Psychoactive Substances: Rolling UK Politics in The Neo-Con Era

Maybe not. Looks like complaining about politicization is, uh, politicization to me. (XP!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Of course, if the murderer had been an immigrant, the Leave side would still be maintaining a dignified silence ...

('maybe not' refers to the pun. too soon to pun?)

Leave campaign = stoking the fires of racism, but fortunately the PLP and their Cameronite bros have been more than ready to counter that thru repeatedly moaning about the need to address working class people's "very real concerns" about immigration rather than deviate from their own Neolib economic orthodoxy. Inasmuch as heightened racial tensions led to this there are a lot of parliamentarians with dirty hands who should be thinking hard before they open their mouths in future but hey no the game's still afoot.

'Politicise' in this instance means 'draw conclusions we don't like'. If there's one thing politicians don't like it's confronting the social consequences of their own economic policies.

It'd be interesting to compare and contrast with the Telegraph/Spectator's coverage of the Lee Rigby murder but also frankly too depressing to bother.

This tweet seemed apposite: https://twitter.com/Mendelpol/status/743713966954668032

We never questioned people speaking on telephones to each other having a poisonous effect on society did we?

Actually we totally did

"nothing to see here just a lone nutter" is so infuriating on so many levels

I was in a little bubble yesterday painting the hallway and kind of switched off from the full scope of what happened, and now I'm sitting at my desk taking this all in and I just want to cry.

We had an office "afternoon football" thing, I went down for some pizza early on, and intended to go back a bit later for the closing stages.

When I saw the news, I wasn't interested in the football anymore. God knows how people must have felt having had the jumping up and down at the last goal and the final whistle, and come out to find all this had happened.

there's always concern about new media because it does have a big effect on how people think, and short term losses are more visible than possible long term gains. even in classical times there was concern about the effect literacy had on people's memory

the remain campaign has been awful, no positive case made, no engagement with the main opposition arguments, endless scaremongering, it has clearly distanced a lot of people and there seems to be a lot of genuine confusion and surprise that this has been the outcome, which is the most damning bit of it all

"the politics of failure have failed!"

Engaging with immigration is still seen as massively dangerous for the left, even (especially) when pointing out that it's a benefit to the nation.

If Leave win, there should be a statue of Gillian Duffy in Trafalgar Square by next Sunday.

Leave campaign = stoking the fires of racism, but fortunately the PLP and their Cameronite bros have been more than ready to counter that thru repeatedly moaning about the need to address working class people's "very real concerns" about immigration rather than deviate from their own Neolib economic orthodoxy. Inasmuch as heightened racial tensions led to this there are a lot of parliamentarians with dirty hands who should be thinking hard before they open their mouths in future but hey no the game's still afoot.

^^^ This. It's also apparent that at some point, possibly around 2010, politicians stopped viewing bigotry as something to be argued against and became something to be tiptoed around or pandered to for fear of looking remote, or too London, or just not listening enough. Meanwhile the employment and housing problems that ferment this kind of resentment are allowed to get worse and worse, because, y'know, The Market.

Gillian Duffy is usually seen as a turning point but it was happening under Blair too. Blunkett made a fairly solid media career on the back of it.

I often wonder what the outcome would have been if Brown had just said, "I called her a bigot because she is a bigot. And we all need to learn from her bigotry", or something, rather than what went down.

the visceral hatred of politicians which has gradually built up can feel explosive, and feeds the deep streak of reactive chippiness that's been brought out by all the stern calls to economic seriousness and prophecies of doom. people sufficiently incensed and indignant that they’re ready to harm themselves to show how tough they are

Oh God, did you have to remind me of that incident. My whole being is cringing just thinking about it. (xp)

If Leave win, there should be a statue of Gillian Duffy in Trafalgar Square by next Sunday.

They'll be floating a Farage one down the Thames like the statue of Jacko.

Grant Shapps has said that as a mark of respect the by-election to fill Cox's seat should be uncontested, which seems odd? was reminded today that the Lib Dems actually won the by-election that followed Ian Gow's murder.

Labour held Tooting which I pessimistically wasn't expecting - something at least.

daily politics is showing footage of the announcement at the tooting by-election, obviously a sombre atmosphere, monster raving loony candidate looks a bit out of place

Shouldn't even be a by-election imo. Labour won the seat and this berk shouldn't be allowed to change that

Daily Mail reporting that the Tories will not contest the by-election.

Confirmed.

fucking hell, the mental gymnastics I'm seeing from Brexiters who are desperate to argue that it's nothing to do with anything remotely right-wing. Literally on my facebook: "we could have just as easily had a situation where a deranged socialist shot a tory"
Yes, I can imagine lots of imaginary things too, but those didn't happen and this did
FFS I give up

every mention of 'mentally ill' should probably come with a reminder about the Tories' 'contribution' to the funding of mental health services and contributing factors btw

"we could have just as easily had a situation where a deranged socialist shot a tory"

http://www.newsbiscuit.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/david-cameron-hoodie-yob-gun-hand-sign-shooting-culture.jpg

was reminded today that the Lib Dems actually won the by-election that followed Ian Gow's murder.

Sounds like the Lib Dems tbh!

daily politics is showing footage of the announcement at the tooting by-election, obviously a sombre atmosphere, monster raving loony candidate looks a bit out of place

― soref, Friday, 17 June 2016 11:34 (48 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

The Radio 1 news this morning said she didn't do a victory speech.

Which is somewhat inaccurate, she did make a speech which was a tribute. She didn't just say nothing..

xp all the major parties contested it, as well as the NF, Lindi St Clair and something called the "Ironside Party"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastbourne_by-election,_1990

The loss came as a shock to many Conservatives who had expected (not least given the circumstances under which the by-election was held, as well as the fact that it had been retained by a majority of more than 16,000 votes in 1987) that they would easily retain the seat. Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe sent a message to voters saying that the IRA would be "toasting their success".[1]

Eastbourne, so I imagine it wouldn't have made any difference if Labour had contested this or any other election there.

To give credit where it's due, after my earlier comments about the Telegraph, its front page didn't shy away from the reported "Britain first" cry. Unlike the Mail, Express and Sun, who all just pushed the "crazed loner" angle.

http://i.imgur.com/lUNN7Xh.jpg

http://cdn.images.dailystar.co.uk/dynamic/pixfeed/covers/81x101/front_2016-06-17.jpg

Daily Star went with "MP DEAD AFTER ATTACK BY BREXIT GUNMAN" (sorry, can't find a bigger picture)

I agree that arguments that this was somehow apolitical, that this guy was "just" crazy are iniquitous, but "Brexit gunman" seems a bit dubious to me as well? idk

LOL, not pulling their punches there.

is the telegraph in the leave or remain camp?

private eye has been saying that there is pressure from the paper's owners for the editors to not take a strong pro-brexit line, prompting an angry response from readers

To give credit where it's due, after my earlier comments about the Telegraph, its front page didn't shy away from the reported "Britain first" cry. Unlike the Mail, Express and Sun, who all just pushed the "crazed loner" angle.

🗻

Thanks soref, I suppose they reflect the tensions within the tories

An interesting edit:

https://twitter.com/bonaldi/status/743532776763318272

Is the Star still owned by Richard Desmond? If so, you could read that headline as triumphalist.

lolololol if the barclay brothers are getting cold feet btw

Being reported that Mair is being charged under anti-terrorism laws and is being moved to London. The hapless nutter angle falters.

xps Last night Britain First said that Tommy Mair had never had any contact with their group and condemned shrugged their shoulders at the killing might be closer than what the Telegraph actually printed

My local pub gets the Telegraph; I occasionally flick through (mainly just on the way to the crosswords tbh) and iirc last year it was more Brexity but this year a lot of the articles have had a slightly resigned/fence-sitting tone of not really liking this EU business but it's all about the economy so stiff upper lip and let's stay in for now

(this may not be quite fair - have been trying to cut down on the boozing and consequently haven't spent much time in the pub reading the paper over the last month or two)

+ good catch Andrew/stet

I am dense, who is the "glaring exception"?

https://www.scribd.com/doc/169454715/Nigel-Farage-1981-school-letter#fullscreen

I am dense, who is the "glaring exception"

Boris Johnson

Farrage.