Wokeish is not my mother tongue, but I feel I can usually speak and write it fluently because it is all the opposition parties in the Commons speak all the time. It is prevalent on the BBC and mainstream media, so news is dominated by its tropes and preoccupations.
It is stifling much debate and creating a divide with the informal conversations of some parts of the social media and of life when permitted in many clubs, bars and homes. It seems to be driving some people who do not follow politically correct thought into more extremes of language and frustration, which is bad for democratic debate. It means anyone however moderate and decent can fall foul of the unwritten rules of language and attitude that the left insist on. It leaves those of us who want proper debate about the preoccupations of the public struggling to allow it, given the severe censorship of the very topics on one side, and the roughness of language of some frustrated voters on the other side who threaten to abuse what should be the right of free speech.
There is a narrow preoccupation with certain themes, and a rigid view of certain challenges and opportunities. Brexit is all bad and always bad to the followers of politically correct fashion. They simply take every lie, half truth and threat from the EU side in the negotiations and retail it as truth.Many editors and interviewers bat for the EU in composition and questions of the interviews.
They alternate their anger over Brexit with their dominant wish that every sacrifice be made by the UK to purge the last drop of oil, the last molecule of gas and the last lump of coal from our lives and economy, as if the UK alone was responsible for their view of impending climate disaster and as if it will save the planet if the UK does abandon all carbon. There is no proportion in their understanding, and no room for anyone to ask critical questions or offer an alternative way forward. Gone is the usual worry about lost jobs or economic penalties as they chase a perfectly carbon free economy before the technologies to deliver it resonate with the public or are even available to buy.
Like most of us, they object strongly to slavery, yet their main anger is to slavery past by UK traders, with no mention of the people who traded slaves with them. They show scant parallel interest with the ugly slaveries of today that we might do something about. They rummage through UK history to highlight events and attitudes that we no longer support, ignoring the noble causes and the successes. They decline to mention the common adoption of the unacceptable by other countries and governments at the same time. England is always in the wrong, and never the victim in their world of devils and angels. There is a complete lack of pride in the UK’s role in bringing democracy to the world, in the successful campaigns fought against religious intolerance and slavery, and the battles for equality under the law and votes for all.
We need to take back control of our language and of the agenda. A strong democracy is one that can conduct a civilised but serious and passionate debate about what matters to large blocks of opinion. Attempts to prevent topics and ban any view you disagree with is usually an unwelcome move to alienate significant parts of the electorate and impoverish decision taking.
November 21, 2020
Sir John, you have always maintained a cool and calm manner, no matter how strongly you felt about such issues as our relationship with Europe, and I have always admired your self-control. Your recent posts are, however, quite justifiably letting your frustration with the Government become far clearer.
What I see from reading comments both here, on Conservative Home and on Conservative Woman, is an unprecedented use of the terms ‘madness’ or ‘insanity’ to describe this Government’s actions on finance, EU negotiations, health, immigration and zero-carbon – not from political opponents but from hitherto Tory supporters, and I agree with them.
I’m well aware that attempting to convey a sense of strong public feelings to embattled Prime Ministers is a thankless – and often fruitless – task, but many of us are relying on you (and similar-minded colleagues) to make our voices heard. Thank you for your continuing efforts.
November 21, 2020
SM,
I agree entirely with your sentiments. Sir John is an absolute gentleman, intelligent and articulate. Also, a REAL Conservative.
In this crazy world kidnapped by the climate change, PC control freaks, this diary continues to be a breath of fresh air. But, how do we get common sense to prevail when the liberal elite have almost total control of what is permitted to be aired to us poor mortals. It would be absolutely great to see Sir John at the tiller of our ship of hope, but until the pirates are vanquished, the journey remains perilous.
The pendulum swings and, despite my age, I do believe that there is still chance that I will see a reversal of this stupidity. Let’s start with a successful challenge by Trump in the US, followed promptly by an acceptance by Boris that he is out of his depth, therefore offering his resignation. He can always blame it on Covid.
Whoever next becomes PM, if it is not Sir John, he must become a member of the inner circle. God knows, we need someone of his calibre in there!
November 21, 2020
Pominoz
“Whoever next becomes PM, if it is not Sir John…..”
========
Personally I think the whole system is so rotten and stinks so badly that putting Sir Redwood in No 10 would be disrespectful to him.
We need a thorough disinfect of the entire system first….then put in someone decent like JR who would maintain it properly.
He doesn’t deserve a poison chalice.
November 21, 2020
That’s the problem. Some entered Parliament to serve others to create the religion of ego.
To many good people will be destroyed by this madness, it will take a generation to be in a position just to rebuild.
November 21, 2020
I support Sir John as next PM but as long as he PLEASE listens to (and I don’t see why he wouldn’t – but just encouraging):
1) Those who want to restore traditional Judaeo / Christian (and Graeco / Roman) values, in particular: 1. Work Ethic, Family Values (anything in politics that can make The Family stronger), Patriotism.
2) People in The Arts. The Arts are key to Business in many so many ways. Part of the great success of Apple is on Creative Design. Towns and cities where there are creative industries attract business in general (look at Berlin). Creative industry is worth a lot anyway. Look at how JK Rowling has brought billions to this country. You cannot put a true value on creativity. A lot of creative people suffer from depression and need support and encouragement (including financial support here and there).
3) People in the High Tech / Digital Sector. Including helping to create more entrepreneurs in this sector.
4) Spreading more wealth to the North.
5) That Sovereignty is a great thing but that we also need very healthy and positive relations (trade / culture / security) with our neighbours in Europe – not to be a North Korea.
6) Trees. Just plant trees all over our country, cities and towns. Not just to fight pollution but also to help beautify our cities and towns.
For God, Queen, Country and Family
November 21, 2020
Also, I strongly believe the above methods – within the Conservative Philosophy – are easily the best way to bring down taxation significantly. When people learn to be more responsible for themselves and love their country more.
This Conservatism is also very much rooted in the values of Edmund Burke.
November 21, 2020
All industry is âcreativeâ. Iâm sick of the (piss) artists demanding subsidy while they pay themselves hundreds of millions. They tell us they are world beaters and indispensable, they are not.
They then âinvestâ in cars which remain exempt from CGT (why is that JR?) and âcharitiesâ including âgirl upâ and other UN charities, therefore donât pay the taxes they should.
Letâs get the bread and butter sorted out before we worry about the cherry on the top.
November 21, 2020
@Lynn
I didn’t meant that. I meant special bursaries to help poor artists and writers who may turn out to be the future JK Rowlings of the future. Who brought billions to this country.
When Handel wrote The Messiah after a severe state of depression.
Things like that. Why is the modern world creating the great arts of The Renaissance. There simply isn’t the patronage anymore. Just a bit of extra money to help poor, vulnerable creative people who could turn out to offer great financial returns like JK Rowling.
November 21, 2020
‘All industry is âcreativeâ
– So I am talking about: Art, Writing, Music, Sculptor, Film Direction. For an investment of a few million to encourage budding creatives (sure element of risk) billions could be returned into the coffers.
November 21, 2020
Slightly old chart. But in 2005, here are Total Art Expenditure For Various Countries per Capita:
Finland about 3.5 x times more than UK
Germany about 3 x times more than UK
France about over 2 x times more than UK
November 21, 2020
The bank bail outs were many, many, many times greater in value than money spend on The Arts.
Why should we spend so, so, so much on bank bailouts and neglect trying to bring on the great composers of the future, the great writers, artists, film directors – who all directly and indirectly contribute billions to the national coffers (or potentially could a lot more). Whilst contributing hugely to the mental well-being of the nation. As well as contributing to Patriotism (for Arts is key to patriotism).
I am not asking for a lot more. But some more could make a big difference.
November 22, 2020
Cars are exempt, probably, because most of them devalue over time. Using such losses against capital gains would reduce capital gains taxes – possibly by a significant amount.
November 22, 2020
EdM when you talk about bank bailouts:
A) werenât many of those bail out loans that were repaid with interest?
B) several banks if I remember like Barclays and HSBC didnât take any government bailout and Lloyds repaid
C) RBS wouldnât have been in such a mess if they hadnât bailed out a failed Dutch bank, just why did a Scottish Led band under a Scottish led government at that time do that? No due diligence, the government now mostly own that banking organisation donât they and are looking for full repayment of the bailout.
D) many of the failing building societies like Northern Rock gave bad mortgages, encouraged to do so from government taking the lead from Clinton in America. Did you get to the bottom of how much was actually lost by the government taking over these loans?
November 22, 2020
Ed……..special bursaries to help poor artists and writers……..
Years ago composers etc had patrons and sponsors to assist them. There are many hugely rich people and organisations around the world to provide such modern sponsorship, but they’ll probably want tax breaks!
November 22, 2020
@miami.mode
Why can’t Boris and those in power challenge the multi millionaires to dip into their pockets and help bring on the JK Rowlings, the Dickens, the Handels of the future?
It’s a well-known fact, you only need a certain amount of money to be happy. After you reach the limit, money quickly loses it power to make happy, and quickly gains its power to make people unhappy.
Will the government please use their power and influence to challenge the rich. They could do so at party conferences and places like that.
November 21, 2020
God and Queen? No thanks. One doesn’t exist. The other is a relic from our history that should have been replaced centuries ago.
Country? What does that even mean. The artificial geographical borders of a place?
I’d go along with ‘community and family’.
November 22, 2020
@Mike,
‘God’ – All I can say is that I have experienced miracles, the miracle-like, great joy and humour in my life because I experience God in my life (spiritually / intellectually / emotionally – and His fingerprints all over the created world). That this belief orders my life and makes is beautiful. I experience that the same extends to family, community and country.
‘Queen’ – Fair enough. God fairly reluctantly gave the Jews a monarchy in David. But we have a monarchy. And the monarchy is like a figure-head symbol of a country (psychologically human beings need ‘symbols’ to help order their lives). Representing our best values to aim for.
‘Community’ – but who lays down the rules what ‘community’ is? Human being need rules so that we all know what we’re trying to achieve together and how to achieve it. I agree with you to a degree except ‘Community’ on its own is too nebulous without some kind of explanation / rules what it’s about.
‘Family’ – I agree with you 100%
Best
November 22, 2020
@a-tracy
I am NOT attacking the banks / bail-outs. I am a capitalist!
But I also LOVE the arts. All I am saying is that if we help the banks in the way we did (and there was risk involved in doing that) then surely we could put a tiny, tiny part of that to try and create the JK Rowlings of the future, who knows, the Handels of the future, the Dickens of the future (there’s probably one sitting in an office when he should be writing great novels – and the spin offs to the country in terms of interest, patriotism, and the money the arts directly and indirectly bring in are HUGE!
November 21, 2020
If Sir John, wanting to become PM, incorporated (and don’t see why not) the values of traditional Judaeo/Christian (and best of Graeco/Roman), I would fanatically support him (bit like Joan of Arc supporting the dauphin to become king! I’m being slightly tongue in cheek – but not completely – and I seriously think Sir John could be PM but as long as he follows these values (which I don’t see why he wouldn’t – just reminding / encouraging). I passionately believe in the virtues of Patriotism, Family and Work Ethic (not that I claim to be a saint here – but trying ..). Not just for their own sakes but to create a cheerful, strong and fulfilled nation – a nation that is like a beautiful work of art – like a beautiful Faberge Egg! And where its citizens are like bees making honey (in the family home, at work, and in the country in general) instead of like pigs and rats – just out for themselves and gnawing to bits our great country.
For God, Queen, Country and Family
November 21, 2020
Great political leaders from the past to be inspired by:
1. St Louis King of France
2. Cyrus the Great of Persia (the only non-Jewish person to be given the title of ‘anointed one’ in the Bible)
3. Sir Winston Churchill
4. Chancellor Konrad Adenauer
5. Marcus Aurelius
November 21, 2020
Here is an extract from a Johnson Daily Telegraph column in 2010: (courtesy of Iain Dale Conservative Home
âThe question is whether anthropogenic global warming is the exclusive or dominant fact that determines our climate, or whether Corbyn is also right to insist on the role of the sun. Is it possible that everything we do is dwarfed by the moods of the star that gives life to the world? The sun is incomparably vaster and more powerful than any work of man. We are forged from a few clods of solar dust. The sun powers every plant and form of life, and one day the sun will turn into a red giant and engulf us all. Then it will burn out. Then it will get very nippy indeed.â
The Corbyn he is referring to is Piers Corbyn.
November 21, 2020
Piers Corbyn (physics Imperial) is indeed right. The climate changes, it always has always will. Mankindâs activities clearly have some effects but they are only a minor factor, one of millions of things that affect the climate, many not even knowable or remotely predictable. There is no reason at for the net zero agenda, it will be hugely damaging to jobs and the economy and will do nothing remotely significant for climate. It most likely, like this second idiotic lockdown do far more harm than good.
Kwasi Kwarteng (the energy secretary classics and history at Trinity College, Camb.) is usually one of the more sensible MPs but he was talking complete drivel on net zero carbon recently it is total lunacy.
November 21, 2020
It seem that Princess Nut Nuts (who seems to be another Prince Charles with her absurd and hugely damaging agenda) is in charge. She seem to be wrong on almost everything.
She seems to want to bury the Conservative Party and wreck the economy rather like the halfwit John ERM Major did.
November 21, 2020
Boris has been completely captured and will soon be handing out redundancy notices to many of his MPs for 2024.
November 21, 2020
Who gives a flying for what she âwantsâ?
November 21, 2020
If the vaccine is sufficiently safe, a very big “IF” indeed given the low risk of the disease to most people and the fact that we are near herd immunity levels now anyway in most areas.
Then, during the initial vaccine shortages/rationing it should go to men (who are almost twice as likely to get it) at an earlier age than to woman. Say men over 65 and Women of 72 or whatever the risk data says. Possible also adjusted for blood group, job, baldness and other risk factors. But Gender is the huge one.
After all they say we are following “The Science”. So have the government “experts” pointed this out and the politicians just vetoed it (preferring far more serious cases and deaths just for political reasons) or are the “experts” being grossly negligent and have not told the politicians.
Please can you try find out JR? It is appalling negligence either way!
November 21, 2020
LL
Like Johnson, the ‘experts’ are in thrall to someone / something else…..no one trusts them.
November 22, 2020
I am recently more converted to your argument (although still not completely).
I think a central, world-wide, Conservative think-tank is required to answer the issue of climate change (not that I agree with it – but we need an argument and plan to assuage the greenies. At moment they are hysterical. And at moment their opponents just seem to be boiling their rage (it’s like a marriage where arguing between the two partners just escalates to all out war).
We need to see if there is a way we can assess more accurately what is going on with the climate. How much is man-made? What is the most effective thing we can react to this at least possible cost to economy. How long would it take to develop such technologies? How much? Do we need such technologies? Are there other things we can do? Etc .. We need more research and planning. This needs to be organised and financed by those opposed to the greenies. Otherwise the greenies COULD do huge damage to our economy with PERHAPS little reduction in any possible climate damage / threat.
November 21, 2020
How true! The problem is that Wokeish has been growing and spreading for decades. It will not be eradicated easily. It has gained more than a foothold in your own party. Time for another research and reform group?
November 21, 2020
The Wokes are the Japanese Knotweed of politics!
November 21, 2020
The problem of Japanese Knotweed (rather like Asbestos, building claddings and CO2) have been hugely overdone mainly to make profits for vested interest and lawyers.
Wokery is a far more serious problem. It is quite easy to kill knotweed. The other huge problem is the appalling attack on Free Speech. Dr Mike Yeadon (who is perfectly sensible, honest, brave and indeed exactly right) censored by the internet giants for telling the truth it seems.
November 21, 2020
+1 need to be totally eradicated. You canât keep one root.
November 21, 2020
I agree about the dangers (and boring nature) of woke / political correctness.
But the other side of the coin is also how our Western World is becoming more vulgar / brash / aggressive / individualistic – and people less gracious / less gentleman-like / less lady-like / less warm-hearted.
November 21, 2020
I blame the Universities and Education in general. I would not want to send my young children to school these days to be brainwashed with Socialism from teachers who have already been brainwashed within in the same system. On and on it goes.
November 21, 2020
Good point.
And so much of education is a complete waste of time. 90% of kids just need focus on Maths, English and Logic (there should be special classes about how to think logically).
I wish I hadn’t gone to university at all (only if smart enough to go to Oxbridge etc). Loved studying English for A’ Level (REALLY USEFUL) but the other two subjects were a complete waste of time (History and Spanish). Instead i wish I could have studied an A’ Level that covers say Computer Coding / Digital Marketing and another A’ Level that covers say Intro to setting up a Business / Accounts.
Then I would have travelled around the world for a year, and gone straight into work, aged 19 / 20. Who knows, maybe I am not smart enough but another person like me could, by now, be a multi-millionaire of a high-tech start-up if that they’d followed that plan – employing 40 or 50 people with high skilled jobs, and exporting high quality high tech software / hardware products abroad.
November 21, 2020
Also, if someone does want to do a really useful A’ Level like Coding or How To Set Up and Run a Business – type thing, they might not ever use it but more useful than learning History or Spanish.
Also, maybe someone decides they don’t want to go into business but become say a writer or an artist. At least Coding / Business A’ Level would be more useful – you could use these to help you get part-time work to help pay your way into being a writer or an artist or whatever.
November 21, 2020
Decadence is brutish.
November 21, 2020
This government is following this trend, not reacting against it. That’s part of the problem itself. Eventually the problem will corrects itself down the rabbit hole of national bankruptcy as money is spent on green stuff, unnecessary lockdowns, pushing diversity where more incompetents are running things just because they tick the right boxes, unnecessary immigration – housing and servicing that, and so on. The Chinese won’t do any of these things and will rightly come out on top.
We will unfortunately get sucked into the vortex. The Tory party will be no exception.
November 21, 2020
‘The Chinese wonât do any of these things and will rightly come out on top.’
– Was watching documentary on Ang Lee, the director of Emma Thompson’s brilliant screenplay adaption of Jane Austen’s Sense & Sensibility.
In it, Lee said that Chinese society today is much more similar, than English society today, to English society back in Jane Austen’s time (a lot of Chinese today are Protestant / Catholic – although part of their grace today also is that so many of them still follow the best values of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism – inspiring them to act like productive, creative bees instead of self-destructive, negative rats – where as we in the west are becoming more and more like rats – and pigs – and less and less like bees).
We need to return to the traditional Judaeo/Christian and Graeco/Roman values of Jane Austen and those of her era. If not, our Western World looks more and more like its going to implode – whilst China is looking more and more like its going to take over in every sense.
November 21, 2020
+1
November 21, 2020
John’s piece simply echoes the hysterical caricatures of opposing views that we read so often in the sillier right wing media.
Ordinary people are often reticent about expressing their views, not because they fear prosecution or social opprobrium – the Human Rights Act protects Free Speech – but because they fear losing their JOBS over them.
This is down to one thing alone – to the wide and arbitrary power that Tory employment “law” gives to employers, to dismiss staff for matters entirely unconnected with their effectiveness or otherwise in their contractual roles.
If you want this to end, then vote for a party which will address these one-sided relationships – that is, not for the Tories.
November 21, 2020
MiC
“Johnâs piece simply echoes the hysterical caricatures of opposing views that we read so often in the sillier right wing media.”
=============
And do you not suppose your post echoes typical hallmarks of the left ? i.e. envy, jealousy, treason, wanting it without working for it etc.
November 21, 2020
+1
November 21, 2020
I am astounded to read your view that TORY employment law allows employers to dismiss staff willy-nilly. Absolute tripe. The law presents costly barriers to employers who deploy such tactics. Yes there are some who bend the rules, I have experience of the BBC doing so, but they were embarrassed in tribunal, thanks to employment law, thanks Tory Party. I didn’t notice labour under bliar and brown making much change to the law !
November 21, 2020
Complete nonsense as usual Martin – a reversal of fact.
Employers are dismissing people exactly because they fear the WOKE brigades and their social media campaigns that are so easily mounted by anonymous fanatics – there is no free speech involved – quite the opposite, it is the suppression of opinion.
Will Suzanne Moore use the human Rights Act to get her job back at the Guardian? Doesn’t seem very likely does it?
November 21, 2020
+1
November 21, 2020
10 Nov FA Assoc. 63 year old (although why they had to reference his age I donât know) Clarke was forced to apologise after he used the word âcolouredâ when referring to Black players as he addressed the United Kingdomâs Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport Committee (DCMS) about diversity issues on Tuesday…. also attracted criticism for suggesting that Englandâs lack of professional players from a South Asian background was due to âdifferent career interestsâ… Clarke also described being gay as a âlife choiceâ
Sanjay Bhandari, Kick It Out executive chair, said: âHis use of outdated language to describe Black and Asian people as âcolouredâ is from decades ago and should remain consigned to the dustbin of history.
âBeing gay is not a âlife choiceâ as he claimed. The casual sexism of saying âgirlsâ do not like balls hit at them hard is staggering from anyone, let alone the leader of our national game. It is completely unacceptable.â
Bhandari said he was particularly concerned by âthe use of lazy racist stereotypesâ about South Asian people and their supposed career preferences.
Would another party have stopped the FA from forcing his hand to resign, should he have had stronger employment laws to protect him when he spoke what was on his mind?
November 21, 2020
MiC: May I ask whether you think that someone who is very effective at his job should be retained even if he regularly attempts to assault people, without provocation, on his way to and from his desk or bench?
November 21, 2020
Trust you to twist things. Typical Socialist thinking!
November 21, 2020
Yes the âbossesâ are now the Socialist, mostly in corporations, and demand you âtake the kneeâ etc.
I would prefer to âlie dead in a ditchâ – I mean it!
November 21, 2020
And itâs not just Conservative Home/Woman, itâs The Mail, The Express, The Telegraph,Lockdown Sceptics, The Spectator readers saying the same.
There are, as ever – the silent majority who think this way, but have no way of expressing their anger and frustrations.
As I say in my other post, what can we do?
Iâm sick of writing to my MP and the PM – nothing much is changing…
Iâve signed up to an anti-lockdown group, of which apparently, there are many… but where are their voices; too small to be heard.
November 21, 2020
Sharon
“As I say in my other post, what can we do?”
……….what you can do, Sharon, is to be be as self sufficient as possible, grow as much fruit and veg as you can if you have a garden, acquire skills to repair things, keep fit, speak your mind (which is an English birthright) and perhaps take up boxing or martial arts classes, long bow archery is also a satisfying activity.
I do archery, been doing it for years. I also maintain a collection of vintage garden tools including everything from scythes to pitch forks and club hammers.
Also, because of Johnson’s meddling with energy, perhaps consider acquiring a solid fuel AGA / Rayburn…..they can’t tax what you put in that to heat and cook with, and there is always plenty of free fuel about.
Live a traditional lifestyle outside of what traitor governments can interfere with, and be always prepared, is the point.
November 21, 2020
Yes, I shoot. Lovely pastime, and useful. I find it keeps my eye in for golf.
November 21, 2020
Join and support the Free Speech Union
November 21, 2020
Just speak freely.
November 21, 2020
Indeed the Boris government have gone totally mad on almost everything:- The second lockdown, the attacks on free speech and against vaccine realists, the mad net zero carbon lunacy, energy, HS2, Stonehenge, Space, economic managements, taxation, corruption in awarding contracts and in a few days time they are going to rat on the EU referendum and deliver a dire Brexit in name only.
It they do this, as I fully expect, they are surely done for. Theatre studies graduate Queen Carrie seems to be in charge.
November 21, 2020
+1
November 21, 2020
+1
November 21, 2020
Indeed SM.
November 21, 2020
It sounds like you ought to join Lawrence Fox’s party SJR. Except that he may be a Remainer. Reform might be a better option.
November 21, 2020
I don’t think Reclaim and Reform are very good names. There is also Recovery UK including Lord Sumption, which is an anti lockdown organisation rather than a political party. Maybe they should join forces and call themselves the Three Rs.
David Kurten’s Heritage Party covers similar ground.
I would call my anti establishment party the Deplorables. That’s what likes of Hilary Clinton, Blair, Brown, Bono and Bojo think of us anyway. And it sticks in the mind.
When Gordon Brown called Gillian Duffy a bigoted woman it told the world what the majority of senior politicians around the world thought of ordinary people with everyday concerns.
November 21, 2020
Well, Trump is certainly opposed to some well-established things, such as that the candidate with the most votes in a state is the winner. Any other claim to be “anti-Establishment” by him is utterly laughable however.
It’s good to see that Republicans in both Michigan and in Georgia want none of his brazenly criminal intentions at least, but a great pity that most of the rest are too spineless and timid to say a word.
Comments by Trump’s gutless thralls here speak for themselves.
November 21, 2020
Robert Mugabe always received the most votes in every election, so he must have always been the legitimate winner…allegedly.
November 21, 2020
Wait for it to go to the Supreme Court.
How can it be “criminal” to demand proof that the election was correctly counted and has no illegal ballots included?
November 21, 2020
Edward 2
Six million votes more has been won, so whatver the Supreme Counrt comes up with nothiing will change the ultimate result
November 21, 2020
No use talking sense to a Socialist, they have their own warped, control-freak agenda.
November 21, 2020
Bill
It is about electoral college votes.
November 21, 2020
Thankfully Donald Trump will be inaugurated as President on 20 Janary 2021.
Nothing can stop what is coming, NOTHING.
November 21, 2020
I believe the evidence is so strong that Biden will withdraw. I believe that we need to insist that if you cheat, you cede the election.
Of course we need to be careful of insurgents cheating for the candidate they want out.
November 21, 2020
@Paul,
At least if you’re going to be a dictator (Donald Trump), come with some proper, significant life-time success. President Trump is just a glorified Property Developer who inheritted millions from his father (and grandmother) who made all the mother. And to have some kind of long-term vision for his country.
He is neither the great businessman he claims nor does he have a long-term strategy for the USA.
The sooner he goes, the better (in the long-term, he’s just breeding socialism – in the USA and to a degree here in the UK as well). And then let The Republicans choose a proper leader to make the USA great – for the next election.
November 21, 2020
You sound very sure, I hope and pray you are right, Paul!
November 21, 2020
Paul : -death and truth?
November 21, 2020
Heâs keen to have legal votes counted rather than âall the votesâ, many counted 3 times! Do you object to that preference?
November 22, 2020
Lynn
Just take it in your stride Trump lost fair and square and move on
November 22, 2020
Bill the democrats in America didnât take Trumps win in their stride, they behaved appallingly over the last four years, the left have unleashed this horrific public debate (not its not debate its smearing) as the Remainers did here with the bullying shouty man on the news every night, they didnât take it in their stride, admit they lost fair and square and move onâ the irony of you is unreal.
We have had bully stories about Trumpâs daughter blaming a fart on someone else at school this week, do the left honestly think this is correct and good reporting, for a start if the boot was on the other foot theyâd say any childhood misdemeanour should be struck off, now it is being reported front page headlines that Trumps daughter and her family will be ostracised in NYC! And you people call Pretti a bully this is classic nasty bullying.
November 22, 2020
Read what the Republicans of Michigan and Georgia actually said, in its entirety, not what the Fake News on both sides of the Atlantic reported them as having said.
November 21, 2020
Lawrence Fox did indeed vote ‘Remain’. But he seems to have since educated himself on what the EU is really about.
It is encouraging to see that in fact a number of those who voted ‘Remain’ have done the same.
(We have yet to hear stalwart Remainers like Ken Clarke, who is always wheeled out by the BBC, championing the EU for those industrial mink farms in Denmark. Now we discover that there are such farms a little closer to home, just across the border in ROI. Still not a whisper. )
Something else which is very encouraging is that we are now actually talking about wokeism. There had been a moment when free speech seemed in danger of being lost, but not any more.
Here’s an over-used trope: ‘a hard Brexit’. Translation: ‘a clean Brexit’.
November 21, 2020
Translation: a temper tantrum in which the Brexiteers utterly fail to deliver on any of their promises.
November 21, 2020
The only person regularly exhibiting “temper tantrums” on here, is you young Andy
November 21, 2020
‘Brexiteers’ voted to leave the EU, Andy. They are not in charge of negotiations and made no promises.
November 21, 2020
On the contrary. Brexiteers are very much in charge of the negotiations. No wonder our country is being so throughly humiliated.
November 21, 2020
The delays have been caused by the remainers in the establishment who began their delaying tactics the very first day after the results of the referendum was announced.
November 22, 2020
John Hatfield
This is simply wrong the lord is a Brexiter
November 21, 2020
It’s all the fault of the remainers that Brexit is not straightforward. You lot have cost the UK billions. Thanks for nothing
November 22, 2020
How?
November 22, 2020
May was not a Brexiteer neither any of her ‘negotiators’. And the mess you talk of was caused by the Remainer Parliament refusing to implement the vote & for 4 years actively obstructing this countries road to freedom and independence similar to that given to India & S Africa.
November 21, 2020
As I say, you can lump “clean brexit” in with expressions such as “tidy skyscraper collapse”, “pretty disembowelment”, “simple reactor meltdown”, “neat oil tanker grounding”, and similar self-contradictions.
November 21, 2020
How ridiculous can you get Martin.
I realise what your views are and I respect your right to hold them but this post of yours is hysterical nonsense.
November 21, 2020
You can lump the EU in with “corrupt accounting” “unelected representatives” “supranational control” “European Army” “taxation without representation” “fisher people” and other absurdities.
November 21, 2020
Oh YES! đ
November 21, 2020
or even contributor shrieking.
November 21, 2020
Sir John should not have to change his political party. It is not he who has changed, it is his party.
The Conservative party used to represent those wishing for enterprise, self reliance, financial prudence, justice. This is the protestant ethic.
However the welfare state expansion has led to the availability of dependence as a lifestyle choice. Its a no-brainer, why stir yourself when you don’t need to.
In a democracy you need the support of the majority of the voting population. The Conservative party has decided to compromise its principles to attract the dependent sector of the population.
The alternative route would be to be strong and stand up for the time served principles that you believe are right.
However you need a principled leader to achieve this.
To be fair, this is virtually impossible given our politically compromised State Broadcaster that promulgates Tabloid news.
In the USA Trump was such a leader, he was not prepared to be led by the media. It currently looks like the deep state has neutralised him. Let us hope that this does not lead to a civil war.
November 21, 2020
Well that’s like saying we shouldn’t have to leave the EU. Stuff changes, you change. It’s life.
November 21, 2020
‘In the USA Trump was such a leader, he was not prepared to be led by the media’
– But that’s just a negative strategy. He had no real, long-term strategy for the USA. Lots of other Republicans could have done a better job than him without damaging the long-term reputation of the Republican Party and the USA.
November 22, 2020
That’s a fallacious argument – you don’t say someone is great or good because someone else is rubbish!
If Trump wants to be a ‘great’ leader like say Cyrus the Great of Persia, then he has a long, long, long way to go. Only problem is, he doesn’t come close, nearly close, to having the traits to be a ‘great’ leader such as Cyrus the Great.
In fact, Donald Trump is just an average businessman – for he inheritted millions from his father. He’s just a glorified property investor, investing the money he never made himself in the first place.
November 21, 2020
Lawrence Fox is not a Remainer.
November 21, 2020
Given first past the post the sensible wing have to capture the Conservative Party and kick out the lefty, pro EU, green crap pushing, big state loons. Alas about 80% of Tory MPs. We still have three? Tory MPs who voted for the appalling treachery of the Ben act who were allowed back in. Why?
Plus Boris is clearly about to cave in to the EU with Brino!
November 21, 2020
Victim culture is quite the thing with you rightwingers. You’ve got your Brexit, you’ve got an 80 seat majority, you’ve been in power for a decade, but all you want to talk about is the liberal elite holding you back. A distraction from what a disaster your party is for the country, I suppose, but dont imagine you’re fooling anyone
November 21, 2020
That is almost a fair comment Garland except our 80 seat majority is not leading to Conservative policies. We have suffered from entryism and infiltration from the centre left.
The party is a disaster for the country because it is following centre left, identity policies. If we had a bit more libertarianism, lower taxes, fewer endless rules and frred up the spirit of enterprise we might just see things improve.
November 21, 2020
+1 and not just centre left identity politics but also an insane war on CO2 plant food, a hugely damaging & pointless lockdown and financial lunacy all over the place.
November 21, 2020
For anyone interested, I recommend Douglas Murrayâs book âThe Madness of Crowdsâ, which deals with these issues in more detail.
November 21, 2020
Just bought it!
November 22, 2020
I similarly recommend the Geoff Norcott weekly podcast – “What most people think” and Dominic Frisbee’s recent book – “Daylight Robbery”.
November 21, 2020
Well, they demand their own political correctness too.
I mean, this namby-pamby, wet-lettuce euphemism, “populist” or “anti-Establishment”
That’s really just mass, dim-witted, primitive, tribal viciousness, isn’t it?
November 21, 2020
No wonder Labour lost the last election.
Your words in this post and many others expose what you and they think about us voters.
November 21, 2020
reaching for the wet lettuce again!
November 21, 2020
It could just be that the Left have used the term “Populist” to denigrate a view that is “Popular” Martin. (to just explain that – I mean something that most people approve of and will actually support)
Just think about it – all those “deluded” people who don’t think the same way as you do. They are obviously completely crazy because they don’t agree with you (how could they be SO stupid?) so anyone they support must be “Populist” (rather than you admitting that they are just saying things most people would like to hear) .
It may well be that some of the ‘Populist’ Politicians are somewhat cynical in their use of these folk – but don’t confuse that with the real desire for something better than we are getting from our other (so-called) “Leaders”.
Just think why Trump is so popular with working-class people in the US (after all these should be 100% Democrat Voters) – maybe it is just because they simply don’t trust the Middle Class Intellectual Left (that is the Democrat Party toady) to best serve their interests. If you see any parallels with the Labour Party in the UK – then you would be on the right track.
Do you think real working people have any time for all this BullS*** that Corbyn, his Islington Constituents and Momentum are pushing – where even the Unions have lost the plot and no one really cares about the honest grafters that are the real backbone of this country. .
Boris isn’t my idea of a great PM but at least he saw a way to appeal to the forgotten (and much ignored) silent majority of this country.
That’s not you and your incessant Leftish rubbish Martin – just ordinary people with ordinary lives. Even ‘Old People’ (who obviously know nothing about anything and are therefore worthless) like myself.
November 21, 2020
The thing is Garland four years on people havenât got Brexit its been held up, disputed at every turn, even when people filled the EU Parliament with Brexiteers, then gave the government a mandate twice to carry on they kicked the can down the road. We were told this would happen by a Labour MP in a business meeting just after the vote, he was suggesting their would be another referendum because there was no will in Parliament to go ahead.
I donât understand why Boris and John R donât tell us what good they think they as the party in power have done in the past ten years, all you hear in the media is failings and now how everything is going to better Worldwide when Biden is declared winner. Isnât more being spent on the NHS than EVER! Didnât all the NHS trusts get their debts written off? The majority donât seem to agree with you when you say âdonât imagine youâre fooling anyoneâ they fooled enough people to believe they were telling the truth on their 2019 manifesto only a short time ago now that is a fact not just an opinion.
November 21, 2020
Maybe the problem is that a âcleanâ Brexit is going to be such a disaster that no one in power will actually go for it, because they know their reputation will be shredded. The only people who promote a âcleanâ Brexit are people like J Redwood and D Hannan who will never actually have to implement it and answer for the consequences. What we need is a leader strong enough to say – âright, what we voted for in 2016 was a fantasy, there is no good Brexit letâs call it offâ
November 21, 2020
It isn’t disastrous for other independent nations in the world who are not in the EU.
They trade with the UK and European nations without too much difficulty.
November 21, 2020
No a clean Brexit will be such a success that politicians donât want their opposition proved the idiocy that it is and was.
November 21, 2020
I always knew that Brexit would come with short term costs Len – simply because it’s like a 40 year old sticking plaster that has to be pulled off sooner or later.
But don’t confuse that with the benefits of letting all that fresh air get into a wound that was slowly festering underneath it.
We are the first to leave but I doubt that we will be the last.
November 22, 2020
Well, Hungary and Poland might be expelled, but that is rather different.
The European Union is more popular than ever with its citizens, and with the UK’s too comically – over 60% approval.
November 22, 2020
Len, where did I mention the word âcleanâ in relation to Brexit?
The public were told repeatedly it wouldnât be âcleanâ, they were clearly told by a leaflet to every door the implications.
November 22, 2020
A view which is not popular or populist, some would say anti-democrat.
Some may say his views could be considered offensive to a group and the wider community.
Therefore he could be found guilty of a thought and speak crime.
Lets not bother with this dangerous totalitarian legal putsch and enshrine a proper freedom of speech bill, which is manifestly pro-free speech, even when it is distasteful, offensive to certain sensibilities.
Those that cant live with the rule should be encouraged to leave for a suitable alternative resident country.
November 21, 2020
John didn’t mention the liberal elite. That’s more of a USA preoccupation, the place where all you lefties get all your political ideas from – considering how you all whine about how our future lies in the EU and what a terrible place the USA is with their chlorinated chicken you all seem remarkably uninterested in EU country politics and absolutely in thrall to whatever fashions sweep the USA. It is very odd.
November 21, 2020
The Left – like most people – aren’t particularly interested in what pronouns trans people want for themselves and the rest.
It’s just that your right wing media and people like John keep on telling you that they are, and the BBC etc. keep on pestering them with questions about such things.
The Left are mainly interested in the emancipation of the vast majority of ordinary working people, in normal families, from the insecure wage-slavery, imposed by the disciples of the Tufton Street controllers of the Tories.
November 21, 2020
The left are obsessed with trans pronouns.
There are demos, marches and threats to those who stand against these new rules.
Including against feminist activists who also are against it.
Another example of the left eating itself.
PS
Love the idea that the BBC is part of the right wing media conspiracy.
Hilarious
November 21, 2020
emancipation like sinecure train drivers paid ÂŁ60k to ÂŁ70k due to union arm-twisting meanwhile care workers average minimum wage, and hospital nurses ÂŁ35k and young newly qualified teachers ÂŁ24 rising to ÂŁ28 after several years.
Sounds fair to me – – err NOT!
November 21, 2020
đđself-delusion beyond repair.
November 21, 2020
“The Left â like most people â arenât particularly interested in what pronouns trans people want for themselves and the rest.”
Could have fooled me Martin… đ
November 21, 2020
Garland: The failures are the result of annointing the UK government with the overarching powers needed to run the country, only for them to systematically give them away to the EU, devolved administrations and mayors, etc. So, we can vote for a UK government of any colour, but what we get is the EU dictating policy. We can vote for a Tory UK government, but we get the bottomless pit of left-leaning devolved administrations/mayors spending our money on regional pet projects that are neither part of, nor acting in support of, the UK-wide mandate favoured by the majority. It’s a total shambles and it’s all self-inflicted.
November 21, 2020
Not our party. This is a wholly altered party from the days of Thatcher, Tebbit and co.
From get on your bike to find a job, to get in your electric car to collect your furlough payment.
From save a deposit to buy a house with real money to buy a rabbit hutch with shared ownership and dodgy cladding using a government incentive scheme.
From go to University and get a job to sit locked in a room paying lecturers with borrowed funny money to teach you useless subjects online.
Not right wing. Cradle to grave subsidy and corporatism.
November 22, 2020
Leasehold / Shared ownership like Brino, where you are proportionally legally disadvantaged with more of the bills & risk and less control.
I even doubt the SNP would vote to keep it in England and Wales, but they might.
November 21, 2020
It seems to me that such language is symptomatic of an increasingly widespread lack of ability to think critically and even for oneself.
Why can’t people work out what is right or wrong for themselves anymore?
Why do people need a ready-made set of morals given to them, with daily refresher courses from self-imposed holier-than-thous?
But above all, what beats me is why people need to obtain apologies all the time and what psychological damage has led to this pathetic state of affairs where everybody behaves as though they were badly bullied at school.
Was it so bad that they now crave the humiliation of others all the time? Seems it was!
November 21, 2020
+1
November 21, 2020
What an excellent article, Sir Redwood. Not only truthful and accurate as always but well timed and resonant too.
I think you’re in the wrong party, in as much that your original party has been covertly corrupted around you. Gone to the dogs while you slept, as one might say.
November 21, 2020
On a positive note, the lunatic energy policy will solve the issue of immigration. After all who in their right mind would leave an LEDC to come to an LEDC
November 21, 2020
In their ârummagingâ they never refer to the slavery, in various forms, in mines and factories and Great House service that has always taken place in this country. The powers-which-never-had-any-right-to-be have always exploited the population in the grimmest and most indefensible ways. Always involving trickery and theft.
âWhite Privilegeâ has NEVER been a thing.
And we see the same arrogance today. The same attitude that hanged people for a 40/- theft, sold children from workhouses into factories and then sold those who would otherwise have been hanged, into slavery in the colonies. Now they lock us in our houses.
Well..we ordinaries have been allowed ..say..70 years of minor prosperity and freedom.
And the sheeple chucked it away!
Johnson tightens the screws!
November 21, 2020
Now that is wokeness in extreme. In your world work is obviously the same as slavery. Criminals must go unpunished. And diseases like covid must also be free to invade our lives. Because in the past crimes were dealt with in extreme, one example being that a certain Jesus was nailed to the cross because he said something the hierarchy of the time didn’t like, doesn’t mean there was arrogance then or now … ignorance yes. We, in the west, have learned and are learning from our mistakes. We should celebrate those lessons not hide them. Its about time the wokes in the world stopped promoting the mouthy garys and gretas of the world using media hypocrites, Bashir, one of the BBC “religious” correspendents, comes to mind, to bring 1984 into our world.
November 21, 2020
Very true. This country was invaded in 1066 and the land belonging to the peasants was taken by the Normans. Most of it is still in the hands of their descendants. The people were oppressed for hundreds of years, horribly tortured if they didnât conform. Where is the outcry for this loss to the indigenous people that we see in other countries like the USA and Australia? Where are the reparations? These wokish people donât even see the historical injustice right under their ignorant noses. Itâs time the real history of this country was taught in our schools instead of it being whitewashed (if that word is still allowed).
November 21, 2020
We absolutely do see that.
The central injustice that the UK Labour movement seeks to address is exactly the one that you identify, and the many ramifications of which have cascaded down the generations since 1067, when William I took every single cottage, hedgerow, field, copse and ditch of England as his own, personal property.
You won’t get that history taught in schools under the Tories, however.
I was taught a falsehood at primary school, that the Domeday book simply recorded ownership of land – rather than its detailing how the king handed it out having usurped all titles.
November 22, 2020
You should start a campaign for compensation for those people unfairly treated in 1067.
November 21, 2020
+1
Slave picked cotton was delivered to Satanic Mills in Britain.
November 21, 2020
Well Mr R, for too long the government has allowed left leaning institutions (in particular the BBC) to control the narrative, and recently the PM has been allowing the Opposition and premier league footballers to control it. Those institutions donât speak for the majority as you know. Allegra needs to come out of the blocks like a rhino and take back control else I fear the woke narrative will continue to dominate until we have a PM who doesnât pander to minorities and their rhetoric.
November 21, 2020
This Marcus Rashford hero worship for getting Boris to give some parents more of other peopleâs money is odd, at no point did the Conservative party point out that people on Universal Credit got a ÂŁ1000 bonus at the start of covid (When everyone else got a 20% reduction or no money at all) – for what exactly if not food? + ÂŁ20 per week, a single mother with two children and no work is on around ÂŁ400 net (NET). Schools were on the news saying they were providing meals in term time too. Just what is the truth about this? Parents who the rest of the taxpayers help to fund with UC should have a certain amount of responsibility, a random audit is required. Why arenât the Dads stumping up money to support their offspring at all? Why does the government just take all of this conservatives are bad, how do they think their supporters feel about this do they want everyone unable to say they are conservative because thatâs where this is going, we know the generous benefits system and weâre sick of your government for not speaking up.
November 21, 2020
The working poor are easily identified. Their kids are among the millions taking lunch boxes to school. Neither eligible for for free school meals nor able to pay for them.
No-one’s interested in them.
November 21, 2020
……….We’re sick of your Government for not speaking up……. Indeed BLM and ER protests allowed and lock down protests vigorously policed. No one in Government speaks out for months. It didn’t go unnoticed Sir John. When are the public sector selection processes and appointments changing to reintroduce proper morals and values and PC and wokeness fiercely challenged and removed? You have been in office for over 10 years.
November 21, 2020
It seems increasingly obvious that Boris Johnson is intent on destroying the country and the Conservative Party, he seems oblivious to the anger and frustration amongst the voters, Iâve always voted Conservative and there was no mention of his Green agenda in 2019, Brexit seemed to be the only policy, Iâm sure that the voters in the North East wonât be voting Tory again!
I visited the Galleries in Bristol yesterday and the number of boarded up shops was truly shocking.
What exactly is the plan, is there a plan?
One thing that Iâm sure about is that Boris Johnson has to go, there will soon be insurrection in the streets if this craziness doesnât end.
November 21, 2020
Lester
“It seems increasingly obvious that Boris Johnson is intent on destroying the country”
……it’s almost as if he’s trying to beat Blair’s record !
“Iâve always voted Conservative and there was no mention of his Green agenda in 2019”
…….It wasn’t mentioned, therefore he has no mandate for it.
“One thing that Iâm sure about is that Boris Johnson has to go, there will soon be insurrection in the streets if this craziness doesnât end.”
…….Yes it’ll be sorted by fisticuffs if they don’t get rid of him fast. Still, on the bright side if they don’t kick him out and when the reckoning occurs, it’s the end of PC woke-ism green crap etc, and of course the BBC will be routed.
Conservatives know Johnson is a liability, if they don’t get Johnson out and replace him with a true patriot, we will destroy them. Their choice.
November 21, 2020
Every Tory MP must be in no doubt about this. I am concerned that Frost is stating that he personally guarantees we have our own law, does this mean he has conceded fish?
Boris needs to understand that the British people, left and right, will stand together and fight it out if we need to, against our enemies, who are in Westminster.
November 21, 2020
This lockdown is barely a lockdown at all yet businesses which had tried their utmost to be compliant are being ruined because of it.
This is nothing but spite.
November 21, 2020
A very good read. SJR. However my point of view is that It has already gone to far. To even suggest an alternative view that does not fit the woke agenda is dangerous, especially for public figures. Look at the Guardian columnist who was forced out because she dared to suggest that gender was more that a frame of mind. Although true, 300 people signed a petition against her. Where did they find 300 people. I canât find any who disagreed with her. Was it a question of sign here or be dammed with her. The choice given to Thomas Moore, sign here or lose your head!!
Another way of explaining what I mean. My brother who was a soldier at the height of the NI troubles went to visit the USA. Whilst in many bars he noticed the IRA collection tins on the bar. He was stared at until he put money in the box.
We are in very dangerous times where free speech is under serious threat, by merely speaking out makes you a villain. Lawrence Fox is another example. His trouble started when he was baited on BBC QT. All he suggested was the Britain was the most welcoming nation in the world and not a racist country. He simply disagreed that the treatment of Megan Markle was racist. Look at the hounding he got for that. Labelled as white privileged, yet another invention by the woke society along with all the phobics and ists that have been invented to stifle debate. He now agrees that it has cost him his acting career. Who has supported him with the cost of that support being so high.
So there lies the problem disagree with the woke and politically correct at your peril. They and the BBC will hound you out of your job. The BBC Fisher people instead of fishermen. Give me strength.
November 21, 2020
BW. Yes other prime examples are David Bellamy and Johny Ball. Both chucked off the BBC because they didn’t agree with the climate change crap. It is sometimes too dangerous to disagree with woke views. Martin goes on about the courts protecting free speech. I don’t see it.
November 22, 2020
There’s a difference between free speech and responsible publishers being compelled to provide a platform for people spouting utter baloney.
The BBC does plenty without compulsion, however, hence Farage’s prominence.
November 22, 2020
You are plainly explaining the left’s desire to see those who they don’t like or don’t agree with be de platformed.
Your “utter baloney” is someone’s opinion which might be very popular with others.
A very difficult concept for you and the left in general to grasp.
November 21, 2020
The problem is with politics and the crime of, ‘causing offence.’
We hound and punish people because other people have had their feelings hurt. Scrap the PC laws and get the police to catch and prosecute real criminals.
November 21, 2020
Absolutely agree with you.
In the manner of being a defence to common law charges of manslaughter; that it be self defence, we need to achieve a position of there being the right to express ones opinion frankly: “For it is my opinion and I am entitled to express it without fear nor favour.”
November 21, 2020
+1
November 21, 2020
Well said. Now when are we going to stop these interminable negotiations with the EU.
We know the only movement will come from our side if any.
Enough is enough.
November 21, 2020
Weâll stop the negotiations when we have largely capitulated. The EU will chuck you some fish – so you can spend a few months thinking youâve won. Meanwhile Brussels, Berlin, Paris and Dublin will be laughing themselves silly that you literally sold out every otter industry in the UK – along with the entire UK population – for some mackerel and herring. Which you probably donât even eat.
November 21, 2020
You keep moaning about fish, but we never hear what course of action you want. Are you saying that we should give our natural resources to foreign countries for nothing? France has more electricity capacity than it needs, perhaps it should supply us for free.
November 21, 2020
Happy to go pick their grapes.
November 21, 2020
Do we have an otter industry?
November 21, 2020
no – but we try to protect them as far as possible.
November 21, 2020
Political correctness has been a very important tool in the âLong Marchâ.
Unsuitable and ill- educated people âseededâ into jobs.
The first thing in their lives that they were able to specialise in = Newspeak. And it made them feel so powerful.
I saw care workers suddenly morphing into social workers. Bank workers into teachers. Secretaries into legal workers. All on the back of strange weekend courses and âcreditsâ.
Speaking the âlingoâ and forcefully instructing others in it was a small price to pay for their new status.
And eventually a law suit could be brought against a boss for criticising an employeeâs spelling!
And all the scared, bewildered âcleverâ people looked on. Saying nothing!
November 21, 2020
Yes. Outwitted. We need to join battle, even if it is in the gutter. Frankly I will pursue these numbskulls down the sewers, but then I am from the colonies where the old British attitudes were preserved.
November 21, 2020
It has spread across most of Whitehall, councils, the legal profession, the educational establishment, police forces, charities, the media and parts of parliament.
Most affected people follow the news avidly and have had a long exposure to the educational establishment. Those of them in positions of power (with the exception of some Left wing politicians, some of whom call themselves conservatives), are unelected.
Thankfully, propaganda only has a superficial affect. As in the USSR and China, it only really gets through to a minority.
This problem needs to be tacked at its roots.
I believe the indoctrination that leads people to say these things comes from education and the media.
We need urgently to stop public money being used to fund the BBC and allow it to raise subscriptions of its own. We also must insist that education is vocational only with politics removed from the classroom and lecture hall.
Similarly, charities and quangos using public money to campaign politically should be stripped of their status and refused taxpayer money.
If we do not tackle this, the gulf between the âeliteâ and the People will widen dangerously and eventually the dam will burst.
November 21, 2020
+1
November 21, 2020
Curiouser and curiouser.
The DM has announced that covid is not all govt has claimed it to be…quite forcefully!
AND
Justin Trudeau has claimed that The Great Reset is a conspiracy theory put about by conservatives!! After what he said only recently about covid being an opportunity for a reset!
November 21, 2020
We have rumbled them and they are frightened. They should be.
November 21, 2020
Do you enjoy being so perfect?
November 21, 2020
Clearly you do.
November 21, 2020
At last a politician speaking out about political correctness gone mad.
Problem is John that successive Governments have given in to many minority groups and activists too many times, thus increasing their desire for even more movement towards their minority views.
.
November 21, 2020
Extinction Rebellion targetted banks last night in Welshpool and Newtown in Wales plastering the banks with stickers protesting over fossil fuels and biodiversity destruction. I dont’ suppose anything will be done about it. Imagine though putting up a sticker about lockdown??
November 21, 2020
It is encouraging to read an article composed by one of the more reasonable and decent British MPs that at last highlights this most fascist and destructive ideology for it is an ideology intent on total social control of language, speech, thought, emotion and perception
Woke is part of an intolerant and anti-democratic politics, for it is political (human control through the use of power) whose primary aim is to completely remove opposition
This isn’t simply a social phenomena as we see with changes in fashion or taste, this is deliberate and planned.
It is a silent Marxist revolution that both main parties have embraced. Eliminating opposition on extremely important issues is one of its most fundamental aims.
Race (CRT fascism) and gender (Feminist poison) are at its heart. Grievance and the creation of a faux victim and a great demon that must be slain. Apportioning blame and then demonising millions in the process to silence and slander.
And now we have Hate Crime laws, passed by Parliament. The State’s embrace of woke in statute form. Used by the authorities to target all political threats while conveniently ignoring real hate if confronting real hate is politically inconvenient to those extremists that have infected to the very heart of the British State
Next, as we have seen in Scotland (the testing bed for contention new laws) a blasphemy law to crush debate on other forms of human behaviour that has the capacity to either expand or diminish the electoral popularity of certain parties
The voice of the majority population, for woke is designed to silence the majority population, has been removed and that is scary for all
No more debate on issues that all parties would be damaged by if that conversation were allowed to flourish
I can think of 5 issues that represent an existential threat to all parties. Woke destroys that debate on those threats. How very convenient indeed
Free speech is now dead. Democracy nobbled. Propaganda is now all around. I am slowly getting a feel of what it was like living in Germany in 1929 or the Soviet Union after 1917.
And all parties, the State and their chosen activist groups are responsible. It won’t end well cos at some point they’ll push it just that little too far and something will snap. The tyranny of the minority must be stopped
November 21, 2020
DOM
+1. Bang on the money as usual.
November 21, 2020
+1
November 21, 2020
Spot on.
November 21, 2020
Controlling the language allows you to go a long way to controlling the political discourse. The left have used George Orwell’s 1984 as a road map rather than a horror to be avoided at all costs. It is shaming on our MPs, who we have invested the right of free speech beyond anyone in the country, have been the first to be cowed and used their position to limit all of our right to free speech.
November 21, 2020
Oh the BBC was the first, they bullied MPs.
November 21, 2020
I agree, we need to take back control… thatâs what Brexit was all about!
Even with Covid any dissenting views of other scientists – You Tube are shutting them down! Any one challenging anything is called a bigot, a conspiracy theorist etc
We are surrounded by censorship on every level.
What can we do? There are lots of people out there trying to get groups of âfree speech loversâ together, but their voices are but a drop in the ocean. Until the MPs start to challenge the law makers who are encouraging the pc brigade, nothing will change – it will be an uphill struggle!
November 21, 2020
âEven with Covid any dissenting views of other scientists â You Tube are shutting them down! Any one challenging anything is called a bigot, a conspiracy theorist etcâ
Itâs much worse than that. There is a proposal to make publishing such âdissenting viewsâ a criminal offence.
November 21, 2020
Join Parler! Ditch Facebook and Twitter.
November 21, 2020
Good morning Sir John,
In the UK we now effectively have a one-party broadcast media and are also increasingly subject to political censorship of the right by big tech.
Our freedom of speech and our democracy is under attack by a partisan and often globalist media. They are clearly succeeding in their efforts.
Please support the defunding of the BBC.
Thank you for your efforts against this onslaught.
November 21, 2020
Are you sure?
If not for the BBC then you probably would not have your brexit nor Tory government – as we see it – since WWII.
November 22, 2020
Are you serious?
November 22, 2020
Its a ÂŁ4 billion year tax.
It also stifles economic innovation and freedoms e.g new stations starting up.
Its propaganda by controlling minds from the LibLAbCon & elite globalists. Those that never practice what they preach.
Do the license payers appoint the board? Do they approve the strategic plan?
Its another control mechanism put in place in tandem with other totalitarian laws to control.
November 21, 2020
It is critical that we uphold and cherish our right to disagree and use argument to persuade. I always acknowledge that changing your view in the light of new facts is a mark of maturity and an agile mind.
The adults seem to have abdicated all responsibility, so we live in an age of very old, stamping, petulant children.
One wonders whether the only solution, in extremis, is to slap them down. We can no longer be held hostage while they trash the world.
November 21, 2020
So you cherish debate but want to slap down people you might disagree with?
In other words you do not cherish debate at all.
November 21, 2020
No, Andy, I think Lynn Atkinson means slap down people in politics and media who do not debate, but want to silence anyone who dissents from their agenda. That requires restoring forums for proper debate. How we get there is the real challenge. But we need to, otherwise we’ll see worse than slapping in this country, if things go on like this.
The country needs reform at every level, and a party in government that can carry it out. It won’t be the Conservatives, that’s now clear.
November 21, 2020
hat man
But surely Lynn Atkinson makes it quite clear that her idea of ‘proper debate’ is to slap down anyone who doesn’t sing from her particular song sheet.
November 21, 2020
You should read it again.
Hat man has the correct interpretation.
But I’m sure Lynn can tell us.
November 21, 2020
No Margaret. I propose slapping down people who refuse to allow any alternative view articulated. You know the sort of thing – Owen Jones, the BBC in general.
Iâm not afraid of Socialist regiment. I think it should be shouted from the rooftops because it advertises its inadequacy. But you donât want to hear Conservative views.
November 21, 2020
What the blazes can Owen Jones do, to stop anyone from expressing an opinion or claim?
The High Court ruled recently that it is not Misconduct In A Public Office for a holder even to lie to the public for goodness’ sake.
November 22, 2020
You keep repeating this High Court claim and it is a myth.
November 21, 2020
A slight case of pot-kettle-black there, Andy: you are the one who constantly hopes that all who disagree with you are brought to trial and punished, and accuses all the elderly of utter selfishness and greed.
November 21, 2020
It is a crime that we the general public have to seek World and Home news from other sources other than the PAID for news media.
At last someone in the public eye speaks sense.
Thank you Mr Redwood
November 21, 2020
Except when you âseek it from other sourcesâ it is probably not true. And this is where our society has gone wrong. Too many people believing falsehoods.
November 21, 2020
You need to define falsehood.
If there are two opinions which one is false?
November 21, 2020
Well you believe all the fake news.
November 21, 2020
I agree Henry not once have the news put anything of Trumps reasons for disputing the software used to count votes [he may be wrong and if he canât prove it he will lose however shouldnât the reasons for his dispute be explained fairly], or the late arriving postal votes after the initial count [would that be allowed in the UK?], or why wonât they let an audit of the signatures in Georgia, why not if theyâre confident that nothing will be found, if they donât the stink will hang over them for four years?
November 21, 2020
For overseas news by far the best, or perhaps the only, TV channel is Al Jazeera. It also has good investigative programmes. I watch it regularly and realise how isolated most UK news programmes are.
November 21, 2020
Political Correctness is a false god. Not only does it detach those who use it from reality, but it makes them look and sound stupid before those who they supposedly represent and lead. It is used as a weapon by its followers to destroy those who do not subscribe to it. The classic example being Enoch Powell who has been railed against for expressing a truth that time has confirmed tenfold. The PC movement is the new inquisition. Many who do not normally use the language of PC adhere to its tenets by not being prepared to discuss anything that might be considered controversial. This just makes them look at best detached, at worst dishonest. It can also be the gateway to blatant criminality as in Rotherham and many other places. One of its greatest sins is that it has largely destroyed British comedy. Its cathedral the BBC is long overdue for demolition. George Orwell warned you long ago. Its latest thrust is to intrude on private dinner parties to make it illegal to express anything other than North Islington think, in fear of prosecution. I find it outrageous that the law should even discuss it as a way forward. Is that too Old Think in the metropolitan bubble.
November 21, 2020
Has PC struck again.
November 21, 2020
Enoch Powell has been proven wrong, and repeatedly so.
November 21, 2020
at the quite recent height of the stabbings in London- his warnings became pretty accurate.
November 21, 2020
I imagine it seems like that from the dark side of the moon. You obviously never knew him. If he made one mistake it was to be much brighter than those who surrounded him.
November 22, 2020
Well, you seem to be wrong just about every day on this site. This Londoner can remember a time when there was no ‘machete crime’ on the streets of London.
November 21, 2020
Tough love is diminishing in our society and modern world (the ability to be tolerant, have a robust sense of humour, have personality, speak more courageously about things you have moral certainties about – as people become more sentimental / wet / precious).
Whilst genuine soft love is equally diminishing in our society and modern world (the ability to apologise, to be gracious and gentleman-like and lady-like / good manners – as people become more vulgar / brash / aggressive).
A lot of this is down to demise of traditional virtues, the rise of selfishness in our modern culture, and a reduction in children being brought up with self-discipline and fighting spirit as well as reduction in being nurtured and encouraged.
We need to return more to our Judaeo/Christian heritage and what is best of our Graeco/Roman past.
November 21, 2020
‘We need to return more to our Judaeo/Christian heritage and what is best of our Graeco/Roman past’ – and then how much more beautiful and strong our country and people would be – like GOLD, instead our world (the whole Western world) is becoming more and more like rubbish – and falling into chaos (from public life to family life).
November 21, 2020
An excellent summary of what I call the socialist mindset – which doesn’t rely on logic, merely attacking anything worthwhile in our society. Those that follow this doctrine deal only in destruction and the perversion of truth.
We could see this disease called socialism pervading our society decades ago, but we didn’t do enough to counteract it – Why even the Tory party has moved to the left to accommodate it.
Education, real education is key to winning here, but oh for a strong real right of centre leader that could do battle against this great evil of our times.
November 21, 2020
Yes, the woke approach fails to look behind a word to context, intent and outcome. Yes, the woke approach succeeds in engineering context, intent and outcome.
It is one of the three parallel totalitarian tracks we are following to denying liberty:
Control the language and then control the thought.
Replace self reliance with reliance on Govt.
Instil fear.
November 21, 2020
Thank you, Sir John.
The rot is in the schools and universities which, over time, produce people who think left wing, talk ‘woke’ and who in turn teach and influence the next batch of students. They freeze-out people who have and expound different views. One result is to change the BBC from British to Biased. Much of it has to go if we are to have any real progress to fair, free and neutral reporting.
November 21, 2020
Another example of intolerance is the movement to compel or coerce everyone to be vaccinated against covid 19, irrespective of their reasoned objections. There is simply no scientific rationale to support this approach at this stage. The vaccine manufacturers admit that effect on transmission is unknown, duration of protection is unknown, and longterm side effects are unknown. Nobody is volunteering to accept legal responsibility. Many are already protected by their immune systems, so at best they will regularly present themselves for unnecessary procedures and at worst those immune systems may be compromised. Even if ‘eradication’ is possible it will not occur while children and vaccine-free visitors to the country are free to spread the virus. In contrast to a recent contributor I urge you to support a more reasoned approach of letting those who want the vaccine take it and allow data to be collected.
November 21, 2020
On another site, I tried to make a comment about the BLACK ARROW rocket programme, which, long ago, put our PROSPERO satellite into still-going-round-and-round orbit. My comment was plucked off the site by artifical ‘intelligence’ and is now confounding the mods. Thank God for this site!
November 21, 2020
politics of distraction …
November 21, 2020
There is only one way to achieve your aims as outlined in your topic today.
That is to tell the whole and true story, without any cover ups, of what happened in UK politics since 1990, and particularly since 1997.
Everything needs to come out. Every last detail, no matter how embarrassing to the Conservative and Labor Parties.
Only full disclosure will cleanse the past and enable a new beginning.
Everyone in the UK has the right to know.
Polly
November 21, 2020
George Orwell’s 1984:
âDonât you see that the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of thought? In the end we shall make thoughtcrime literally impossible, because there will be no words in which to express it.â
âNever again will you be capable of ordinary human feeling. Everything will be dead inside you. Never again will you be capable of love, or friendship, or joy of living, or laughter, or curiosity, or courage, or integrity. You will be hollow. We shall squeeze you empty, and then we shall fill you with ourselves.â
November 21, 2020
Totally agree John. As far as Iâm concerned, dealing with this agenda is the point of this government. How will the government take a lead? I think it needs to:
1. Repeal the HRA
2. Amend the equalities act
3. Pass an academic freedom bill
4. Reform the BBC. Its mandate should include the need to provide a balance against output from the rest of the media industry. Therefore, if the rest of industry is constantly producing woke stuff, the BBC will be obliged to produce patriotic stuff.
5. Support history education from 5 – 14 in England telling the story of englandâs formation and tell the formation of our constitution over the centuries (itâs a per obsession of mine – how did we go from feudalism to a parliament? Why did it take a different course here from other feudal societies? Why did the commons emerge as an actor even though its military presence was minimal?)
6. Provide better technical education. As long as the university educated are the only ones awarded esteem in society, only the very liberal university educated will have a voice. Once there are technical routes to highly esteemed roles in society, there will be a broader range of voices.
November 21, 2020
Political correctness is one of my favourite hard right grievances. Of all of your collective petty whingings it is the one which most eloquently explains what is wrong with you all.
Firstly, this idea that you canât say what you like is simply nonsense. Providing you donât shout âfireâ in a crowded theatre (hardly a problem at the moment) and so long as you donât incite violence you can say pretty much whatever you like. So what you actually mean is not that there are things that you canât say – but that there are things you feel uncomfortable saying.
So what are you all uncomfortable saying? Do you want to say something that is offensive to many women? Or to minorities? Or to the disabled? They have no right not to feel offended so you can literally say what you like. The downside is that you have no right not to be called out, criticised or humiliated for being offensive. And that is what most of you mean. You want to be able to be offensive to people who are different from you but you donât want them to offend you back.
November 21, 2020
Well, there was that guy who paid to fly a banner over a football ground saying ‘White Lives Matter’. Relatively innocuous stuff you might think. The wokeists were foaming at the mouth, and not only pressured his employer to sack him but got the pilot who flew the banner banned from the airport. Then an attempt to crowd-fund his wrongful dismissal case was taken down and the donated money returned. By contrast we have players giving Black Power salutes before televised football matches.
November 21, 2020
âWe need to take back control of our language and of the agenda.â
How? Itâs easier said then done.
At the moment there are areas where language and agenda can get you banned or âcancelledâ from discussions. The media often collude with this.
November 21, 2020
Letâs jo9n Trump by âcancellingâ the media.
November 22, 2020
You vote every day with your money.
Do it wisely.
Step one defund the BBC. Unsubcribe ask for a refund. Seek data and views and make your own mind up.
Donate even just a small amount to newsites which you believe are allowing free speech and offer differing well thought based on facts and reality.
The above will allow you to choose other ways.
November 21, 2020
Rarely in the last decade have I read a commentary that is as truthful, timely, and as respectfully written as this one.
Quite what we can do to reclaim our language and reset our media to give those not of the liberal/left at least an equal say and honest treatment, I don’t know. There is every sign that the media narrative here is inexorably following the same route as it did in the USA where nothing President Trump has said in the last four years has been given a fair hearing of even an honest, unbiased appraisal.
Whatever is done about this in the UK, Parliament has to start by dealing with the BBC and Channel 4 News.
November 21, 2020
PS : And the restoration of Freedom of speech and expression in our universities for both students and academics.
November 21, 2020
+1 this is a very rare MP. I mean a once in a lifetime rarity. He would be a better PM than Thatcher.
November 21, 2020
Indeed, excellent piece. Although woke-speak is very prevalent in the media and in national debate, the good news is the large majority of people reject and resent it. So letâs fight back.
Hereâs a good place to start. Itâs clear thereâs been a careful campaign to build up a little dossier of perceived affronts by Priti Patel, who is doing an excellent job as Home Secretary, and is clearly demanding of her department, as we voters and taxpayers want her to be. Being a robust Conservative though from an ethnic minority, a woman and from an ordinary background, Mrs Patel is a living affront to the belief system of the wokerati.
So Letâs just accuse anyone attacking her of racism and sexism. Letâs give the woke left a taste of their own medicine.
November 21, 2020
+1
The Home Office was/is so badly organised and run, it is obvious that being polite is not going to move them into become an effective efficient service. Being a bit more robust has certainly moved the cobwebs and they still don’t get it. Now is the time to suggest the ‘remainers’ in the system, as they are the ones fighting change, move on so we get the service we the taxpayer are paying for.
November 21, 2020
Patel has been found to by a bully. She shouts and swears at civil servants – causing one to collapse. Apparently she did not know that bullying people was wrong.
People who need to bully others to try to get things done are actually simply ineffectual people.
There is zero doubt that Patel is unfit to be in government. She, of course, claims everyone who criticises her is misogynistic or racist. No, Priti. We just want competent and pleasant people to run our country. And you are neither.
November 21, 2020
I find that children work out very quickly that by shrieking and fainting they can sometimes get their way. Grown ups tend to look challenges in the face and deal with criticism. One persons bullying is anothers being confronted with failure.
November 21, 2020
Remember what the Labour Home Secretary John Reid said about the Home Office?
‘Not fit for purpose’
– and by some current accounts, it still isn’t, so I suspect Ms Patel simply put her foot down on occasion, which upset the little darlings.
November 21, 2020
maybe to cut to the quick – -she might have said ‘enough, do what I say, I’m the Boss here get used to it, nobody cares what you think’.
I’d support that.
November 21, 2020
Itâs clear she has been thwarted and briefed against by an inadequate bureaucracy. Sometimes you need a tough cookie to get things done.
I have never heard Mrs Patel play your sort of woke identity politics by claiming racism and misogyny against her. But I donât doubt both are present.
You canât take it that a woman of colour from an ordinary background has made it to the top of a Conservative government and is attempting robustly to implement the policies upon which she was elected. It doesnât fit your world-view.
November 21, 2020
The patel bullying story is a trick, to make you think her staff are thwarting her.
November 22, 2020
How do you know all this. Did you read .hear it in the MSM.
November 22, 2020
Do you believe the Home Office and the Anti-democratic establishment? Or P Patel.
Sorry, i would give P Patel the benefit of any doubt.
Suspect the people she is dealing with climbed the greasy pole are not shrinking violets or incompetents. They are probably very well paid & privately educated with enough advantage and ‘white priviledge’ to manage this or move on.
They are more likely simply trying to block implementation of policies and playing the woman rather than the ball.
November 21, 2020
We’ve not been told the ins and outs of the Priti Patel case.
If the Secretary asks the senior official to organise something and gets obfuscation or refusal then a natural response would be “oh for goodness’ (or appropriate swearword) sake” then this should not count as swearing, but frustration and coarse language. If, however, the response is “you ******” then this would count as swearing and/or bullying.
People at work are paid to do an efficient and effective job.
November 21, 2020
In the Times today –
Civil servants have begun drawing up legislation for a Brexit deal that will need to pass through the Commons and Lords at âbreakneck paceâ.
Brexit betrayal is now a simple matter of time.
I think most of those who know or understand what the leadership of the Tory party became after 1990 knew that this betrayal would be the inevitable outcome irrespective of the outcome of EU referendum vote imposed onto Cameron as a result of the political and electoral threat from Farage
November 21, 2020
You have your brexit. The UK left months ago.
From now on, the UK’s relationship, with the European Union, and varying opinions of what that should be, will dominate the news for a generation, maybe for longer.
The peace and quiet of membership will be a blissful memory by comparison.
November 21, 2020
‘The peace and quiet of membership’ ????? Are you referring to your local darts club?
You certainly are not referring to the memories I have of being in the Common Market/European Union!
November 21, 2020
Brilliant post today John and so very true. What we are seeing is tantamount to brain washing in our schools and Universities now so the problem we have now can only get worse. I am seeing it with my children who are in their mid twenties and thirties. They can only talk about climat change in the way they have been taught and there is no alternative. They are further brainwashed by social media and even YouTube has started taking down videos from people who go against the so called settled science on everything from climate change to vaccines and the virus. These woke groups are being listened to and policies forged on a whim for political gain and to be seen as the saviour of the universe. It’s about time real debate was given a chance and we got back to policies that were not to the detriment of our economy and our people. For me, yourself and people such as Farage are a breath of fresh air in a stifling political system.
November 21, 2020
Very good post Sir John and it needs to be said. As always the problem is to get the right people to listen.
It highlights the decline of real ability in Westminster. When if ever was there a debate about the child slavery being exploited in the manufacture of wind turbine and electric car battery components?
Now debate is all one sided and the voices of common sense integrity are shouted out or smothered. The BBC and media in general are all guilty of dropping their standards and encouraging real debate. They can slag off the Farages of this world and scientists trying to get common sense, joined up thinking to be debated but relegated to the less popular radio stations. Not just us but all parties have got to take a long hard look at what they are trying to deliver. It is so old worldish and out of step with the populations thinking.. Debate has to be a two way thing to encourage proactive thinking. You stand alone Sir John like the light houses of yesteryear a beacon to safety and progress whilst all around you ignore what is actually going on and maintain their present course. The rocks are getting closer at an alarming rate.
November 21, 2020
Sir John, Of all the mistakes this government has made over the last 8 months, the most heinous is the criminalisation of peaceful protest against lockdown while allowing and ignoring BLM and Extinction Rebellion protests which include destruction of property.
November 21, 2020
“Attempts to prevent topics and ban any view you disagree with is usually an unwelcome move…” (emphasis added).
Sometimes, when you express yourself like Sgt. Wilson (“Do you really think that’s wise, sir?”), I would rather you expressed yourself more like Captain Mainwaring (“That’s a typical shabby Nazi trick!”).
November 21, 2020
O/T Apparently SAGE has no molecular virologists, immunologists or intensive care experts and they are guiding the goverment? What is Boris thinking of? It’s about time we had some experienced experts advising the government. Get rid of SAGE and lets start getting our economy and lives back to normal.
November 21, 2020
Good morning.
When you can control the language, you can control the debate. – Marxist theory.
We have to understand that the people of the United Kingdom of Great Britain is at war and is under attack. This attack is not coming from a foreign foe in uniform, brandishing weapons and making unreasonable demands. It is the worst of all enemies and it is impossible to distinguish them from friend or foe, or to better combat their actions and intentions. It is the enemy from within !
The genus comes from the Universities. Sometime ago our kind host touched upon this with reference to China and the funding they give to them. And when you look at the people in all areas of State life, QUANGO’s, NGO’s, the Government, Civil Service, charities, and State bodies such as PHE and the NHS, we see the same kind of people occupying the top jobs. It was described as a ‘Chumoracy’.
The Head of the English FA lost his job because he used the word ‘colour’ to describe a BAME person. He was not being racist or in anyway disparaging, and he immediately apologized and gave, what I thought, a satisfactory excuse as to why he used that word when it was pointed out others might not like to hear it.
There are many things that I and others, especially here, find deeply offending. I find it offensive that my country (England), and thereby myself, are treated by the political class and the MSM as, at best, non-existent, and at worst, filthy scum deserving of irradiation by any means.
Where is my voice ? Who speaks for me ? Who will stand up and say this rampant bigotry and discrimination against the English and England must end ? Who will pass a law forbidding such ? No one, that’s who ? And until you start to address this none of that which is written here or elsewhere will change.
November 21, 2020
Morals, temperament, attitude and atmosphere is all dictated by the top
Every shop floor business/company that I visit is a reflection of the board of directors, likewise MPs dictate what is woke and what isnât
MPs could force every public establishment and council to fly the union flag, they could reinstate the values of the Church of EnglandâŠ.the list goes on
Has anybody noticed that the TV adverts from the big retailers have nothing to do with a traditional British Christmas
Wishing you and your partners all the best around the period end of December and hope you and your god and religion wellâŠâŠnot sure if I can say âmerry christmasâ anymore in fear of litigation
November 21, 2020
Most of the TV adverts seem to be wishing everyone a black Christmas. Or a green Christmas with Amazon. I won’t be buying anything off them again.
November 21, 2020
Merry Christmas, by the way, and a Happy New Year!
I would not like to be opposing the mass of British people once they are on the move.
November 21, 2020
Grasping the Nettles and Weeds of Wokeish before it overwhelms us all is so true Sir John!
As you explain it so well. It is so fundamental that it has become akin to a foreign language to the older generation who see through it as a ridiculous fogging and bloated talk deliberately used when being disingenuous or suspect or pursuing another agenda.
Honesty in spirit and letter is concise and direct. The advent of TV has allowed those filmed to pretend they are film stars and avoid directness with pc correctness instead which allows them to deflect like a smart point scoring quiz.
When you think back to Sir Robin Day and his obituary in The Guardian by Dick Taverne stated that he was “the most outstanding television journalist of his generation. He transformed the television interview, changed the relationship between politicians and television, and strove to assert balance and rationality into the medium’s treatment of current affairs”.
Sadly his passing in year 2000 coincides with the arrival of new kid s on the block, the so-called New Labour with new speak: the pc correctness brigade in full flow and singing “Fings can only get better….” to boot. This pc is not at all correct and downright corruption of our language heritage. We should call it out for what it is – a falsehood fallacy.
November 21, 2020
At last !
The ”Daily Mail” exposes the lies and scaremongering of the shockingly dreadful and shameful Boris Johnson administration………….
”What they DON’T tell you about Covid: Fewer beds taken up than last year, deaths a fraction of the grim forecasts, 95% of fatalities had underlying causes… and how the facts can be twisted to strike fear in our hearts.”
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8971669/What-DONT-tell-Covid-facts-twisted-strike-fear-hearts.html
Polly
November 21, 2020
The politicians and scientists wonât like that â real data
November 21, 2020
WOKEish, the Cancel Culture, XT – were all amusing to start as it gave us an insight to how dumb some people are and why the need to be trained to think for themselves. The MsM loves the topics as it gives them material for ever ending hype about nothing, they have realised mass manipulation without a solid supporting basis allows them to stroke their own ego. They are creating their own religions if you like. As someone recently said religions come about when people are not comfortable or confident in their self.
You could say the government could have countered all this baloney at the start, but then this Government is reliant on the type of control they believe it gives them. Thank goodness the silent majority know better, although perversely that doesn’t always play out only 5-6% of the population switches sides come elections.
November 21, 2020
Irony how much pollution, damage and costs has XT (xtinction rebellion) cost the Country, the taxpayer.
November 21, 2020
In the struggle for decency and truth, the easily offended should be offended more often.
November 21, 2020
Yes, Tory-brexit voters are generally uneducated, cynical types, with no moral consciousness.
Happy?
November 21, 2020
I don’t wish to offend your sensitive nature but I must point out that much of the labour heartland voted to leave. I trust you do not include labour supporters in your abusive appraisal of what you consider makes a brexit voter.
November 21, 2020
Yes I’m happy.
Thanks for helping to keep the Conservatives in power for years to come.
Keep insulting the voters Martin.
November 21, 2020
Another typically stupid generalisation which we have come to expect from this particular wokeish source.
November 21, 2020
Martin ,You on the wine again ?
November 21, 2020
More like juice with E addatives.
November 21, 2020
Martin do you think you have a better education and more innate ability than our host? Do you think you can pit your achievements as an adult against his?
Only here is the secret, he is a lifelong Brexiteer.
November 22, 2020
Lynn – -you ‘really’ need to ask that!
November 21, 2020
I want to get back to a time when someone who says ” coloured people ” rather than “people of colour” doesn’t get hounded out of their job for it.
November 21, 2020
Well you need to do something about Tory employment “law” then, don’t you?
November 21, 2020
Wrong.
If you break the law then that is gross misconduct and grounds for dismissal.
Even a journalist at your beloved Guardian has been cancelled for saying the wrong words.
November 21, 2020
But Martin, Remainers told us ad nauseum that the only reason we had employment law was through the benevolence of the EU demanding it.
November 21, 2020
a few decades ago the term ‘Black’ was viewed as abusive and racist – ‘coloured people’ was correct. Now, but am I out of touch again, ‘Black’ is fine, but ‘people of colour’ is also fine.
It would help me, and I suspect millions, if consistency was applied, and perhaps free public courses to re-educate old ‘uns like me avoid faux pas – or far worse!”
November 21, 2020
Maybe the answer is to abolish equal opportunity monitoring and just call people ââpeopleââ remove the label – lets face it,, it hasn’t achieved anything in 30 years
November 21, 2020
kindly explain that to BLM and Lewis Hamilton.
November 21, 2020
Letâs just speak of native British and aliens. That excludes colour completely because the Poles, French and Germans are also aliens and are white.
November 22, 2020
Its the only senisble conclusion
November 21, 2020
It doesn’t matter how many times you ask them why “of colour” is de rigeur and “coloured” is verboten, they will never tell you. Bernard Jenkin was sacked by David Cameron for falling foul of this unexplained rule and hasn’t had a front bench job since.
November 21, 2020
I agree with all of that.
But how to we achieve this fine objective when most of the media, the entertainment industry, both Houses of Parliament, all higher ranking police officers, the HR and marketing departments of larger companies, most charities, and the civil service, seem to be the source of the problem?
Where do we begin, and if we voice the wrong opinions how do we keep our jobs and continue to support our families?
November 21, 2020
We do it by voting wisely. The Reform Party will field candidates for the Police and Crime Commissioners and local elections. This is our opportunity to make changes from the ground up. The voter turnout is so low for the commissioner roles they can easily win.
November 21, 2020
We donât want police and crime commissioners. The vote tells you that.
November 23, 2020
No, we don’t but it’s the same as voting for The Brexit Party in the European elections. We destroy the establishment from within.
November 21, 2020
If, BIG IF, the UK does actual follow the lunatic green mantra of team BoJo how much of UK manufacturing base would have left the country and found homes were this religion hasn’t got a hold.
In the same vein how much reduction will there be in World Co2 emissions? Logic is they will increase, the UK manufactures offshore their facilities and then has the product shipped back. Although the counter there is the UK will be out of work and has no money to buy anything.
Team BoJo has made it the UK against the World, in that the UK citizen must be punished for the sake of an unfounded science and religion. While the rest of the World goes on to thrive, create wealth and tackle real situations. the saving grace is that 2024 we could clear out the crap, but it does mean starting over.
November 21, 2020
Conservatives can only win resounding majorities when the working classes support them as D’Israeli, Lord Salisbury, Mr Macmillan, Mrs Thatcher and now, Boris Johnson would have been the first to agree. All you say in this post rings very true to me which is why it is a particular tragedy that Boris Johnson appears to have forgotten it already. His Green agenda, which is hugely attractive to politicians as noone will ever know whether it is necessary or not, but shows them to be doing something ‘of Global importance’, may be very worthy to some. However, it will only attract votes from the class described so eloquently by Lord Randolph Churchill as ‘The lords of the suburban villas with their vineries and pineries’, and not at all from the far greater number of people of the poorer areas of the country who cannot afford double glazing, let alone the extra energy costs that will be imposed to make electric cars universal by 2030. Boris should realise that for all the shallowness of the new leader of the opposition, he has the advantage that Mr Blair had of being extremely plausible.
The question though, is that if even Boris and the Conservative parliamentary party has fallen for the ‘Woke’ agenda, do the Conservatives have any point?
The ERG and what used to be UKIP may have to re-form together with a much bigger objective than Brexit..
November 21, 2020
And the biggest woke isâŠ..the government
Having a public sector pay freeze that excludes the NHS
November 21, 2020
And even that âsavesâ billions! The state sector needs to be halved including the disastrous NHS.
November 21, 2020
Hopefully the day will not come when your constituency gets changed to “Woke-ingham”!
You never know these days though!
November 21, 2020
The last straw will be the ignoring of the peoples wishes of a ‘Clean Break’
How the UK is run no matter how badly is 100% with the UK Citizen, they are the only ones that can make, amend and repeal the laws and rules that govern what happens in UK territory, through their elected representative. Any attempt on a fudge on that ideal of democracy will show contempt for the people that leant their sovereignty and pay the wages. Any attempt to ignore that requires immediate resignation of ALL those involved.
November 21, 2020
Where to start?
What has happened to plain, old fashioned good manners?
There was a time that if you wanted to discuss an issue you did so face to face. This generally motivated the use of respectful language. Nowadays, people use social media, twitter etc where they do not feel constrained to be polite.
Someone in the workplace, a Journalist for example, makes a factual but unwoke comment and the Employer is hounded by some of the workforce to sack the individual.
But I thought that it was illegal to bully and harrass someone anywhere let alone in the workplace.
What a topsy turvy world we live in.
November 21, 2020
Sir John,
I know this is yesterdays topic but I have had a bit of an afterthought.
It may be that people are struggling with the PMs green agenda because of the way it is being promoted.
Regardless of the accuracy of claims about the climate surely we can all agree that fossil fuels are being depleted and we will, therefore, need to find alternative sources of power. This would make more sense to the population but would need the target date to reflect reality rather than politics.
November 21, 2020
They said fossil fuels would be depleted y 1990 – didn’t happen neven will
November 21, 2020
Correct,
the optimum position would be to reduce new production ,thereby reducing material & energy consumption, maintain existing plant and vehicles with cost effective maintenance. Meanwhile develop and establish local ie UK . recycling and manufacture capacity while training a workforce of skilled technicians to utilise state of the art ai techniques to burst upon the World market with novel, super efficient and competitive essential items, while encouraging a higher standard of satisfaction with life through sustainable honest endeavour.
Delivering more than promised. It would be the winner
November 21, 2020
Youâve fallen into the trap believing that thereâs a climate change, CO2 and resource/energy emergency
November 21, 2020
Dear Mr. Redwood,
Another superb article from you today.
Of course, the reason why the ‘wokerati’ including the opposition parties in the Commons like to stifle debate and prevent proper discourse is, of course, because they know that their own case is so very, very poor and will not stand up to proper scrutiny.
November 21, 2020
Dear Sir John,
A very important issue most succinctly highlighted.
So what are you going to do? Or do you find the task too great.
Hoping.
November 21, 2020
We can rely on the Andy & Martin daily diaries to put us right, umpteen times a day!
November 21, 2020
Wow, what a crushing indictment, but it remains a mystery as to how it will be solved when not even a Tory Party annointed with the extraordinary powers of an 80 majority fails to mount a challenge, but willingly jumps on the woke bandwagon to oblivion. The Party has clearly moved so far from its fundamental principles that a dedicated MP no longer recognises it and is clearly hurt and exhausted by the censorship it actively promotes through its deafening silence on the matter. A few experienced and wise MPs whose loyalties are being severely tested, certainly won’t have the tools to stop the woke juggernaut lurking in the corridors of power, but the electorate is fizzing with anger and won’t be fooled again.
November 21, 2020
Agree +1
November 21, 2020
John, I think you have answered your own question, i.e. none of this makes sense. My belief is that Wokeism, the EU and the green agenda are nothing to do with creating a better fairer society. It is about money, power and control by setting up an alternative religion for the many idiots we seem to have in this country and around the world to follow. Invent a cause like slavery and climate change that nobody is allowed to challenge and you are on a winner. I suggest you follow the money and this will show you who is behind this new religion. Itâs vote-rigging that is my main concern at the moment. Once these powerful people have that in place across the World we the people have lost all say. Interesting that The Reform party is gathering evidence about chumism connected to politicians and the civil service. Unfortunately, they are too small to fight the media and elites. We need the few good people left in authority to fight for us.
November 21, 2020
The years of the Climate Change Acts of 2006 and 2008 are the time when Wokeish or Wokespeak began to evolve as the distinct version of the English language that our good host, the M.P. for Wokingham (!), so well describes.
Hate speech laws were enacted well before that by the Public Order Act 1986, and then aggravated in 2006 by the Racial and Religious Hatred Act and in 2008 by the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act. Thus, Wokeish is a form of speaking (and writing) that operates to compel, not only socially and academically (students and teachers) – and too often by episcopal exhortation – but also through intimidation and enforcement by police action enabled by Parliament.
Unhappily, this sort of social and political control has been further developed by way of the Coronavirus Act 2020, and the government sponsored disnformation that promoted it and goes with it.
“We need to take back control of our language and of the agenda” as Sir John advises. and may be the immediate task is to accomplish a clean Brexit, and take back control of our country and our laws.
November 21, 2020
Political correctness doesn’t exist at our golf club nor at our luncheon club. We speak what we think and it is not favourable to the wokeish. We believe all can say what they think, and be what they wish. We believe the climate is always changing and man cannot affect it. We believe Covid is a new and dangerous virus for which a vaccine may be useful. We read the either of the best two newspapers neither of which is the Guardian. We drive old good quality cars and are still with our first wives. We are totally politically incorrect by being honest.
November 21, 2020
Yes, you have complete freedom of speech to say all those things. There’s no law against any of it.
So where’s the story?
November 22, 2020
I suspect that following your confession, that your Premises Licence may be ‘cancelled’!
November 21, 2020
Thank you, Mr Redwood. Political correctness was, of course, invented by 1930s Communists for the purposes of cultural hegemony and of removing any opposition to state-enforced tyranny. We all know how that turned out.
Seen elsewhere on the web: âThe notion of political correctness came into use among Communists in the 1930s as a semi-humorous reminder that the Partyâs interest is to be treated as a reality that ranks above reality itself,â writes Codevilla, Professor Emeritus of International Relations at Boston University.
The semi-humorous reminder went something like this:
âComrade, your statement is factually incorrect.â
âYes, it is. But it is politically correct.â â
Offence cannot be given – it can only be taken.
November 21, 2020
Boris – “I remember how some people used to sneer at wind power, twenty years ago, and say that it wouldnât pull the skin off a rice pudding,” he is expected to say.
“They forgot the history of this country. It was offshore wind that puffed the sails of Drake and Raleigh and Nelson, and propelled this country to commercial greatness.”
Yes Boris and how would these ships to now against modern nuclear powered and diesel ships you fool. You were right first time.
November 21, 2020
Also Boris remember your punishment and costs are ONLY to be inflicted on the UK taxpayer. The rest of the World gets to develop and evolve while we head to the stone age.
November 21, 2020
+1 and not even any real effect on CO2 just jobs and CO2 emissions exported.
November 21, 2020
Nothing can be done about this, until the Coronavirus emergency diktats are repealed. Until then, the Great Green Reset and control of public opinion will go ahead without being effectively challenged. Dissent will be criminalised, and the only permitted public discourse will be Woke.
I hope we are not looking, Sir John, at the last days of democracy in this country. We still have it, just, but it’s hanging by a thread. Please use whatever powers are left to you to help save it. You are an elected representative of us ordinary people, who cannot legally fight, or now even demonstrate, against the ruling madness.
November 21, 2020
Done about what?
Some people thinking that what some others spout is a load of narrow-minded, backward-looking baloney?
If they do they do. Get over it.
November 21, 2020
Please tell Boris that a deal that includes UK fishermen having less than 60% of the fishing quota in our own waters will be unacceptable. This can be softened by allowing a three to five year gradual implementation period as we will need tome to rebuild our fleet of suitable fishing boats.
Similarly, the deal cannot be renegotiated after ten years, unless the option exists to increase our quotas further. Furthermore, the annual negotiations we have proposed are to safeguard fish stocks and are therefore essential.
November 21, 2020
Weâve had 4.5 years transition, enough is enough – give them nothing
November 22, 2020
It’s the UK which is begging, not the European Union.
November 21, 2020
We should not have a transition period at all. The waters are ours and must be taken back and revived after over fishing and electro pulsing. We can issue annual licences to well behaved Continental fishermen at our discretion. On no account should anything to do with fish be negotiated with the EU. We are not negotiating over the French vineyards are we?
November 21, 2020
Congratulations for speaking up, Sir John.
âWokenessâ is one of the greatest dangers to our liberal, democratic way of life. It could consume us if we do not all use whatever influence we have to push back. Particularly the identitarian and totalitarian aspects.
Voices like Andrew Murray, John McWhorter, Eric Weinstein, James Lindsay etc have been sounding the warnings for some time via their podcasts and lectures. George Orwell brilliantly portrayed the types of society it leads to in 1984, and Animal Farm.
Yesterday The Rubin Report podcast interviewed an intelligent young North Korean defector (itâs on YouTube). I recommend it: her perspectives on this madness were illuminating. Her advice was to resist before it is too late.
Thank you again, Sir John.
November 21, 2020
Why is the woke brigade not offended about:
Immigrants coming to the UK from hot countries requiring the burning of fossil fuels for winter warmth,
The demeaning of women through pornography – even on Freeview,
Child labour in mining of cobalt for electric vehicle batteries.
It’s not about a campaign for what is right, and much more to do with an anti-establishment agenda.
November 21, 2020
Who are “the woke brigade”?
How do you know that whoever they might be are not concerned by those things?
November 22, 2020
Where are the strident left wing activist’s campaigns demos and marches about the subjects Dave lists?
Looking forward to your reply.
November 21, 2020
I wish you were PM.
November 21, 2020
Almost anyone would be better than Queen Carrie sitting on Boris with her climate alarmist and other lunacies. But in politics being consistently right is rarely rewarded. Tory MPs were so idiotic they even preferred John ERM Major to JR last time he stood.
Thus burying the party for many terms.
November 21, 2020
I see that some of the England rugby team have ‘taken the knee’. I shan’t be watching the game.
November 21, 2020
Most ! – I spotted 4 standing, and others – Irish and officials.
It is all getting absurd.
November 21, 2020
And all Ireland’s team stood up for common sense!
November 21, 2020
The Irish have no guilt. The British have been psychologically destroyed by 100 years of war and bluff.
November 21, 2020
I do not have politically correct views.
Britain and the USA were at the forefront of the suppression of Slavery, though not its elimination. I think our forbears were inspired by a Christian ethic and this helped bring about this progress. Sadly that inspiration is missing today and slavery is still with us in China (eg Uyghurs), the Congo (the Pygmies), Pakistan (bonded labour, child marriage, forced conversions, human trafficking) and maybe in pockets in the Arab world. Further, on the back of mass and illegal immigration slavery (including grooming) may be on the rise in the UK such as in the sweatshops of Leicester and Bradford, to which some local MPs and Police appear to turn a blind eye. It is sad.
November 21, 2020
The orchestrated Tory party support of Patel, who now has a proven undeniable track record of bullying, is identical to the Republican Partyâs support of Trump with his attempts at subverting democracy.
Your ‘anti-woke’ rant is evidence that you have lost sight of what is right or wrong. Your notion of ‘taking back control’ and ‘strong democracy’ is exactly the opposite – a fascistic contempt of democracy and the law.
November 21, 2020
Rot.
November 22, 2020
Bot.
November 23, 2020
clot.
November 21, 2020
I much prefer the can do attitude than the wimpish woke don’t challenge approach to leading. Definitely better than the Sir sit on a fence approach, so I’m for Boris and the likes of Priti.
November 21, 2020
What was wrong was that the Civil Service in general expect to do what they want, and ignore the elected Government. ‘Yes Prime Minister’ but without any intelligence or humour.
November 21, 2020
The support for the Home Secretary does not need to be orchestrated. It is strong and real. She has obviously been the victim, not the perpetrator. Can you really imagine those highly paid, well pensioned, undeserving knights, in their long standing permanent positions, allowing themselves to be bullied by a little outsider and newcomer they despise? To whose policies they are inveterately opposed? Bullying doesn’t have to be noisy or visible. Not when it is practised by men like that. Just look at the way their allies are treating her.
Bullying is like racism and sexism, very easy to accuse an enemy of and very hard to disprove now that, like hate crime in general, it is in the eye of the accuser, not the law.
November 21, 2020
As I look across the pond to the USA, I am witnessing one country splitting into two countries, mainly the red states versus the blue states and within the state’s counties splitting away from their state, as to how they come to this I think you all know with john in lighting blog today.
How long will it be for people in this country start standing up for their rights and freedoms, will it start at the next local election or will I be back on this blog again reading the bloggers on this site writing about how intelligent they are and commenting how their writing and spelling is so good which has turned this site into awoke blog excluding people
without the right writing skills to have their say.
As you all know I have called you all thicko on this blog several times and told you
you will be getting all deserve and more and now you are getting it full-on, I’ve been loving every moment of it as you sit back in your armchairs watching the BBC most nights and doing absolutely nothing about anything yourselves apart from complaining and leave it all for john to do.
November 21, 2020
I have a feeling that if Trump had won the election we would not be talking about PC instead along with Boris we would gladly follow along in the wake of Donald’s big fake news non PC rant and be quite content if it gave us a favoured trade deal- anything just to escape the dreaded EU. But PC speaking starts with being honest and it means we should honour treaties made in full and not try to shave off parts we don’t like before the ink is even dry not only in this century but throughout history. We did not pick up the name perfidious albion out of the thin air.
November 22, 2020
Donald Trump will be inaugurated as President of the USA for 4 more years on 20 January 2021.
THE MEDIA DO NOT DECIDE WHO IS THE PRESIDENT.
Biden is going down along with all his other Chinalap dogs.
November 21, 2020
Edinburgh Castle Changing War Heroesâ Memorial After One Person Complained of âImperialismâ – breitbart website
November 21, 2020
Breitbart – oh, that settles it then.
November 22, 2020
Find it on other sites if it pleases you.
It is a real story.
November 21, 2020
I can hear John are host saying before the next election, vote for the conservative party you know it makes sense, and I can hear the Tory voters saying I will just have to vote for the Tories and hold my nose and hope for the best that about sums up the intelligent I have seen on this blog to date, no doubt you will make another mess of the next local election coming up and give the woke councils a bigger stick to hit you with, good luck with that, hear’s hoping you get all you have coming to you.
November 21, 2020
You are wrong. We are prepared to see the Tories at 9%.
November 22, 2020
Who is/are âweâ? Sir Johnâs Pepper Groupie Heart Club Band?
I am afraid your weight in the coming Mayâ21 UK elections is inversely proportional to the number of your daily posts on this site, specially with an electoral system such as FPTP still prevalent for electing councillors.
November 22, 2020
Ian. Rubbish. I will be voting for anyone standing for the Reform Party.
November 21, 2020
Sir John, what comments do you have about the task force put together by the PM to âshake-up the NHSâ? The committee is said to report to Munira Mirza , the PMâs policy chief and appears not to include any member with a background in public health provision but includes a former McKinsey management consultant, already involved in Andrew Lansley âs 2012 Health and Care Reform Act.
At a time when there are some questions about how money has recently been distributed for PPE and Test & Trace, would it not be necessary to have MPs involved from the start in reviewing the various stages of this coming reform, given that it is very likely to recommend a much bigger involvement of the private sector?
November 21, 2020
The latest defence review is all about how we are to deter the Russians and Chinese for they are the people we should fear most and who most want to do us harm, apparently.
Is it the Russians or Chinese who have overrun us and created vast enclaves of foreignness in our Capital city and in our country at large? Is it the Russians or the Chinese that have taken away our freedom of speech to such an extent that people are frightened into silence when the perpetrators of wickedness against us are not of us? Is it the Russians or the Chinese who demand us to grovel in apology for happenings in the past over which we have no influence, even events in the past that didn’t actually happen?
The liblabcon are nothing but unpatriotic gobshites and it is they that have either embraced or caved into a malevolent agenda of foreign origin designed to destroy us. It is not as though sailing a huge boat in the direction of a putative enemy has any deterrent effect when he possesses hypersonic missiles with auto-guidance. Get real; what about the real enemy, the enemy within? It’s later than you think. Soon there can be no turning back without overt civil conflict.
November 21, 2020
I remember complaining to Rupert Allison MP, at the time of Maastricht (he was the only Tory MP who did not vote in favour – me was the single abstention) of the Cross Party Parliamentary Group for World Government. Itâs chairman was Joan Walley MP. Steve Baker has also been a member.
Rupert brushed off my concern saying that anything Ms Walley was involved in would fail.
Well they have not failed. Because we will not nip anything evil in the bud, we always end up fighting a war where our survival is at stake.
I remember people laughing at political correctness. We are not laughing now!
November 21, 2020
This day exactly one hundred years ago marks the day in Dublin bloody sunday when fourteen british intelligence officers were shot dead by Ira at various locations in Dublin south side. Later that day at a crowded football game between tipperary and dublin crown forces arrived and opened fire on the crowd. In total more than forty were killed- things between britain and ireland would never be the same again
November 21, 2020
Iâll tell you whatâs woke â thatâs settling for BRINO
According to Sky News itâs now a certainty
November 21, 2020
Yes the only thing worse that woke-speak is woke-action. Like the U.K. âquietlyâ paying the ÂŁ1 billion demanded by the EU on Brexit day.
I have had enough really. More than.
November 21, 2020
You’re exactly right here, Sir John, but you must know as well as I do that the Government and your party machine (in glaring contrast to what I strongly suspect is the vast majority of its members) are perfectly comfortable not only with the language but with the thought that drives it. It is probably the most significant reason why I – a social, moral and political conservative – will not contemplate joining the Conservative Party, nor voting for its candidate (in my case Steve Barclay, impervious to our views given his astoundingly safe seat and in any case too busy for us, given his role in the Treasury). What would be the point? Politically, I would gain nothing that I want.
November 21, 2020
Can I recommend that our host and all contributors tune in to TouTube,” BBC insider exposes BBC bias and lack of diversity of opinion”. It is a discussion between Robin Aitkin, one of the doyens of journalism, and Peter Whittle Director New Culture Forum. Very rational and enlightening.
November 21, 2020
The great majority are now awake and alert to the threat to democracy, history and society as we in Great Britain know it.
UKIP and then the Brexit Party proved that the people can take action to reverse globalism, federalism and minority group diversionary distraction.
If a full and proper Brexit doesn’t take place the Brexit party, the Reform Party and others yet to be formed will apply the same “guerilla tactics” which gave BB his majority, at the next General Election, byelections and council elections.
The two party system and first past the post can and will be strategically influenced by such radical “parties”.
BB the Prime Minister may not care as all he seeks is the accreditation of former PM and world statesman and then off he goes to secure his Blairlike fortune, only as the “Great Entertainer”
Marginal seat parliamentarians be warned.
Such is Democracy.
The people are now quickly awakening.
November 21, 2020
No, they just proved that a country can be made into a global laughing stock with severely diminished influence quite easily.
November 21, 2020
Well said. It’s a shame that those in Cabinet don’t push back whenever any of this woke nonsense is used by Opposition parties and the media. Wokeism is the last vestige of the failing Left. By controlling language, questioning or erasing history and perceived “truth”, they control the argument and believe it will win them power one day by convincing enough gullible supporters. We live in dangerous times, those of us on the right are getting pretty fed up of batting away outright lies and deceptions peddled by opponents. There are many able Tory MPs who, like you, have the speed of thought and recall of real events to properly take on the Left, it’s time for them to stand up and be counted.
November 21, 2020
The Law Society’s proposals on “hate speech” should be thrown out and allowed nowhere near the statute book.
November 22, 2020
The Law Commission’s proposals are pure National Socialism in action. They are intolerable, they are evil, they are racist, they are bigoted and they are deliberately intended to destroy freedom of expression, privacy and open, civil debate
Any MP nodding through this extremist legislation must be exposed
My worry is that both main parties have contributed to these proposals and that the Tory government are working with the LC. It is the oldest trick in the book.
Government invite (without informing the public) an external professional body to offer up their thoughts on new laws, this allows politicians to exclaim ‘nothing to do with me guvnor’ while all the while being intimately involved in the construction
This is a direct result of voting for the Tory-Labour political class. Tory is Labour and Labour is Tory. There is no choice in politics any more. The majority voter is being conned into believing they have a choice and this is endorsing the move towards authoritarianism
We are utterly captured by the voters blindness
November 22, 2020
I take it that the Law Commission didn’t accept that you had sufficient grasp of the law to invite you to be a Member Of The Public Consultee on the wide range of differing and alternative proposals?
Or did you not even try?
If not, then stop whining.
November 22, 2020
Why should he?
He is a citizen and a voter.
We rule them.
Not the other way round.
November 23, 2020
MARTIN – what was that you said about being shouted down?
November 21, 2020
I occasionally comment on the Guardian web site. I tend not to do it much because I get ‘shouted down’ and called a bigot and all sorts of other things just for offering an opinion to woke brigade can’t debate with. Their myopia has to be seen to be believed. It is, almost literally, unbelievable. One wonders if some part of their brain, the part that allows for logical thought, has been removed. Nonetheless, it is very debilitating trying to argue with them.
That said, the circulation is very, very low so, hopefully, there are not as many of them as one might think. They just seem to shout the loudest.
November 22, 2020
Mike
These people are in government. These people form part of the State, the Labour party, the Tory party, the unions and all professional bodies, education etc etc
Look at today’s product advertising. Race and gender has infected every product offering I see today. This has happened in the last 3 years
We are being immersed in it and the State is driving it
November 22, 2020
Keep going Mike.
Their site is rather more widely-read than John’s.
Or are you not of sufficiently stern stuff to handle disagreement?
The great thing about blogs – as opposed to say a bar room – is that you cannot be shouted down or threatened, much as some here try.
So I’m not sure quite what you mean by your claim.
November 23, 2020
Sir John is the only force moderating on this site.
November 21, 2020
A sort of Lockdown-3 starts on 2nd December.
A tougher three-tiered system of local restrictions will come into force in England when the lockdown ends on 2 December, Downing Street has said.
Boris Johnson is expected to set out his plan – including details of how families can see different households at Christmas – to MPs on Monday. More areas are set to be placed into the higher tiers to keep the virus under control, No 10 said. And some tiers will be strengthened to safeguard lockdown progress.
It is not yet clear exactly how restrictions could change. Full details of the so-called “Covid winter plan” are expected on Monday, after cabinet discussions on Sunday.
November 22, 2020
Fred, we had Matt Hancock saying 6 days ago â âChristmas still in peril: Hancock warns it’s ‘too early’ to know if Covid will fall enough to life lockdown and we must strike back,’ plus if we do meet at Christmas donât hug says Matt Hancock, what next wear your mask all day, yet at the same time we were told âBoris Johnson has made clear that the regulations underpinning the national lockdown will expire on December 2 and MPs will be given a say on what happens next. In a message to MPs, the Prime Minister said he was âmore confident than ever that we will end these exceptional measures on December 2 and continue to pummel Covid into submissionâ
Then Sage âexpertsâ were warning go ahead and see your relatives but you could then be burying them come January!!!
Itâs all a pathetic mess.
1. If everyone is wearing their mask in a supermarket and keeping their distance why are we told its spreading in supermarkets, is it just that this is all the new covid catchers are admitting theyâve done in the previous week!
2. I hope this government will show some just a tiny bit of care to small shop owners in England (they already can do this in Scotland) from December and allow extended opening hours if they want to open on Sundays for the first two weekends at least. Although most of the shopping is going to be done online in the Black Friday (week) that is being allowed to go ahead even though the government have shut down their competitors. John donât start writing in January how do we save the High Street when your government has effectively stabbed them in the back whilst keeping their large competitors open.
November 23, 2020
Bring school end of term forward to enable an improved length of stay at home quarantine, easing fear of infecting family at Christmas.
Similarly with uni students, close early, enforce home quarantine, no return to colleges until February.
Open shops in December, but limit numbers inside.
November 21, 2020
Even more dangerous than politically correct speaking is politically correct censorship, such as we are seeing in the MSM and on Social Media. First on the causes of climate change, then on the Wuhan virus, vaccinations, and the American election, and now on face masks. A nameless, faceless young thing in California can decide by “fact checking” what an Oxford Professor may publish on the internet on his own subject. The same individual can censor the American President, his spokeswoman, his lawyers, their witnesses, the Secretary of State, the Vice President, and the Leader of the Senate. There is a touching clip of the President of Mexico on Twitter which has not yet been censored, in which he exclaims in Spanish at the American President being censored in the Land of the Free.
So what is to be done about our own broadcasters and journalists falling in with this? People like (named media person ed) who refuse to investigate the mounting allegations of electoral fraud and intimidation? In covering up, censoring, suppressing; in substituting an alternative version of history, they are playing an extremely dangerous game. They are not just endangering the lives and livelihoods of the lawyers and witnesses involved in the litigation, but also the lives and livelihoods of any Republican or Trump supporter who dares to appear as such in public. As the mass cover-up advances, they are endangering the lives of others as well, because eventually the fraud and intimidation are going to be exposed, eventually the case is going to be heard, and then the violent Left will burn the place down, thanks to a false history being told by the MSM and Big Tech, and millions of Democrats believing their man won.
.
November 22, 2020
Superb article, my friends agree.
November 22, 2020
Let me deal with a few related issues. It is absolutely right that ministers should bully sullen, foot dragging, Do Nothing, pro-EU, politically correct Civil Servants. Indeed, not a few of them should be fired POUR ENCOURAGER LES AUTRES.
If we are to decide how to clean out the Augean stables of British public life, we should first list all of the individuals and institutions that claim to be ‘independent’ but are not elected. To get you all thinking, here is a brief list:
– Her Majesty the Queen NOT ELECTED
– The heir to the Throne NOT ELECTED
– The Supreme Court NOT ELECTED
– The House of Lords NOT ELECTED
– The European Commission NOT ELECTED
– Justices put in charge of public inquiries NOT ELECTED
– Community leaders NOT ELECTED
– Stakeholders (i.e. vested interests) NOT ELECTED
– Governors of the BBC NOT ELECTED
You get my drift.
It’s also worth pointing out that one of the objections to immigration is that it results in more of the population ‘having faith’, when the majority – particularly the Caucasian majority – is moving steadily towards doing without faith. These often alien faiths admit of all sorts of ridiculous beliefs and customs like Jihad, Sharia courts, FGM, sacred cows, the caste system, deathbed repentance, trans-substantiation etc. etc.
November 22, 2020
I don’t have a problem with a hereditary monarchy. It suits us well. But the last item on the list really caught my attention. My stockbroking platform, to its credit, allows me to vote in the AGMs of the companies whose shares I ‘own’, through a nominee service. So it shouldn’t be difficult for TV Licensing to provide the same service for the licence fee-payers. TVL was, after all, very keen for us to move ‘on-line’.
November 22, 2020
Interesting point – I like it
November 22, 2020
Not a good idea to conflate heredity with appointment.
November 22, 2020
@Lindsay. I agree with your thoughts. In a nutshell any one that is some form of authority and is paid by the tax-payer should before all else be accountable to the taxpayer.
I would go a few further steps all candidates standing to represent us in elections should only ever get their funding for their campaigns from those they directly intend to represent. Candidates should also only be selected by the communities they wish to represent, and never by a gang leader who is looking for loyal supporters and not necessarily the best candidate for that constituency. The taxpayer should never be involved in any sort of funding for political groups.
November 22, 2020
As the magnetosphere weakens (which it is doing at an expediential rate) mammalian behaviour is predicted to become more and more erratic; so, if you think the ride is bumpy now, just you wait.
Wokishness has been embraced by world leaders (including the Conservatives) who chant in unison and congratulate themselves for doing so BUILD BACK BETTER. A form of mass hypnosis, mass hysteria. The GREAT RESET: a movement designed to steer leaders away from democracy to totalitarianism.
Bumpy times indeed.