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Sunak Downing Street statement 5.40pm on 09:40 - Mar 2 by redrickstuhaart
It was a kind of reverse virtue signalling.
There was no actual substantive announcement at all, though the whole speech sounded like the lead up to some sort of action or decision before petering out.
It was letting people know that its okay to say that protesters need to be dealt with. Which can be seen both ways depending on who is listening. I agree that protests need to be safe, and people who cause aggression and disruption should be dealt with. Other people hearing this will take the view (as Sunak fully intended) that Gaza related protests are a specific unique and new problem, unlike any we have had previously, which need extra action. Which is nonsensical and racist.
The river to the sea thing is interesting. Will he be expelling Israeli diplomats given that their nation's expressed stance is precisely the same; ie that there should be no palestinian state and they should control land from river to sea?
He should express Israel diplomats who express the 'River to the Sea' sentiment. It's hate speech.
“The overwhelmingly peaceful protests about mass atrocities in Gaza must not be conflated with extremism.
“People are protesting because of the terrifyingly high civilian death toll in Gaza, which is still mounting inexorably, and the Government’s lack of action for an immediate ceasefire to stem the unbearable suffering.
“The threat to impose yet more restrictions on people’s right to peacefully protest is deeply worrying and suggests the Government is determined to silence those who may disagree with its policies. This is entirely in line with the chaotic patchwork of legislation and sweeping policing powers we have seen introduced in recent years.
“By announcing more funding for the Prevent programme - in which Islamophobic stereotypes play a major role in referrals - the Prime Minister appears to be suggesting that Muslims will be targeted in this new Government crackdown, which is incredibly concerning and must be opposed.”
[Post edited 2 Mar 2024 13:10]
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Sunak Downing Street statement 5.40pm on 14:10 - Mar 2 with 1995 views
Sunak Downing Street statement 5.40pm on 14:10 - Mar 2 by ronnyd
I'm sure you must be aware that the UK electorate do not in fact vote in a PM.
That's certainly true, but two "unelected" PMs is unprecedented and not a sign of a properly functioning government, which is a sign that democracy is not in rude health.
This is reflected in the Economist's Democracy Index, the following passage being from an Independent article on the 2022 Index (the UK's ranking in 2023 is the same).
Britain is moving closer to “flawed democracy” status, according to an international index that champions freedom, civil liberties and good governance.
The UK dropped two places in the global democracy rankings, with experts citing a series of scandals that have undermined trust in Boris Johnson’s government.
The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) placed the nation in 18th place in its latest democracy rankings, behind Taiwan and Uruguay, and just ahead of Mauritius and Costa Rica.
Britain was given an overall score of 8.10 out of 10, a decline from 8.54 the previous year. In a gloomy assessment, the EIU said the country was “edging closer to a flawed democracy classification”.
The UK was downgraded following a volatile year that saw “controversies over party financing and a series of scandals that have undermined confidence in government”.
Kate Parker, the EIU’s senior European analyst, said concerns about lack of transparency over party funding – as well as high-profile scandals involving ministers and officials failing to follow Covid rules – had seen trust decline.
“There’s the question of trust [and] public frustration with politicians,” Ms Parker told The Independent. “Those scandals during the pandemic have probably fed into weaker scores in trust in government.”
[Post edited 2 Mar 2024 14:38]
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Sunak Downing Street statement 5.40pm on 08:51 - Mar 4 with 1824 views
Sunak Downing Street statement 5.40pm on 13:08 - Mar 2 by DJR
“The overwhelmingly peaceful protests about mass atrocities in Gaza must not be conflated with extremism.
“People are protesting because of the terrifyingly high civilian death toll in Gaza, which is still mounting inexorably, and the Government’s lack of action for an immediate ceasefire to stem the unbearable suffering.
“The threat to impose yet more restrictions on people’s right to peacefully protest is deeply worrying and suggests the Government is determined to silence those who may disagree with its policies. This is entirely in line with the chaotic patchwork of legislation and sweeping policing powers we have seen introduced in recent years.
“By announcing more funding for the Prevent programme - in which Islamophobic stereotypes play a major role in referrals - the Prime Minister appears to be suggesting that Muslims will be targeted in this new Government crackdown, which is incredibly concerning and must be opposed.”
[Post edited 2 Mar 2024 13:10]
Very disturbing to see proposals which are more representative of an authoritarian regime.
Liberal democracy, a key feature on the Enlightenment, is under further attack.
[Post edited 5 Mar 2024 10:27]
I don’t think this mob ‘do’ democracy. If you know you are right, you don’t need challenge, opposition or anything like that so get rid of it.
They never take decisions based on right or wrong or for the benefit of the people. They do decisions based on what they think benefits them and sustains them. It’s a reason before about a 1000 others that they must be thrown out sooner rather than later. They’re dangerous.
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Sunak Downing Street statement 5.40pm on 10:25 - Mar 5 with 1661 views
Interesting to note that Gove's proposed extended definition of extremism would appear to pick up his own government given all it has been up to since Johnson came to power.
"The draft definition … would define extremism as the promotion or advancement of an ideology based on intolerance, hatred or violence that aims to undermine the rights or freedoms of others.
Secondly, it would include those who seek to undermine or overturn the UK’s liberal system of democracy and democratic rights."
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Sunak Downing Street statement 5.40pm on 20:24 - Mar 7 with 1497 views
Sunak Downing Street statement 5.40pm on 10:25 - Mar 5 by DJR
Interesting to note that Gove's proposed extended definition of extremism would appear to pick up his own government given all it has been up to since Johnson came to power.
"The draft definition … would define extremism as the promotion or advancement of an ideology based on intolerance, hatred or violence that aims to undermine the rights or freedoms of others.
Secondly, it would include those who seek to undermine or overturn the UK’s liberal system of democracy and democratic rights."
Unlike Gove to propose something ill-thought-through.
He of the aim to demand that the majority of schools be above average.
Sunak Downing Street statement 5.40pm on 20:24 - Mar 7 by Nthsuffolkblue
Unlike Gove to propose something ill-thought-through.
He of the aim to demand that the majority of schools be above average.
Gove is not as clever as he likes to think.
He was ripped to shreds, and made to look a fool, in this interview, and if you observe the look between the two of them at the end, it looks like Gove acknowledged it.
[Post edited 7 Mar 2024 20:57]
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Sunak Downing Street statement 5.40pm on 21:32 - Mar 10 with 1261 views
Sunak Downing Street statement 5.40pm on 10:25 - Mar 5 by DJR
Interesting to note that Gove's proposed extended definition of extremism would appear to pick up his own government given all it has been up to since Johnson came to power.
"The draft definition … would define extremism as the promotion or advancement of an ideology based on intolerance, hatred or violence that aims to undermine the rights or freedoms of others.
Secondly, it would include those who seek to undermine or overturn the UK’s liberal system of democracy and democratic rights."
Glad to see even some Tories have reservations about what Gove and others in the government are up to.
Sunak Downing Street statement 5.40pm on 10:25 - Mar 5 by DJR
Interesting to note that Gove's proposed extended definition of extremism would appear to pick up his own government given all it has been up to since Johnson came to power.
"The draft definition … would define extremism as the promotion or advancement of an ideology based on intolerance, hatred or violence that aims to undermine the rights or freedoms of others.
Secondly, it would include those who seek to undermine or overturn the UK’s liberal system of democracy and democratic rights."
The draft definition would arguably lead to private prosecutions brought against the cabinet!
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Sunak Downing Street statement 5.40pm on 09:58 - Mar 11 with 1113 views
Sunak Downing Street statement 5.40pm on 22:47 - Mar 10 by redrickstuhaart
The draft definition would arguably lead to private prosecutions brought against the cabinet!
As Lord Falconer points out.
I suppose another example would be imposing restrictions which affect the rights of people to protest. Even the Countryside Alliance has concerns about what the Government is up to.
[Post edited 11 Mar 2024 10:13]
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Sunak Downing Street statement 5.40pm on 10:32 - Mar 11 with 1077 views
Sunak Downing Street statement 5.40pm on 09:58 - Mar 11 by DJR
As Lord Falconer points out.
I suppose another example would be imposing restrictions which affect the rights of people to protest. Even the Countryside Alliance has concerns about what the Government is up to.
[Post edited 11 Mar 2024 10:13]
The Tories tick many of the other boxes of his own definition. See also illegal proroguing of parliament, attacks on individual rights and freedoms, etc. He's a dangerous ideologue (and a slimy sh*tweasel to boot - I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him).
It seems to me that the only tactic that's worked for them is division and 'othering' certain groups or organisation. I expect we'll see plenty more of this sort of stuff from them in the run up to the election.
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