“Let him get on with the job…he’s a breath of fresh air” The political sections of our national media (TV, radio, newspapers, social media) are now dominated by one topic: how much the PM knew about the behaviour of Chris Pincher MP when he, Johnson, appointed Pincher as Deputy Whip. If we the UK voters say it’s […]
‘Stop it now, get up from your desks, walk away, no more.” In an extraordinary call this serving civil servant urges his colleagues who are facilitating Boris Johnson’s ‘lies’ to quit [and tells us not to underestimate the danger posed by this prime minister and complicit government. We are on the way to becoming a […]
Warning: strong language. Ed Because I was busy last week, this episode of The Week in Tory covers more than seven days, but not – you’ll be amazed to hear – the 700 years it would take most governments to get through this lot. Remember, it’s OK to want to scream or take drugs during […]
The Vote Leave government must have thought it was being so clever, abusing its position to slip draconian, Putinesque provisions into the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022. Part 3 on ‘Public Order’ targets all the protests and protestors that the Home Secretary, Priti Patel, in particular despises: Extinction Rebellion, Black Lives Matter and […]
Dear West Country Voices, As I came through passport control at Edinburgh Airport last week, I saw a sign saying: “Welcome to GREAT Britain.” I had 40 minutes to look at it as we threaded our way slowly towards passport control. There had already been a 20-minute delay when the plane landed, because the right […]
In the wake of Steve Bray’s threatened arrest, this article counts the warning signs the UK has largely ignored. And shows what we can do about it. When Johnson first pulled together a cabinet of market fundamentalists, most people ignored the risk of a constitutional crisis. Most of us ignored Philip Hammond’s warning about “extreme […]
Many of you will have seen Steve Bray on television, holding his placards and flags aloft, calling out the lies and hypocrisy of the politicians being interviewed on Brexit. Some of you may have joined him on his near daily protests outside parliament or 10 Downing Street. For many, he has become the embodiment of […]
If there is one lesson we should take from Covid so far, it’s that we live in an age of disinformation and political Spin. And it works! Arguably, the ease in which we are manipulated is one of the greatest threats to humanity and social justice. Covid is a good example… 🧵 At the point […]
This is not a country of Johnson fans. This is not a country which will put up with lies, corruption, oppression, racism, law-breaking, hypocrisy and exploitation. There is a majority not just for specific progressive parties but for the core values of truth, fairness, inclusion, kindness, decency, integrity, humanity and the rule of law. Tiverton […]
The First Past the Post voting system is used nowhere else in Europe bar Belarus. Its ‘winner takes all’ approach coupled with voter tribalism has led to safe seats in which MPs are able to coast to victory even with less than satisfactory track records and often on a minority of the total votes cast.. […]
I have been a Tory supporter since I was a child. My parents were as Tory as they come, our home hosted MP surgeries. Our front room was often piled high with election literature and envelopes. That is my dad in the photo. I have had the privilege of meeting three Prime Ministers: Macmillan, Heath, […]
I am getting increasingly fed up with hearing ‘Let us not forget that this is the Prime Minister who has consistently got the big calls right’. This particular quote comes from the Daily Express of June 7, 2022, but it originated in a speech by Johnson himself and has been parroted by Tory MPs, party […]
On a balmy summer evening a week before the poll, the electorate of Tiverton and Honiton lined up expectantly to pack out the by-election hustings at the Tiverton Community Arts Theatre at Tiverton High School. As they queued across the courtyard, a number of local activists unfurled a substantial banner – 18 metres (60 feet) […]
Dear West Country Voices, Here’s my list of reasons NOT to vote Conservative at the Tiverton and Honiton by-election. Austerity – 10+ years of needless ‘measures’ in a country with the 6th largest economy (GDP) in the world. Hit the poorest hardest. Brexit – it’s not done and it never will be; it was always a stupid idea. […]
Cornwall for Europe posted on Facebook, citing the letters received from Sheryll Murray regarding the vote of no confidence in Johnson, including a screenshot of her boilerplate, standard response. The post provoked lifelong Conservative voter, John Holloway, to write to Murray himself. Here is his letter: Dear Mrs Murray, I have been a lifelong Conservative […]
We’re part of an ever-growing group of constituents in South East Cornwall who are very unhappy, frustrated and often angry at our ineffective MP Sheryll Murray. She is one of the 211 sycophants still supporting Johnson and they all need to be named and shamed. How on earth can anyone walk amongst their community knowing […]
If you have read our ‘About Us’ page, you will know that we are not affiliated to, supporters of, or the organ of, any political party. “Our political values are progressive and internationalist. We are party-blind but policy-focused and pro electoral reform. We believe in a kinder world that puts people before profit, that values […]
Boris Johnson press conference. He just said the UK will have the worst performance in the G7 next year cos “we came out of the pandemic first, so had a faster recovery”. So [deep breath] we’re doing badly because we’re doing so well. Then he said we need to build 300,000 more homes. Then he […]
Let’s start with Brexit. These are the latest figures from the OBR. UK trade levels collapsed during the pandemic and have failed to rebound, unlike those of other G7 countries. 2/ Pre-Brexit, the UK was a world leader in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) – and had been since the 1970s. Between 2017 and 2020, […]
Contains strong language! Well, it would be hard not to, wouldn’t it? Editor The Horny Honey Monster is on the ropes, so I think it’s time to take a quick look at the runners and riders poised to take over from Boris Johnson. It's an inspiring list. Liz Truss The kind of foreign minister you'd […]
I’ve asked myself the same question endlessly; as we all no doubt do. Of course the voting system is a particular root cause. But, for me, the ultra-significant factor is the quality of political education and understanding of the electorate. This frustrates and depresses me in about equal measure. We disgorge our 17 and 18 […]
The BBC opted to dial down the boos when they repeated footage of Johnson arriving at Friday’s service in a later part of the live broadcast. There are claims that this is all to do with video editing to prioritise the new commentary, but it does not get away fron the fact that the booing has been suppressed. Laura Kuenssberg’s replacement, Chris Mason went so far as to suggest the boos were orchestrated. This is, frankly, disturbing and feels like another step in our descent towards an authoritarian state more akin to Putin’s Russia or Kim Jong-Un’s North Korea than a modern European democracy.
The wannabe world king must know by now that it’s game over for his plans to force the UK into a dictatorship, under his chaotic, narcisstic rule. As Sam Bright wrote: “Iconic political moment here. The moment Johnson and the Conservatives surely must realise they’ve lost the people.” “This is a crowd of royalists – […]
Thought I’d take a look at what some of the esteemed minds that were elected to run this country were tweeting about this fine Sunday morning… First up, we have Andrew Rosindell retweeting about how it is “common sense” to regress over fifty years: Here we have Fabricant, Redwood, and Karl McCartney apparently completely unaware […]
Dear Sheryll Boris Johnson has again proven his unsuitability for office. Having first lied about breaking the law during Covid lockdowns, followed by breaking the ministerial code when actively lying about it in parliament, he has now changed the ministerial code so that lying and lack of morality is no longer a resignation offence. No […]
How it’s done, little by little… In accepting the vote, pretend you now think Brexit is a great idea even though you were a strong advocate for remain. Claim that any debate about the nature of Brexit is anti-democratic. Conflate opposition and scrutiny, on any issue, with attempting to thwart Brexit. Conclude that all opposition […]
What do despots do to hang on to power? Silence their enemies. Shut down critical media and fill the rest with propaganda. Surround themselves with cronies, sycophants and the enslaved compromised. Bung public funds to private donors. Normalise corruption. Suppress opposition votes. Shut down protest. Play the patriotism card. Blow the racist dog-whistle. Politicise the […]
We are delighted to publish this re-writing of Kipling’s If by formidable political journalist, Julian Haviland. Written in July 2019, it resonates even more strongly today – more’s the pity. If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you If you can take offence at all […]
I recall a conversation with a Boris fan when I was on a street stall, campaigning for a second referendum to review the Brexit deal and decide whether it was what the country wanted. “I’m backing Boris!” he shouted gleefully, as he skipped past the Brexitometer with its mass of stickers in the “No to […]
