It's a strange morning for politics. It's time to reflect on the ultra-right of British politics in the form of the Brexit Party has announced its alignment with what is now the far-right in the form of the rump of the Tory Party with the combined aim of creating a corrupt state in the UK.
What is a corrupt state? One where the rule of law does not apply. It clearly has not with regard to many aspects of the Leave campaigns.
Where there is no respect of Parliament.
Or the judiciary.
Or the Head of State.
Where the apparatus of state is used for political ends - as it is being. Just look at the Russia report.
Where it is not clear in whose interests the state is being run.
Or where attempts to manipulate voter participation are commonplace, is is normal in the UK now, which is why so many are not registered to vote.
Where state racism is tolerated, and even encouraged.
Where there is corruption without apparent consequence.
Where the electoral system fails to reflect the will of the population.
And where particular interest groups - like those with wealth - have their priorities considered more highly than do others in society.
Where citizenship is for sale.
All of these happen in the UK, many of them day in and day out.
And now the political system is to be gamed by the corrupt to extend the impact of these policies and guarantee that state failure becomes the norm in this country.
And in the face of this the left cannot agree what to do. Which is as worrying. I make no claim that the Remain parties (broadly defined) are the same, or equally desirable. But the failure to align around the big issue of whether or not we can defeat the march to neo-fascism that is now apparent in the UK is deeply worrying, and lets it happen.
I have long held the view that we need a government of national unity from the left to deliver the fundamental reform required to deliver the state we need if we are to survive as a nation, and deliver the Green New Deal. I see no sign of it. And that is an increasing cause for despair.
Remember, first they'll come for the Labour Party.
But then they'll come for democracy.
And those who might have supported it.
That's the way these things work.
And it's happening now.
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spot on. You really sum it up. I am now in my 70s and would like to feel I am passing on a country which is getting better. It is depressing but hope remains while there are people prepared to speak out and act upon those words. I have a belief that evil will trip itself up as the people involved will usually put their own advantage over those of others. Nazi Germany was riven by competing groups and did not co-ordinate. Britain, and others, worked more in a common purpose voluntarily accepting restrictions to get the war won.
[…] that case I think this is part of the deliberate far-right attempt to undermine democracy that is now rampant. Second, they come for that part of the electorate who might not like their […]
When the electorate becomes disillusioned with politics and the political class then the voters jump to the “strong Man” who will lead “us” out of chaos ,exert the strong hand over the weak and provide decisive decision making. It is the lesson from history and we the citizens ignore that at our peril. The one mitigating factor in the UK is that neither of the main party leaders display any strength or leadership qualities. They are not Putin, Erdognan or Xi and it is arguable if they have control of their own parties. Our folly is that as a nation we seem to be floundering in a sea of ineptitude. Maybe that is democracy. I don’t know.
Sadly we cannot look at the Russia report as it is being withheld so we are denied access to the truth.
What I find disturbing is the Keir Starmer interview on ITV, which was purloined by the tory party and edited to show him not answering questions, substituting answers to different questions or prevaricating which was all contrary to what really happened. Those who had not seen the original interview get a totally different view of the interview and tory pipsqueaks, when challenged, say it was humour but I see it as crossing boundaries so even what you see cannot be believed.
The BBC substituting footage of Mr Johnson at the Cenotaph on Sunday, where he laid the wreath upside down, with video from 2016 in subsequent news bulletins so, even being shown what has happened cannot be believed.
Nigel Farage talking which should never be believed.
I’ve suspected for some time that their aim was to break the status quo. See how the right-wing has pushed the boundaries to see what they can get away with. Contempt of Parliament, for example, fake news (and don’t forget with technology advances you can put anyone’s head on a body and make them say absolutely anything!).
The wreath-laying scam on the BBC, ‘it was an innocent mistake governor, honest’ yeah of course it was, my arse.
Unless the other parties (in the broadest sense not just political) also play fast and loose with facts they will be trampled on and it will be far too late when anyone wakes up.
We are far too trusting in the UK of our institutions which are presently being hijacked by dark forces.
Any opposition to this state of affairs needs co-ordination which from where I’m standing seems very much absent.
Ian, you say:
“Any opposition to this state of affairs needs co-ordination which from where I’m standing seems very much absent.”
Alas, how true, but not of the other side. As Warren Buffet said something along the lines of “There’s a class war going on alright, and my side is winning.”
I think we need to recognise that there’s a global Fascist or proto-Fascist coup in progress, with two, powerful illicit, and profoundly illiberal, American Presidents – Trump in the North, who lost the popular vote by 3 million votes, and was only elected via the (designedly) anti-democratic Electoral College, and Bolsanaro in the South, in Brazil, who only won because he locked up on trumped up (amazingly apt verb in current circumstances) charges the man who would have thrashed him, Lula. So, a huge percentage of the economy and population of the Americas is now governed by illicit, incipiently Fascist, governments.
We here in the UK are a sideshow of this global ongoing putsch, but are definitely part of it, and I can’t help seeing Steve Bannon as, if not the, then one of the evil geniuses behind it, with the avowed aim of establishing a revived Judeo-Christian polity – actually double-speak for a white supremacist hegemony, in which the Judeo bit would soon be repressed, or reduced to tokenism.
The language and policies of Trump, the anti-native population plans if Bolsanaro, and Johnson’s easy use of anti-black (water melon smiles and picaninnies) and anti-Muslim (letterboxes), are, I would say, revelatory.
And the truly worrying thing is that in each of these instances – the USA, Brazil and the UK – just as in pre-War Germany, the weaknesses in their political systems were used to slide into power through the cracks.
If we survive this crisis – and it is touch and go – we must construct a FAR more robust democracy, starting with a written Constitution, and an independent Constitutional Court.
Constitutional reform should be a Labour priority
But I doubt it will be mentioned barring the Lords
I wonder what would happen if you made a video of this post, Richard? It’s the sort of thing that needs to go viral.
Nice idea
But I would not have time
The elephant in the room is the control of the media at every level, from all newspapers, TV broadcast news, radio and the internet, there is a consistent narrative that undermines any semblance of opposition to the establishment, creating widespread division and disenfranchisement.
This website is a welcome and refreshing perspective that frequently addresses many issues that should be mainstream news, unfortunately however any attempt to try and persuade friends to visit the site or read the content is often met with the retort that most internet content is cultivated by fringe elements that support extremist views. Leading to the belief that part of the media narrative is to discourage critical thinking and analysis of any opinion other than the status quo!
Many people in politics are truly there to make the country a better place, and fortunately our democracy is not broken (despite the assertion of the media) – it has so far prevented a coup (faridge and ukip), but the relentless self interested battering from the power behind mainstream media is proving quite a challenge for some individuals who appear to be standing up to them; this is reflected in a huge number of politicians standing down just before the election. Lets hope the outcome represents one based on well informed individuals electing a party which will best serve the broadest needs of the country in which all can equally contribute and share.
Bobby Gee says:
“…..democracy is not broken (despite the assertion of the media) — it has so far prevented a coup (faridge and ukip)…”
Proportional Representation would have dealt with Farage and UKIP. They would have won seats in Parliament. To which they were entitled by virtue of representing a shade of political opinion whether ‘we’ like it or not.
Instead Cameron allowed them to be come a mainstream element within the Tory party.
The referendum we had in 2011 and which the Lib Dems allowed to be hijacked by the Tories was more significant than the Brexit referendum which need never have been called.
Farage is still instrumental in perverting the Tory party. (Who would have thought that even possible? )
Dangerous ideas need to be aired, not pushed underground, because they will out. One way or another.
Some great points Andy – unfortunately the last attempt at electoral reform (by the Lib dems) was quashed and dismantled in the same way as most other reasonable propositions.
Despite Faringe representing a relatively extreme fringe of opinion, he seems to receive a disproportionately high level of media attention; this indicates that his views are supported by some highly motivated individuals with significant media influence.
“Dangerous ideas need to be aired, not pushed underground, because they will out. One way or another.” – completely agree… the political playground is an arena for discussion and debate for every viewpoint, however unpalatable!
I was watching the BBC this morning in Bishop Aukland talking to locals there – a Labour majority clings on by a mere 500+ votes.
It was really depressing hearing people say that Parliament had been frustrating the Tories in their efforts to leave with no mention of the underhand tactics, lies and undemocratic way Boris & Cummings (oh – and May) had sought to set the agenda. T
Going forward there are undoubtedly many people who are clearly damaged by BREXIT – they are thus blind to corruption, ignorant of due process and had not considered the lies that they had been told to be lies.
It is this dumbing down and reduction of our expectations of what democracy is supposed to be about that is going to be the most poisonous legacy of this mess.
Hi Richard,
I see some cause for optimism in the fact that the Green New Deal has been adopted (in its entirety?) by the Labour Party.
I also think that if the conditions existed for it a coalition would be formed between the Labour party, Nationalists and Green(s). The SNP for instance would find it very hard to bring down a government of this type as this action would be unacceptable to a large percentage of their support.
I also think that the Brexit Party/Conservative “alliance” may not play out very well in remain-leaning seats.
Finally, I have hope that the modicum of balance (or at least attention) that is introduced into political debate by an election campaign might move the polls in a similar way to the 2017 election. After all, UKIP was a completely spent force in that election and people haven’t exactly been given lots more reasons to vote Conservative since then.
I need to try and retain some optimism during this period when there is the possibility (however doubtful) of change.
Not eentirely adopted, but going in the right direction
Agreed. An we know that all of those who have said weasel words about the coup in Bolivia will justify it in exactly the same manner if/when it happens here