‘Road to Weimar’ image shows Tories can’t be trusted to tell the truth

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“It’s a British picture, a British road,” George Osborne told Cathy Newman on Channel 4 News. What a shame he was lying.

“Tory road to a ‘stronger economy’ is in fact a road to Weimar?” she tweeted in (mock?) astonishment on Saturday. “George Osborne told me it was British!”

He was lying. Just like the poster was lying in its three claims (most notably that of halving the deficit, which even drew flak from Tory-loving rag The Spectator.

You can watch the moment again, on Channel 4’s own account of how Osborne’s latest lie was exposed.

The article explains that the photo on the much-lambasted Conservative election poster was taken by German photographer Alexander Burzik in 2008, not far from his home town – Weimar.

This leads to the obvious question: If Osborne was not telling the truth about the origin of the photograph, why should anybody believe he isn’t lying about anything else he says?

Note also the last line on the Channel 4 report: “Tonight a Conservative source said that the poster was based on a variety of images, and they had been previously assured that all elements of the photograph were British.”

A variety of images? Not just one, then, as Osborne said. As for the previous assurance – who gave it? George Osborne?

We all now know what his words are worth.

Follow me on Twitter: @MidWalesMike

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16 Comments

  1. hstorm January 4, 2015 at 10:14 am - Reply

    I’m no believer in omens or sympathetic magic, but, after all the economic hardship of the last seven years, that is really bad symbolism. I mean, don’t we remember what economic chaos and an evil, fanatical Chancellor did to the Weimar Republic?

  2. loobitzh January 4, 2015 at 11:01 am - Reply

    Great find!

    Oh how I love how it makes me giggle,

    It appears this whole campaign ‘kick off’ needs a good kicking,

    and its getting one!!

  3. davespagnol January 4, 2015 at 12:06 pm - Reply

    You wouldn’t believe the Tories if they swore blind that they were lying!

  4. Jonathan Wilson January 4, 2015 at 12:13 pm - Reply

    I love how at the end of the report (last vid on page) the guy says “so there you have it” with a damn fine smug look… the unsaid is “… a typical tory lie.”

  5. marcf28 January 4, 2015 at 12:30 pm - Reply

    Interesting choice of image – with a striking similarity to this one: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Birkenau_gate.JPG

    • Mike Sivier January 4, 2015 at 1:48 pm - Reply

      I think you and Tony might be letting your imaginations run away with you.

      • Tony Dean January 4, 2015 at 3:03 pm - Reply

        Unfortunately Mike, and I am not joking, there are some government owned railway sidings near Bicester,(only about 20 miles from Iain Duncan Smith’s home in Buckinghamshire,) where I have serious concerns, due to developments over the last few months, that should the Tories win with a majority it will be a reality, not imagination.
        Especially since ATOS merged with Siemens on 1 Jul 2011.

        • Mike Sivier January 4, 2015 at 3:09 pm - Reply

          Bicester – isn’t that where the government is planning to build its new ‘Garden City’?
          I think the mystery is solved.

  6. Rupert Mitchell (@rupert_rrl) January 4, 2015 at 2:33 pm - Reply

    To be a successful liar you need a good memory and I dont think he has one.

  7. Steve Cheney January 4, 2015 at 4:27 pm - Reply

    Can we bring the word “omnishambles” out of retirement?

    • Mike Sivier January 4, 2015 at 4:37 pm - Reply

      Yes!

  8. lawrencesroberts January 5, 2015 at 3:36 am - Reply

    When I first saw the poster I thought that it it needed a thought bubble at the end of the road over the horizon saying UGH! but funnier yet “Wiemar Republic!” Weimar Republic leading too……..

  9. DavidM January 5, 2015 at 3:48 am - Reply

    Perhaps “Permanomnishambles” can be the epitaph and warning to future
    electorate with short memories?

  10. Tony Dean January 5, 2015 at 3:10 pm - Reply
    • Mike Sivier January 5, 2015 at 9:17 pm - Reply

      Yes – I got there first, on Friday.

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