.
Or, rather, for Brexit to happen they no longer need to mobilise. They just need to obstruct, prevaricate, do whatever it takes to prevent an organised counter-force from emerging, prevent the public mood changing. So, again, they need to influence the news cycle.
12/
So what do they do? They get us to disperse our forces by throwing up all kinds of outrages that we feel compelled to react to: Jacob Rees-Mogg’s stunt with the petition on stopping foreign aid is just the latest.
So what do they do? They get us to disperse our forces by throwing up all kinds of outrages that we feel compelled to react to: Jacob Rees-Mogg’s stunt with the petition on stopping foreign aid is just the latest.
13/
We get outraged by them. We react. We shout. The media report the row. We win the arguments (at least among the narrow, unrepresentative, university-educated part of the electorate that cares about this stuff). But we don’t cut through to most voters, who don’t all that much.
We get outraged by them. We react. We shout. The media report the row. We win the arguments (at least among the narrow, unrepresentative, university-educated part of the electorate that cares about this stuff). But we don’t cut through to most voters, who don’t all that much.
14/
...and while we are dealing with Jacob Reed-Mogg or Soros or allegations of civil service bias or claims that all forecasts are worthless, we are not focussing on the impact of Brexit. And the media is reporting that shit instead of reporting the impact of Brexit.
...and while we are dealing with Jacob Reed-Mogg or Soros or allegations of civil service bias or claims that all forecasts are worthless, we are not focussing on the impact of Brexit. And the media is reporting that shit instead of reporting the impact of Brexit.
15/
The Brexiters really don’t care if they lose these arguments; their objective isn’t to convince anybody they’re right, it’s to keep the conversation off the really important subject- the impact of Brexit. If this were the relentless focus, then minds would start to change.
The Brexiters really don’t care if they lose these arguments; their objective isn’t to convince anybody they’re right, it’s to keep the conversation off the really important subject- the impact of Brexit. If this were the relentless focus, then minds would start to change.
16/
So what to do? It’s difficult to ignore when their provocations are so egregious but we need to be mindful of what their goal is. Call them out: point out they’re just trying to change the subject because they’re scared of discussing what the effects of Brexit will be. And..
So what to do? It’s difficult to ignore when their provocations are so egregious but we need to be mindful of what their goal is. Call them out: point out they’re just trying to change the subject because they’re scared of discussing what the effects of Brexit will be. And..
17/
...Be single-minded in talking about the damage that Brexit will do to the economy, families, communities, public services, our international standing.//
...Be single-minded in talking about the damage that Brexit will do to the economy, families, communities, public services, our international standing.//
