I struggle to know what to say anymore but I fear sometimes I could crack for shame at what has become of the British government. You are absolutely correct in times of hardship and poverty for working families the tactic to blame the other always has and sadly always will come into play, hate is the only card they have to play, there is no compassion from this so called Christian party it is absolutely devoid of all emotional intelligence and empathy and so it goes on. People have and will continue to die in attempts to reach our once welcoming now hostile shores in desperation. If death itself is no deterent then a plane to Rwanda or anywhere could never be. My heart goes out to the family of the person we lost today. This party has no answers, no purpose and no soul - time is up.
The details of the last hours of the asylum seeker are coming out and they are a appalling indictment of how we treat these desperate, traumatised people. It s as though Brexit opened Pandora s box and gave people permission to be cruel and callous and racist, whilst rationalising it as “ protecting our borders.”
I do think, especially with the 2019 intake, that the Tories have sunk so low to a place where they represent some of the worst attitudes in society.
The veneer or nicety hasn’t been applied, but the underlying nastiness is the same as their more “esteemed” colleagues.
My father once told me, that even in polite society, if you are to talk to someone, even someone thought to be very respectable, you’re often never more than a couple of beats away from the darkness that lurks beneath - it’s how monstrous things happen, it just needs people on leadership positions to facilitate it, as Ian writes, often through the act of saying nothing, rather than saying something.
The lack of heart in these ghouls is astonishing if not exactly a novel experience to behold. They are emboldened and desperate. The sooner they are shown the light by the electorate, the better.
Thank you for writing this piece. Beautifully written and very important. And let's remember that the ECHR and international legal agreements on the treatment of asylum seekers and refugees were set up in the wake of World War 2 and the experience of Jewish refugees. This sadly is not new behaviour for the British. The kindertransport was needed because the British would not give visas to adults trying to flee. My Czech grandfather had to pay the British £1000 per person in 1939 to obtain visas to Palestine, which was the only place that would take them. (About £80k each in today's prices - https://www.in2013dollars.com/uk/inflation/1939?amount=1000). His father in law was not granted a visa as he was too old to travel on the family visa. Similarly my aunt, was deemed too old at 18. They got her out as a trainee nurse in London. They got his nieces out as domestics, but not his sister. Many relatives did not get out. Those who got to London were classed as enemy aliens, and faced restrictions on work and residence. Most of the men were interned. Internees were sent to the Isle of Mann or Canada. I'm just glad my father is no longer alive to witness this horror show.
Lower than vermin. Subhuman scum. Never vote Tory.
I wish Labour were better, but maybe they might be slightly less worse?
I’ve never hated the fuckers in the Labour Party who sabotaged our chance of a labour government in 2017 more than I do now. Tories will Tory but labour? The traitors amongst them are to blame for this shit show. I hate them.
I’m not sure the Conservatives ever had a soul. Or Thatcher sold it to the Devil in 1979. It just makes me want to weep. The inhumane treatment of asylum seekers was just the beginning. Now they are coming for the rest of us.
A fine article Ian. It’s a pity Labour are unable to set out an alternative policy without being fearful of antagonising the voters who support Rwanda proposals. Some honour, integrity and thought through ideas would be well received widely.
I struggle to know what to say anymore but I fear sometimes I could crack for shame at what has become of the British government. You are absolutely correct in times of hardship and poverty for working families the tactic to blame the other always has and sadly always will come into play, hate is the only card they have to play, there is no compassion from this so called Christian party it is absolutely devoid of all emotional intelligence and empathy and so it goes on. People have and will continue to die in attempts to reach our once welcoming now hostile shores in desperation. If death itself is no deterent then a plane to Rwanda or anywhere could never be. My heart goes out to the family of the person we lost today. This party has no answers, no purpose and no soul - time is up.
I have never been so ashamed of this country
Thank you, Ian - another very fine piece. I’m 70, and I don’t want to live in this country anymore. It’s a cruel place, without compassion.
Thank you Ian - this needs to be said and understood. I'm ashamed of what this country is becoming
The details of the last hours of the asylum seeker are coming out and they are a appalling indictment of how we treat these desperate, traumatised people. It s as though Brexit opened Pandora s box and gave people permission to be cruel and callous and racist, whilst rationalising it as “ protecting our borders.”
I do think, especially with the 2019 intake, that the Tories have sunk so low to a place where they represent some of the worst attitudes in society.
The veneer or nicety hasn’t been applied, but the underlying nastiness is the same as their more “esteemed” colleagues.
My father once told me, that even in polite society, if you are to talk to someone, even someone thought to be very respectable, you’re often never more than a couple of beats away from the darkness that lurks beneath - it’s how monstrous things happen, it just needs people on leadership positions to facilitate it, as Ian writes, often through the act of saying nothing, rather than saying something.
The lack of heart in these ghouls is astonishing if not exactly a novel experience to behold. They are emboldened and desperate. The sooner they are shown the light by the electorate, the better.
I
This piece is beautifully written, piercing, and important. Thank you, Ian.
Thank you for writing this piece. Beautifully written and very important. And let's remember that the ECHR and international legal agreements on the treatment of asylum seekers and refugees were set up in the wake of World War 2 and the experience of Jewish refugees. This sadly is not new behaviour for the British. The kindertransport was needed because the British would not give visas to adults trying to flee. My Czech grandfather had to pay the British £1000 per person in 1939 to obtain visas to Palestine, which was the only place that would take them. (About £80k each in today's prices - https://www.in2013dollars.com/uk/inflation/1939?amount=1000). His father in law was not granted a visa as he was too old to travel on the family visa. Similarly my aunt, was deemed too old at 18. They got her out as a trainee nurse in London. They got his nieces out as domestics, but not his sister. Many relatives did not get out. Those who got to London were classed as enemy aliens, and faced restrictions on work and residence. Most of the men were interned. Internees were sent to the Isle of Mann or Canada. I'm just glad my father is no longer alive to witness this horror show.
Audio conversion of this article:
https://soundcloud.com/thomas-askwho-askew/rwanda-vote-the-death-of-one-nation-toryism
Lower than vermin. Subhuman scum. Never vote Tory.
I wish Labour were better, but maybe they might be slightly less worse?
I’ve never hated the fuckers in the Labour Party who sabotaged our chance of a labour government in 2017 more than I do now. Tories will Tory but labour? The traitors amongst them are to blame for this shit show. I hate them.
I’m not sure the Conservatives ever had a soul. Or Thatcher sold it to the Devil in 1979. It just makes me want to weep. The inhumane treatment of asylum seekers was just the beginning. Now they are coming for the rest of us.
I hear this stuff ALL THE TIME in the pubs, caffs & bus queues of my redbrick Midlands town.
We may shrivel with shame at Fletcher’s words but there will be those at CCHQ debating how they should appear on Tory election posters.
If they don’t, Reform will.
There are MILLIONS of votes in it.
It's now just performative cruelty from the Tories and not much better from Labour
And the Tory party should be ashamed of what its become, as many ex-members are
A fine article Ian. It’s a pity Labour are unable to set out an alternative policy without being fearful of antagonising the voters who support Rwanda proposals. Some honour, integrity and thought through ideas would be well received widely.
"The debate in the Commons today began with the foreign secretary noting his sadness at the death"
Did you mean Home Secretary here? The current Foreign Secretary sits in the Lords.