This is from the front page of The Times today:
The story has been widely reported: Twitter produced the above clip.
There are some things we have to assume about this. The first is that Sunak approved the article: anything written by a minister has to go through Downing Street for approval prior to publication. We should read this as a reflection of Tory policy in that case.
Second, this means that the government is now questioning the operational independence of the police - something that it is not meant to do.
Third, the implication is obvious. The Tories - and we cannot say that this is an action by Barverman alone - want the police to act in accordance with Tory party prejudice and not the law.
So, we have to conclude, fourthly, that the Tories have given up any pretence of using the instruments of state in accordance with the rule of law and do instead wish to use them solely in their own interests. I keep talking about fascism: this is a clear sign of how close we now are to it.
Braverman is clearly out of control.
Sunak clearly thinks himself powerless to do anything about it.
Meanwhile, extremism and hate will feature in Saturday's demonstration - because the Home Secretary has sent them an invitation.
I hope it is peaceful. I know full well that there will be those on the sidelines who intend otherwise.
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Thank you for your clarity. I feel so sad for what our country has become and really hate the fact that we are probably funding this horrific violence. If I lived closer to London I would join these marches, not to take any side, but to call for a cessation of violence and peace. Exactly the opposite of what our home secretary is doing. I cannot stop thinking of these poor people in Gaza unable to escape and struggling to survive in every way. Many do not support Hamas and are just ordinary people like us who have had the misfortune to be born into this political mess.
And yet the US “local” election results yesterday suggest that the polls are not accurate on this. The far-right lost big time, in some very unlikely places.
Sensible people are waking up, looking around them & saying “NO MORE”, even if the alternative to the GOP is not perfect. I hear the same whispers in the UK.
The danger is – here as well as there – that we won’t learn the lessons of Blair. We need to keep pushing once the immediate danger is passed. Climate change, energy shortages and social cohesion demand actions much more radical than Starmer can be expected to discuss, when at the moment, the media would like to present him as no different to Corbyn.
It’s going to be a long hard struggle to establish a new baseline agreement about what’s fair & what’s reasonable.
The problem is what I call the Kimbeau effect: competent (which usually means left-of-centre) governments make many things look effortless, and this lulls the electorate into a sense that the good stuff is inevitable, rather than the result of skilful governance. The right take advantage of this, allowing them to big up minor irritations, seducing voters who have no appreciation of what they are risking when they vote for change.
Biden is suffering from this at the moment, and Labour will struggle in the same way at the end of its first term.
Laws criminalising “deliberately or recklessly misleading the public” would go some way to minimising this effect. Voters must be accurately and fully informed, or their votes are almost meaningless and democracy is dead.
We watch helplessly as the most right wing govenment in modern history pushes the boundaries further and further to the right. The government must wonder, as do we, just how far they can go without overstepping the mark. Yet with the open support of our foreign owned right wing press, and the tacet support of all those nice shy Tories across the country, we see just how much poison and lawlessness this government can get away with.
The same hideous political manouvering is playing out in the US, where Trump now leads the polls.
Why do they get away with it?
Richard,
Do you think the Times should have published it?
Interesting question
The only reason not to was that it was hate speech, or demanded the law be broken
It could be argued that it was guilty on both counts, but that might be too subtle an argument
Thanks. Publishing seems irresponsible to me as the editors should have got the nuance.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful the Met investigated it as a hate crime
Publishing Braverman’s article has started a much needed reaction if nothing else. Tory extremism has been brought into the spotlight and it’s very frightening. Perhaps this will take us back from the brink of fascism.
Yes, to show Braverman for the person she is and the kind of home secretary and minister we have in government.
Hers is in opinion piece – it’s not the newspaper’s job to decide on the merits of its arguments
An interesting question would be, did the Times invite her to write a piece for them or did she offer it to them?
It is reasonable for newspapers to exert less editorial control over opinion pieces than regular articles, and yet there have to be some limits. It is surely unacceptable for a newspaper to publish absolutely anything in an opinion piece.
Yes, it is indeed political manoeuvring – it is all trying to construct, consolidate and expand a core right wing base for electoral gain.
Don’t believe any of the nonsense of the Tories being a centre right party – they haven’t been since Thatcher – they are now a right wing populist party.
I worry if there will be an element of provocation at the march that will set off violence – living in this state we are in, I would not put it past anyone to deliberately cause trouble so that certain people can say ‘Told you so’.
The two minutes silence is at the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month at the cenotaph.
The march does not start until noon at Hyde Park and the march is to the US embassy, because they have provided Israel with arms and money to buy arms.
Obviously anyone who is trying to disrupt the march because of it being on the same day as the two minutes silence is provocation.
There is going to be a large contingent of the Peace and Justice Project at the march. They will not be provoked.
Jenw
Of course genuine peace marchers will not be provoked.
But what about those in the throng that may not be genuine?
These are dirty times.
But you can’t ban a whole march because some people there might be out to cause trouble.
https://labourhub.org.uk/2023/11/07/wewillmarch-no-to-bravermans-bid-to-ban-saturdays-demonstration/
Jenw
I’m not suggesting or justifying that the march should be banned on the basis that there might be trouble – all I expressed was that if any trouble arose it could be capitalised upon on by the Right or that it could the Right provoking it or behind it.
Are we clear?
There should be a march for the reasons I stated elsewhere.
A lot of decisions to vote are emotional reactions rather than rational arguments.
Those decisions can be moved, if not shoved, by stances like this. The Tories like to project an image they are patriotic and respectable, while those protesting are not patriotic and in favour of distasteful and foreign, repeat foreign, people. It appeals to the lowest forms of dressed up tribalism.
The toxic tabloids know this well.
We ought to run courses in media discrimination in schools and available for adults. I heard they do this in Finland.
You can teach this (I have), but that does not mean the lessons are taken to heart and mind. Once a state of hostility is evoked, the same old propaganda tropes (successfully stripped of their fervour and exposed as manipulative lies when they are rationally studied) work every time. See the “babies torn from hospital incubators” lie peddled successfully by the likes of Ann Clwyd to justify the Iraq invasion. (To be fair to Ms Clwyd, she may have believed it herself.)
Oh Indeed. It is not a panacea.
But the ‘same old tropes’ don’t work every time.
Sometimes the public-or most of them-see through it.
The papers failed to convince the public -according to polls-that NHS workers should just accept their real income being cut and not strike.
The Government and the Labour party started with, IMO, a one sided , pro-Israel stance. The size of the protests suggest that many were not convinced.
Even the BBC seems to be adapting its coverage to show settler violence on the West Bank.
Yes, we should. And yet whenever media opinion writers have wanted to point to courses that were a “waste of public money”, media studies was always at the top of the list. No prizes for guessing why.
An article in the papers the other day suggested that Braverman WANTS to be sacked. It would then distance her from the upcoming car crash of an election and burnish her credentials as the torch-bearer of the Right Wing of the Tory party in the upcoming leadership election.
So, she will just get more and more extreme until Sunak finally has to disown her and sack her.
Either he actually supports her views or is too spineless to act. Neither is a great look. Never thought I would yearn for the days of Ted Heath and his approach to Enoch Powell.
A small point.
Weren’t Anti-Lockdown gatherings by definition illegal?
If it is all too complicated for Sue Ellen Braverman’s mighty legal brain perhaps she could ask Rishi Sunak who I believe has some relevant personal experience that might help her understand the law.
Listening to the covid inquiry at the moment, and the head of the NPCC could not always understand the regulations for lockdown. They could get a new piece of legislation sent to them at 11.45pm to be in use by 0.05 the next morning.
Hoping he brings in Cummings into this.
Two other clarion voices on fascism that are wholly relevant come to mind:
‘Fascism begins the moment a ruling class, fearing the people may use their political democracy to gain economic democracy, begins to destroy political democracy in order to retain its power of exploitation and special privilege.’
Tommy Douglas – Scottish Canadian politician.
And:
‘If conservatives become convinced that they cannot win democratically, they will not abandon conservatism. They will reject democracy.’
David Frum – Canadian American writer.
History is terrifying at present. Thank you for your writing Richard.
Even before this latest Braverman provocation it was already clear the demo would be reported as hatefilled or violent or both.
But as you say Richard, apart from her ‘police state’ interference with the police, this is a clear invitation for Tommy Robinson and other far right groups to come and make sure there are violent clashes.
I am now wary of joining (on a ‘Stop the Killing’ basis) – but still intend to .
In terms of incitement , Braveman should be at least of interest to the police – but how does that work under our ‘constitution’ – can the police investigate the home secretary?
The most likely scenario now could be that she has ensured the demo will be bigger than ever – with maybe several hundred thousand – which overhead TV will show as overwhelming peaceful – and the inevitable fringe/far right clashes more difficult to portray as representative of what went on.
There it is, pure hatred, racism and bigotry staring everyone right in the face. Its a right-wing fueled hate speech in black and white and in print.
This article will be studied and analysed in many years to come and only history will shed a light on the far reaching consequences in the UK and around the world. Even if the Tories are no longer in power the ramifications of her words and actions will be truly horrific. Make no mistake that the touch paper has been lit, the battle lines are now clearly marked and drawn.
There is a lot at stake and given the rhetoric flying around there is now a rallying call for everyone in the UK to come out and stand up for justice, fairness and peace. I think all the trade unionist, environment action groups, NHS staff, police, judiciary, transport workers, civil service, teachers, opposition parties need to act and support the march.
You have previously mentioned that all the hardship, misery, despair, tensions, discrimination, primarily caused due to the criminal and abject failure of the government will at some point lead to civil unrest, disobedience and much more.
Israel-Palestine war: Sunak and his ministers are the true extremists
The Sunak government intends to broaden the definition of extremism to include law-abiding organisation like the Muslim Council of Britain and Mend
https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/israel-palestine-war-uk-sunak-ministers-true-
Robin Simcox: A cheerleader for the UK government’s own brand of extremism
An independent commissioner for countering extremism should be taking issue with Suella Braverman’s ‘dangerous and divisive’ rhetoric, rather than echoing it
https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/uk-robin-simcox-government-found-cheerleader-own-brand-extremism
Well said!
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/nov/08/organiser-of-armistice-day-event-at-cenotaph-hopes-pro-palestine-protest-can-go-ahead
The organiser of the sole Armistice Day event at the Cenotaph in central London has given his support for the pro-Palestine march in central London on Saturday.
Richard Hughes, from the Western Front Association, a charity that holds a commemoration on 11 November for the casualties of the first world war, said his organisation believed in “freedom of speech”.
“I think a lot of people are trying to whip this up,” said Hughes, the association’s legal trustee, who is also responsible for organising the annual commemoration. “The police are not going to let anyone near the Cenotaph. We are a democratic organisation that commemorates those who fought for democracy, so free speech is important.”
Are you all saying there is no antisemitism shown by those on the recent marches?
Of course some will have done.
You can’t stop trouble makers joining a match any more than football clubs can completely stop yobs attending matches.
But we don’t ban football as a result.
It seems you would.
Why?
You always get some trouble makers on marches. I was involved in the large protest in London in 1989 just after the Tiananmen massacre. One “left wing” organisation tried to take over the march and divert it along a different route. Outside the Chinese Embassy there were some idiots who thought it would be amusing to start fires in the street and I was among the people who used the drinking water we had brought to put them out.
However the press at the time, on the whole, supported the protest and such incidents were not reported. Had the press opposed the protest I imagine they would have been on the front pages.
In 2002 I attended the European Social Forum in Florence, a gathering that Berlusconi tried to get banned and then ruined by warning the local people that we were subversives and terrorists who should be denied hotels, camsites, restaurants, bars. The Florentines were unimpressed and the city was filled with placards stating ‘citta apierta’ – Open City.
An anti Iraq-war march was arranged that we intended to join. Our group leader raised, as a serious concern, the rumour that an Italian terrorist group was going to disrupt it and suggested we should not attend. He was ignored. There were over a million of us on that march and it was breathtaking. We passed a group of elderly men with a placard ‘we fought for you, now you are fighting for everyone’.
The Italian newspapers , with one exception, did not mention it.
That event saw the first ever meeting of the nascent Tax Justice Network.
It was a wonderful event. I also went to Paris the following year, but it did not weork as well, I think vecause everything was dispersed through the city – in Florence it was concentrated in one area. I don’t remember seeing you!!!
Thinking back to the Iraq protest march which I was on (along with my son, as I found out later!) I have no doubt that Braverman would have been trying to ban that and dismiss everyone there as Saddam Hussein supporters.
Likewise the huge march for Remain which at the time was mocked for being full of middle class people with Waitrose bags! In contrast I was in Parliament Square when the pro-Brexit march came to town. It was like the worst kind of drunken football crowd (apologies to genuine football supporters). The police were there with full riot gear as they knew what to expect. I chatted to them in Parliament Square, watching some of marchers fight each other. The contrast with the Remain march was made, where they had nothing to do and just turned up in normal uniforms.
You can guess which event Braverman would have tried to ban and which she
would have supported.
It’s being reported now Braverman published without responding to No. 10’s requests for changes https://archive.ph/2023.11.09-110612/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2023/11/09/suella-braverman-no-10-sign-off-protest-article-met-police/
Hmmm…
True, but if Phil Moorhouse is correct, Sunak says he nevertheless supports Braverman.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Er85_hL4NKU
38 degrees petition already, with over 20,000 signatures, asking Sunak to sack her.
The response below was first posted to the Question of the Day debate before I read the item on ‘extremism & hate’ above, but is probably better placed on this topic.
We’re now well on the road to fascism with a Home Secretary openly facilitating the undermining of the Police (that’s the police for which she is responsible) and sotto voce encouraging mass demonstrations on London’s streets with the risk of public unrest. If that’s not enough, according to BBC R4’s The World at One today, she would not accept modifications proposed by her boss, the PM, to her original text. So she now appears to be in open defiance of the PM, who disagrees with her, but apparently she still “enjoys his complete confidence” (which is usually understood to mean ‘your P45 is in the post’). It all sounds like a manoeuvre to be sacked so that she can undermine Sunak, but is also a clear demonstration that Sunak is not a leader and can’t control his Cabinet. What’s next? Is that smell of burning the immolation of the Conservative Party? Or is the departure of Sunak to a quieter, more remunerative career more imminent? As described by Mike Small here: https://bellacaledonia.org.uk/2023/11/05/x-politics-and-dystopian-tech/
How long will they last?
It’s good to see all the actions put together.
https://labourhub.org.uk/2023/11/09/demands-for-a-gaza-ceasefire-intensify-both-government-and-opposition-feel-the-pressure/
The point that has been prominently used to justify banning the march is the phrase ‘from the river to the sea’, coming from supporters of Palestine.
Ironically it is also a phrase in Likud’s charter and is used by the ultra Zionists and settlers. Who have of course been busy eliminating the West Bank as a viable state, putting into practice their stated objective. And thats before talking about Gaza.
https://www.thearticle.com/from-the-river-to-the-sea-is-the-slogan-pro-hamas-or-ultra-zionist
Funny how we don’t hear that being pointed out.
My Dad was in the British Army and found himself in Israel in 1948 when the Irigun and Haganah were busy blowing up buildings and people, committing massacres of Arabs, and executing hostages. (It’s all well documented). He had a view on Israeli terrorism…
The Israeli ambassador to the UK is herself the daughter of some of those terrorists. Though Im sure she does not see them as such.
One mans terrorist is another’s freedom fighter as they say.
“One mans terrorist is another’s freedom fighter as they say.”
I don’t know how to allow such comments Richard. Are you pro Hamas or just anti semitic?
The questioin is stupid and utterly misplaced because clearly I am neither
But let’s ask you – was Nelson Mandela a terrorist or statesman, as well as freedom fighter
I’d say all three
Now, what do you say?
“Those who seek to divide society” – that’ll be Braverman then.