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You give Nigel Farage far too much credit. He didn't invent racism.
No, but he worked out a way to make it more 'acceptable' in 21st century Britain, though.
No, but he worked out a way to make it more 'acceptable' in 21st century Britain, though.
Nigel Farage has been busy going around all over Europe in that case, judging by the current Europe-wide attitude towards asylum seekers.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq682ggrd63o
Robinson, 42, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was contacted by a female BBC reporter for comment after the incident, but Robinson responded with a message that said "slag".
One wonders why the BBC might have thought it would be appropriate for one of their more promiscuous female reporters to contact Yaxley-Lennon.
Where does the information about promiscuity come from?
Imma go out on a limb here and offer Ernie was being sarcastic...
So the BBC have apologised to Robert Jenrick after someone on Radio 4 accused him of xenophobia.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1dxqwkwx5qo
In response, Jenrick said listeners had been told that "if you're concerned about the threat of illegal migrants to your kids, you're racist".
I think that Robert Jenrick, and the BBC, might have missed the point. Describing people as coming from "backward countries" is pretty racist. It is not a recognised region of the world. At least I don't think it would be an appropriate term to use on your GCSE geography exam paper.
I reckon Jenrick got off lightly just being accused of xenophobia.
And I am surprised that Jenrick is such a soft snowflake that he presumably needs an apology from the BBC when someone is being beastly to him on the radio.
He doesn't seem to be the most suitable person for all the rough and tumble of UK politics to me.
I suppose Honest Bob has to at least retain a pretence of not wanting to appear xenophobic or racist. That's the main thing that distinguishes them from Reform (who increasingly don't care) nowadays. Whilst a Labour politician would be totally enraged by the accusation of xenophobia/racism whilst being led by the nose into implementing inherently xenophobic/racist policies.
🙄
The genie has been out of the bottle for 9 years now, it ain't going back in.
Honest Bob is a truly horrible, charmless little cockwomble.
He’s also not very bright. Farage is at least savvy enough to dress up his racism in vague, ambiguous language, thus ensuring plausible deniability.
Bob isn’t that smart. Referring to ‘backward’ countries, you might as well call them Bongo-Bongo-Land, or whatever. He then went on to basically accuse all immigrants of being rapists. it’s not really dog-whistle, is it? More megaphone racism really. You could read what he said and assume Tommy Robinson had come out with it
I can’t see any reason the BBC should apologise to him for merely stating the obvious. Xenophobic was quite mild.
Anyway… I’m sure he’ll provide us all with much amusement when he replaces Kemi shortly and is handed the poison challace he’s so unashamedly been pursuing for the last few years
Anyway… I’m sure he’ll provide us all with much amusement when he replaces Kemi shortly and is handed the poison challace he’s so unashamedly been pursuing for the last few years
Badenoch has raised the bar as far as embarrassing statements go, but I'm confident Jenrick could be the person to replace her seamlessly
I can’t see any reason the BBC should apologise to him for merely stating the obvious.
It’s what the BBC does.
I can’t see any reason the BBC should apologise to him for merely stating the obvious.
'Balance' is the usual catch-all for caving to the far right.
Badenoch has raised the bar as far as embarrassing statements go, but I'm confident Jenrick could be the person to replace her seamlessly
The kind of voter they are targeting doesn't have the capacity for something like embarrassment. Dog whistles and three word slogans are what cuts through.
Badenoch has raised the bar as far as embarrassing statements go, but I'm confident Jenrick could be the person to replace her seamlessly
Looks like he’s trying pretty hard already. He’s doubling down and doing so to a receptive audience… the 12 people who watch Talk TV
Oh dear….
Fresh from his harassing fare dodgers at a home counties commuter station, he’s now taken his vigilante/hardman/soldier for justice routine over the channel to confront some migrants. He’s really determined to put-Farage Farage. A fools errand if ever there was one.
I wonder what he thinks he looks like in his own head, when he’s pulling these stunts? It’s clearly a long way away from what a laughably daft prat he looks like in reality.
A good article by Ian Dunt today on how the Tories, Reform and the right wing press are virtually instigating rioting in this country, willing it into existence
https://iandunt.substack.com/p/tinderbox-britain-how-the-right-fell-3a7
he’s now taken his vigilante/hardman/soldier for justice routine over the channel to confront some migrants.
Blimey, top Tories are queuing up to pay their respects to would be migrants on the other side of the Channel. My own MP who works tirelessly to fan the flames of bigotry was over there recently too.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2xj7g8vj0o
He says that he had a knife pulled on him but he apparently didn't see it, he was told afterwards by someone in his entourage that they had seen someone holding a knife behind him
Maybe they shouldn't have turned up at the migrant camp at dinner time?
thats a leadership pitch ^^^
Jenrick will be up next to follow on from his grab a fare dodger stunt
Meanwhile, back in Epping, the council want mob rule to prevail, rather than push back against lies and rhetoric. (OK, it must be unpleasant for the locals in Epping, I accept that. But it's the price of truth, freedom and democracy)
BBC News - High court decision to be made on Epping asylum hotel injunction - BBC News
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp8z537ngvno
Given the type of voter the Tories are now trying to take from Reform, getting a knife pulled on you* is not the way to do it. He should be filmed kicking the shit out of a handcuffed migrant and making the guy's family watch. That's much more up the Reform voters' street.
*And yes, obviously the knife thing didn't actually happen.
To be fair I do have some sympathy for the council's claim that this is no longer a hotel. It has in effect become a refugee/asylum processing centre and the change of land use should probably require approval as it will likely impact local facilities and services differently.
The problem is that the Tory controlled council didn't apparently have any problems at all when there was a Tory government in power. According to the link :
The hotel previously housed asylum seekers from May 2020 to March 2021, and from October 2022 to April 2024
The other obvious problem is that it does potentially reward rioting. And politicians jumping on the bandwagon.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cjeykklwn7vo
Great news for those who believe that disgusting Nazi fascists should be called out, not only has a jury rapidly found Ricky Jones not guilty but they have also really pissed off Chris Philp and Nigel Farage. It's a win-win.
Mr Philp said: "The development of two-tier justice is becoming increasingly alarming.
"It cannot have been a question of uncertain evidence as the man was on video clearly calling for violence.
"The government must come forward with plans to ensure justice is handed out equally, regardless of the background or views of the perpetrator - but as far as I can see this Labour government seems to be quite happy with two-tier justice."
The leader of Reform UK and MP for Clacton, Nigel Farage, said the decision was "another outrageous example of two-tier justice".
So Chris Philp and Nigel Farage want a Labour government to directly interfere with the judicial process and overturn a court's not guilty verdict.
I am surprised that Chris Philp and Nigel Farage are apparently deeply critical of something so fundamentally British as trial by jury.
Or perhaps I'm not......after all there were no jury trials under the Third Reich. The Nazi regime abolished jury trials and replaced them with special courts. Disgusting Nazi fascists.
Anyone else a little shocked and disappointed by the turnout for Tiny Tommy Ten Names march yesterday? I was gobsmacked.
Seen a few posts from people who say they went along to support "British values" and are definitely not racists. Maybe you aren't racist, but you're ****ing gullible.
Anyone else a little shocked and disappointed by the turnout for Tiny Tommy Ten Names march yesterday
Yes, and yes
Also dismayed to see Elon Musk addressing it and calling for revolution, and wondering what it will take for the government to delete its profile from X and stop treating it as a suitable comms channel
Very shocked my BIL went to the protests in London. My sister is not happy with him. He's a dick !
I've commented on the Trump thread about. As someone who was in London yesterday, it was horrific and very scary (not physically, i mean at the direction we're heading in)
25 arrests! How many peaceful protesters have been arrested during Palestine action rallies?
Pathetic, how do people think this is the best way to sort the country out? Ooh I know let's give lots of money to Tommy **** face and fight with the police!!....
****s the lot of them.
Also, Musk should be arrested for inciting racial hatred if he ever steps foot in this country.
Anyone else a little shocked and disappointed
Shocked, absolutely not, but disappointed of course
We are sleepwalking into a disaster because people are underestimating the amount of absolute clowns that are buying into the right wing rhetoric. Yesterdays numbers weren't a shock to me based on the relentless onslaught of propaganda that floods my social media timelines, regardless of the fact it's the polar opposite of my view, but the algorithm does it's absolute best to push all this hate to me as it knows that's what causes the most engagement, the most clicks, the most views. Then, if you spend even a few minutes reading the comments under these posts, it's an utterly depressing experience
We're past the tipping point now. The far right are in the ascendancy and we're in for a really horrible few years. I only hope it is a few, but in reality I'm not hopeful...
We're past the tipping point now. The far right are in the ascendancy and we're in for a really horrible few years. I only hope it is a few, but in reality I'm not hopeful...
Afraid so
I can see the comments now.
"This isn't the fascist future we voted for"
Yes, pretty disturbing that he managed to motivate 150k people to a march in London, you only have to look at the speakers list to know what it's all about 😕 at the minimum I need to get a prominent badge to wear to show what side I'm on and speak out against their views whenever I hear them.
He's a dick !
Don't like that phrase at the best of times & even less so in this context.
Something fundamental has definitely changed significantly in the last couple of months, if my social media feeds are anything to go by.
I always had a few nobheads i used to go to school with posting questionable shit, but lately I’ve been genuinely shocked at the ‘nice, normal’ people who have been reposting stuff that a few years ago would have been the exclusive territory of the BNP
I’ve had quite a few arguments after calling people out, and quite a few people have been blocked as I don’t want to see their racist shite any more!
Im sure I’m not the only one experiencing this
I've been blocked by quite a few so called friends for trying to call out things they have put up. The amount of abuse from other people who also comment on the posts is unreal. No wonder some people won't put their heads above the parapet. I wouldn't mind if they presented rational discussion but it's normally just swearing at me.
No loss really.
A good article today by Ian Dunt today, coming to the same sad realisation as quite a few of us…
Something fundamental has definitely changed significantly in the last couple of months, if my social media feeds are anything to go by.
It's normalized now. I'm seeing changes in Scotland albeit not quite so openly hostile as yet. We're seeing local councillors defect to Reform as well
Agreed I expect Reform to take a significant percentage of the vote in Skye Lochaber and Badenoch next year. Could be enough to win a list seat. I will be delighted if I am wrong
I'm seeing changes in Scotland
It wasn't that long ago Farage had to hide in a pub in Edinburgh in fear of the mob that greeted him
Staggering how much that has changed in a few years
Saw an article on the BBC about flags going up in a few places in Scotland over the last week or so, just like they have been in England. Not the St George's cross obvs....
Coming back from the Lakes today on one of the bridges (in England) I saw a saltire and a St George's flag with a sheet with "We are Charlie Kirk" written on it.
My daughter is in charge of a small group of dedicated people who look after adult care leavers and teach them the skills to live on their own and gain employment to support themselves, some of them have come from other countries. Their small office is in a residential area but on a fairly well used road - three flags have appeared outside the entrance, the only ones on the whole road. I would like to think that it’s coincidence but I fear that they’ve been placed there to intimidate.
When we get back from our holidays myself and my wife are taking them down. We will then take them to the police station so they can be claimed. Yes, we will be scared, (we are 65 and 66), but we have to start the resistance to these (mostly) thugs.
Saw an article on the BBC about flags going up in a few places in Scotland over the last week or so, just like they have been in England. Not the St George's cross obvs.
This was in Falkirk I make no comment on the intelligence of those who brought that flag with them, I just wish their buddies had'nt brought saltires
https://share.google/images/5wiVr9ZAhuJ0QxzBT
Thought the last 10 minutes were worth a watch, the bit about people being confused and meeting that with empathy, not hate
I noticed a lot of flags in Edinburgh on the Calder Road last week. The week before I was heading up to Aberdeen and there were quite a few on bridges in the Perth area.
A large number of flags in my area on lamp posts. Most major junctions. Even out in leafy Woodford (South Manchester). The ones locally were probably done by one group as all are 2/3rds up lamp posts at a set height. Driving round with a cherry picker ?
This is the Saltire waver behind the Dundee protest this weekend
Including such jems as
“I can’t be a racist. Look at the colour of my skin."
“Half of the people here aren’t racist either"
They flags are all starting to look rather pathetic around Burnley, at least one fixing point snapped already, soaked through, limo and wrapped around the pole. I imagine today's weather will bring some down.
drove most of the M1 over the weekend, twice - there and back. Flags on many bridges, a few with racist slogans on - usually in each of the 'pane's of a george cross, eg 'Send them all back' or 'get the paedos out'.
The geezer looks knackered, he needs a holiday!
Unfortunately it can't be in the good ol' Blighty because so many people think he is a ****.
It needs to be a foreign country!
Again unfortunately that is a problem because so many countries don't like foreigners who cause trouble.
Life is hard when you have a global reputation for being a **** 😟
https://twitter.com/DPJHodges/status/1969305510257045798
Life is hard when you have a global reputation for being a ****
I'm hoping Trump has the same issues when he is no longer President
This is the Saltire waver behind the Dundee protest this weekend
"We're doing it for the women and the kids"
Like they also protest for women's pay equality, access to maternity health, childcare and so on, right? No? Oh.
A lot of them are doing it for themselves so they can act like some weird kind of heroes as well as be racists with plausible deniability. One of the biggest threats to women and kids on a day to day basis is domestic violence and .. well... there seems to be some links, same as when England lose at the football.
"The Guardian’s Freedom of Information analysis found that 41% of the 899 people arrested in the anti-immigration riots last July–August had previously been reported to police for domestic-abuse offences (in some local police forces the share was as high as 68%)."
A lot of them are doing it for themselves so they can act like some weird kind of heroes as well as be racists with plausible deniability.
There's a massive amount of this in the Alt-Right Grift where they need to be able to portray themselves as both victim and hero simultaneously. It's a accountability avoidance tactic where they shift from being a 'saviour' and then an 'innocent' sufferer. it creates a dynamic of blame and powerlessness, because in reality their self-esteem is fragile
"was travelling on an Irish passport he had recently obtained and that he lived in Spain"
Everyday is a school day, who knew that the former leader of the English Defense League had metamorphosed into an Irishman living in Spain?
I wonder how Spaniards feel about convicted foreign criminals living in their country as immigrants?
When he was asked to hand over the phone’s pin, Robinson was said to have replied: “Not a chance, bruv … You look like ****s so you ain’t having it.”
You don't need to have a degree in etiquette to figure out why Lennon seems to regularly rub coppers up the wrong way.
In other delightful news it would seem that care workers from ethic minorities (even though they make up a disproportionately high part of this poorly paid workforce) are now being advised to travel in groups and are often afraid to get out of their car.
No doubt the roundabout-painting relatives of some of their patients will be saying "they're so lazy, they hardly ever turn up and when they do they spend half an hour sat in their car outside".
I regularly see a black woman carer sat in her bashed up little hatchback in a dark, secluded side road. A side road just off of a 'flagged' main road. I do wonder what she feels about the UK in general. I've no idea if she is a UK citizen, but then I doubt that would make much difference to the flag brigade anyway.
Everyday is a school day, who knew that the former leader of the English Defense League had metamorphosed into an Irishman living in Spain?
That's a surprise to me too. Well, maybe it isn't, he's always been a lying chancer.
Holy ****, some extra free time on FB this week has been an eye opener on how far down the Reform/Tommy rabbit holes some people have gone. Its been an education. I do love this quote though:
"Trying to reason with a Reform supporter is like playing chess with a pigeon. It doesn't matter if you win, the pigeon is going to strut across the board has if its won anyway!"
An example of the normalisation of hateful racist behaviour....I cycled through Nelson last Monday, at a busy road junction a pickup pulled up next to two Asian girls waiting to cross, the driver blasted his horn to get their attention pointed an imaginary gun to his head and accelerated away. One of the girls laughed it off, the other looked upset and they ran off. No visible numberplate. I was shocked; people experience racism regularly but that was so visible and intimidating.
On a more encouraging note, we joined 3000 others at a stand up to racism demo in Leeds on Saturday, only half a dozen pissed right wing nutters and a few of the black clad video "recorders" were there to jeer. The organisers were pleased with the turnout, and It was an uplifting day for a change.