13 May 2021
Diary of a Corbynista
Hartlepool Aftermath
by Don Urquhart
6 May
Message Board responses to Corbynista in Shaw Sheet 277:
Scientist:
Have you noticed that the Conservatives, on their rare appearances on the radio or TV, have started to adopt the republican approach to talking to the media? They are now wearing little union jacks on their lapels, talking over the interviewer, being (very) economical with the truth, not answering questions, and immediately going into what-about-isms when cornered.
I wonder if this is unconscious, or whether there is someone in number 10 who is directing this.
Chippyboy:
Never been quoted on a message board before, ***** and all. Think I deserve a nom de plume though…. Eastender? Chippyboy?
Corbynista:
Chippyboy is referring to the entry:
“There are alleged to be three witnesses prepared to testify that Johnson yelled:
No more f*cking lockdowns – let the Bodies Pile High in Their Thousands.
If that is true it could cost him support.”
Greek Chic
£200M on a Royal Yacht????
Time for a republic…but not a Boris’s banana republic.
Walsall:
I am continually surprised by the lack of teeth from the Speaker. Exactly what is his job, other than to introduce people at PMQs? His lack of response to the continual evasion and outright misdirection by the PM and his front bench is mind-blowing.
Shelley:
Good to see the government trying to start a small war between Jersey and France using the Navy, on the eve of an election – duly picked up by the Daily Express and Daily Mail, bless them.
Walsall:
Funny how this was imposed then, when the French found out what was being done, got their hackles up. Then, just as quickly receded as they got round the table.
Looks rather like a manufactured crisis to me. The timing is so blatant.
7 May
Newsnight had on Caroline Flint to mull over the Hartlepool result. She predictably blamed Corbyn. Someone on Twitter asked the very good question:
Surely it’s time that Jeremy Corbyn stood down as the ex-party leader.
Caroline’s credibility was considerably enhanced by the endorsement of Sir Nicholas Soames who paid her unctuous compliments.
Know them by their friends.
An old Tory acquaintance used to regularly castigate me for supporting Ed Miliband, adding helpfully:
That Alan Johnson has got his head screwed on – you should have him as party leader.
I rest my case as Sir Keir Starmer might say.
8 May
Two earthshaking events occurred within 3 days. On Tuesday an old friend told me of the Epiphany he had experienced reading The Road to Somewhere by David Goodhart. Three days later the Hartlepool by-election was won by a Conservative. My pal had been impressed by Goodhart’s dichotomy of Somewheres and Anywheres. The latter were people who could live and ply their trade anywhere by virtue of education in the broadest sense. Somewheres are anchored in a particular location. My Remainer pal had this analysis as explaining the Brexit vote. He was formerly dismissive of Brexit voters as dim and/or racist. All well and good.
I read the book and although it is well researched it struck me as just another of those dichotomies like left/right, young/old, north/south, British/Foreign that gives you a framework to create a fantasy of your choice.
The only dichotomy that works for me is rich/poor. Hartlepool was further proof that you can brainwash and hoodwink the poor given enough support from the press and media barons.
9 May
Late addition to the Message Board:
Sunlounger:
The punters in Hartlepool love Johnson. Allegedly one Johnson voter from the area commented that he voted Tory because they had set up quite a few foodbanks whereas Labour hadn’t set up any. It appears strange to me that having a foodbank is kudos, but perhaps I am out of touch.
After promising that he would take full responsibility for Labour’s loss in Hartlepool, Mr Starmer promptly sacked Angela Rayner from her campaign duties. Glad to see that Labour is under new leadership (guffaw). Mr Starmer is also blaming Covid for his lack of action and personality promotion. It is classic Johnny Speight script material.
Scotland looks set for an independence referendum rematch. The English do not seem to like the fact that the will of the Scottish people is to support a government that wants a second independence referendum. Perhaps they have short memories. I can understand the Scottish position. After all, the eccentrics south of the border voted for something that the Scots didn’t want and has stymied the Scottish fishing industry. The English don’t seem to understand why the Scottish may be a wee bit pissed off and instead insist that the Scots embrace Brexit with open arms.
Anyway, in England it seems that jabs, jobs and jingoism have won the day, certainly in Hartlepool. Sending in the gun boats on Election Day was a master stroke and a master-class in willy waggling. Is Johnson taking a leaf out of someone else’s book and trying to create a mythical enemy and object of hatred? We shall see.
10 May
Tomorrow sees the State Opening of Parliament and the Queens Speech setting out the Government’s legislative programme. It is worth studying in detail as there is nothing to stop Johnson doing exactly as he pleases, not Parliament where the Opposition is in disarray, not the law of the land, nor common decency. Mr Putin will be proud of him.
11 May
Donald Trump’s victory speech in 2016 included the nugget “I love the poorly educated”. Johnson might well say the same given the vox pops coming out of Hartlepool. Don’t get me wrong! The people blaming Corbyn for their A&E closing and talking up Johnson for opening food banks could have been Ph D’s but they did not have the first clue of what was going on round them. Thanks are due to Tory ownership of the mass media and the dismal performance of the Labour Party in getting across its message.
12 May
24th March 2013 was a red letter day. Eddie Mair took over the Andrew Marr programme for the day and gave Boris Johnson a proper interview. His accusation:
You’re a nasty piece of work .
Eddie Mair was soon on his way out of the BBC and the other bloke became Prime Minister.
