Legal threat against Sajid Javid after he labelled Momentum ‘neo-fascist’
https://twitter.com/GarethFearn/status/979100415693344768
How wrong can one Tory government minister be?
About as wrong as it’s possible to get!
Here‘s the story, courtesy of Evolve Politics:
Jeremy Corbyn’s activist group Momentum have threatened a Tory Minister with legal action after he wrongly labelled the left-wing grassroots organisation as ‘neo-fascist’ during a debate in the House of Commons.
The Conservative Minister for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Sajid Javid, made the incredible claim during a speech replying to Andrew Gwynne in a debate on Tory cuts to local government.
Knowing he was safely protected from British libel laws through his Parliamentary privilege, Javid said [15:27.56]:
“Just yesterday there were reports of a meeting by the hard left neo-fascist Momentum group in Wandsworth trying to remove Wandsworth Councillors”
Momentum’s response was immediate:
.@sajidjavid, do you really believe we're a 'neo-fascist' organization? Say it outside parliament and you'll hear from our lawyers. 🤣💵💵💵
— Momentum 🌹 (@PeoplesMomentum) March 28, 2018
Here’s an interesting thing, though – Labour MP Clive Lewis reckons Mr Javid has said it outside the Commons chamber.
.@sajidjavid you muppet. Said outside the chamber as well. https://t.co/tcZJGj4fr6
— Clive Lewis MP (@labourlewis) March 28, 2018
This means Mr Javid is entirely open to prosecution, as This Writer understands the law.
Meanwhile, responses from the public have ranged from outrage…
I'm a member of @PeoplesMomentum
All members I've met are decent people who want social justice & are prepared to work for it@sajidjavid “neofascist” slur is vile. Theresa May should force him to apologiseJavid is a disciple of noxious Ayn Rand – high priestess of selfishness
— Tom London (@TomLondon6) March 28, 2018
So @sajidjavid describing @PeoplesMomentum as "neofascist" in Parliament today is a disgraceful smear against tens of thousands of anti-fascist activists who believe in a more just and equal world, and also belittles the horror of actual fascism. He should apologise in full.
— Owen Jones (@OwenJones84) March 28, 2018
Whether you share the politics of @PeoplesMomentum or not, it is absurd and disgraceful to call them 'neofascist'. The minister should apologise. https://t.co/A2ItAb8nkX
— Caroline Lucas (@CarolineLucas) March 28, 2018
Momentum being called “neofascist” by @sajidjavid is part of a concerted right-wing attempt to demonise and delegitimise all dissent.
“Enemies of the people”, “crush the saboteurs”, “traitors”, “Labour are terrorist sympathisers/foreign stooges”.
It’s sinister and must stop. https://t.co/FUVcd1PegU
— Owen Jones (@OwenJones84) March 28, 2018
… to support (from the usual suspects)…
https://twitter.com/KamBass/status/979111262843006976
… to satire. After the Twitter hashtag predicting the next smear against Jeremy Corbyn on Monday, there now appeared #MyHardLeftNeoFascistConfession:
#MyHardLeftNeoFascistConfession – I think the money for trident could be better spent on building social housing and training nhs staff. Don't let on
— Beetle-in-a-box (@R_O_Shipman) March 28, 2018
I sold Porton Down out of date baking soda and passed it off as military grade Novichok of a Russian type. #MyHardLeftNeoFascistConfession
— Nicola James (@NAJ562) March 28, 2018
The real question is whether Mr Javid has made his “neofascist” comment outside the protection of the Commons chamber. If he has, or if he does, then Momentum will certainly launch a lawsuit against him – and rightly so.
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I sincerely hope that Momentum can sue this man. The arrogant and thoroughly dishonest Tories need to be taken down by several pegs.
Javid is a blatant liar, and the proof is repeat it outside the house of commons.
People who bandy these terms around Fascist, NeoFascist Stalinist have no idea what they mean and misusing them and overusing them is a real insult to anyone who has gone through real Fascism Racism, Holocaust and the Russian purges and terrors.
This is nowhere near although interests and powers do like to push people in the direction they want and do not take NO so many do leave But that is small fry compared to real fascism beat you up behind the stadiums and frighten your family if you don’t support the Leader.
Shd be banned. There is a syndrome whcih says it only takes a few minutes of connections to someone to bring up Nazis and Fascism and make a comparison.
No idea, an insult to those who do
I watched the superb Death of Stalin by Armando Iannucci.
Now that really is Jackboot dictatorship and fear.
Jarvid just looks like a pimple that has grown legs and learnt to walk
I sometimes feel I have woken into some parallel universe of late: the news becomes increasingly more incredible and bizarre. Government Ministers, Statesmen and Stateswomen and other Leading Lights and ‘Establishment’ Figures uttering unceasing lies and gibberish liberally peppered with slanderous, racist and fabricated anti-semitic diatribes as though to appeal to and impress some of the worst niche and strata of human-kind in existence. Someone really ought to check all the door knobs on these ‘Establishment Buildings’ for any kind of alien substance that might have a ‘Russian’ ‘sort of look about it’! I’d put my money on any sort of ‘jelly-like’ substance that looks similar to a type that ‘could have’ been developed in (or near) Russia: back in the other universe!