Boris Johnson’s Tories have become a right-wing sect
Published
by
Richard Kuper
JVL Introduction
Peter Oborne has had a distinguished career as a political journalist working among others for the Daily Mail and the Spectator as well as being chief political commentator of The Daily Telegraph, from which he resigned disillusioned in early 2015.
In recent years many critical articles of his have appeared on openDemocracy and in the Middle East Eye.
Here he takes a look at what the Tory Party has become under Boris Johnson and doesn’t like what he sees one little bit.
Thanks to Middle East Eye for permission to repost this article.
This article was originally published by Middle East Eye on Tue 6 Oct 2020. Read the original here.
Boris Johnson's Tories have become a right-wing sect
The Tory party represents a small section of extreme opinion, detached from the values of ordinary Britons – and yet the country’s future is in its hands
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What’s the judgement of history? No idea John. But if there’s a thread of justice left, Peter Oborne, former Chief Political Commentator of the Daily Telegraph, will be seen as a hero of Britain’s threadbare democracy. He defended Jeremy Corbyn and threw it all away. Worth many, many sheep.
And these are the people, coupled with a few foolish left wingers in the Labour Party, who have given us Brexit, which will prove to be one of the worst cases of self inflicted harm ever to hit the UK.
If the majority of Tory members are Islamophobes, with a prevalence higher than in wider society, but fewer than 5% of Labour members are antisemites, with a prevalence lower than in wider society, the question is why the latter ‘non-story’ has dominated the media for 4 years.
That the noble fight against antisemitism was hijacked to manipulate voter opinion against Jeremy Corbyn is obvious, that many in politics and the media participated is undeniable, but has ignoring the fight against Islamophobia also been driven by the political objectives of the same ‘anti-Palestinian equal rights’ groups?
This complicit extreme right Tory sect will continue to inflict harm and seed divisive racial hatred on British society unless more journalists find the courage to speak out, and the Labour leadership finds the integrity to put an end to their shameful collaboration.
Tell me Steve – who is John? What is this about sheep.? He called out the despicable treatment of Corbyn. A character assassination that reached depths of crude inhumanity previously unplumbed Every honest journalist should have done the same
An excellent article, albeit from a conservative standpoint.
It confirms the view that the Tory government is a a gang of deranged extremists led by a bone idle, narcissistic, oaf and appeals to everything thing that is vile and prejudiced in the (English, in particular) electorate.
Obviously, entrists in the Tory party are treated differently from “entrists” in the Labour Party.
“Ours” are witch-hunted and expelled on bogus allegations and trumped-up charges. Theirs are listened to with reverence by leaders constantly scratching around for their next reactionary, anti-working class gimmick.
Jack’s comment is inappropriate.The fact that the Right have exploited the Brexit issue does not diminish the arguments of some Socialists that we should not belong to the Capitalist organisation of the EU.
Good to read an article which gives a
true factual picture of what is actually going on.This is what I call journalism from an exemplary journalist, Peter Oborne.
When I read Peter Oborne, I realise how rare a phenomenon is real journalism now – replace by a highly privileged scribbling class that can hardly get out of bed in order to add to the pile of ‘churnalism’ (pace Nick Davies).
Remember, it was the conservative Oborne who first called out the power of the Israel Lobby in a ‘Dispatches’ programme for Channel 4.
Gregory Douglas. Brexit was and still is a right wing issue. Lexiteers failed to grasp this during the referendum. People didn’t vote to leave to oppose capitalism. Their vote was an expression of anti migrant sentiment and British or to be more precise English exceptionalism. The Brexit vote has weakened the left not strengthened it. Those on the left who supported Brexit were guilty of wishful thinking that somehow it would advance the class struggle. The issue now is how to fight against the worst effects of Brexit, with or without a trade deal with the EU.
While shocked by the northern vote for the tories I was not very surprised. The wrecking of those economies,destruction of jobs and services and liveable daily lives was inflicted by labour and tory governments over years. It was probably a mixture of rage, hope desperation and cynical disbelief plus a desire for some sort of national power and influence…….. I’ve worked in those communities and saw what happened to them from the Steel and Miners strikes onwards. They have been wrecked. As for the left’s belief that the vote would spark a socialist revolution what is there to say…?