Digest June 11: It’s still all about race
On Covid-19, the Tory government is still a danger to UK citizens:
"The UK government’s testing and contact-tracing system is not fit for purpose and will not be able to keep coronavirus in check as other countries have done." #independentSAGE on TTIhttps://t.co/FkWS4OMHj4
— Independent SAGE (@IndependentSage) June 11, 2020
NHS test-and-trace system 'not yet at gold standard' as government admits one third infected didn't provide contacts https://t.co/mZ8s1n0hWv
— The Independent (@Independent) June 11, 2020
Tories MP busy dismissing research showing earlier lockdown would've saved tens of thousands of lives by blurting out glib platitudes about "hindsight being a wonderful thing".
But what's the word for "hindsight" that was happening at the actual time?pic.twitter.com/pYKEESVuyo
— Another Angry Voice (@Angry_Voice) June 11, 2020
As Boris Johnson announces further easing of lockdown restrictions, the negative experiences of other countries showing him wrong are piling up:
» Spain sees C19 cases almost double as lockdown easing continues – SKWAWKBOX https://t.co/8RKNoV3hfq
— Samuel Miller (@Hephaestus7) June 11, 2020
… especially as the ongoing lack of PPE (personal protective equipment) is now the basis of a court challenge against the Tories:
Government faces legal challenge to force an urgent inquiry into the lack of protective equipment https://t.co/eOp698P4ld
— Peter Stefanovic (@PeterStefanovi2) June 11, 2020
Not only that, but Covid is now revealed as a particular danger to BAME citizens – creating double jeopardy for Johnson:
» How the coronavirus pandemic could create a ‘ticking time bomb’ that worsens racial and income inequality in higher education – MarketWatch https://t.co/R2AEAXqW6l
— Samuel Miller (@Hephaestus7) June 11, 2020
Johnson himself has been condemned as lazy. Tell us something we don’t know…
Apparently the Prime Minister doesn't think the potential bankrupting of local councils is worth responding to…https://t.co/VtaY0VznVO
— Liam Thorp (@LiamThorpECHO) June 11, 2020
Dominic Cummings is still in trouble: the house he used in Durham really didn’t have planning permission so enforcement action will be taken:
VINDICATION
Cummings Property DID break planning laws and will be assessed for Council Tax. https://t.co/M6BXRyBOUj
— Alex Tiffin (@RespectIsVital) June 10, 2020
Officials examining Dominic Cummings lockdown cottage find 'breaches' of planning ruleshttps://t.co/X7d7sQWAyQ pic.twitter.com/fFjEfvcrLB
— Mirror Politics (@MirrorPolitics) June 11, 2020
Is this a good moment to remind everyone that Cummings has set up Brexit to ensure that fabulously rich businesspeople can create conditions for a UK economic crash – and then make a fortune betting that it will happen?
Is this why we haven't seen any resignations?
"His rich backers have bet big against the UK economy and Dominic Cummings must stay in Westminster to deliver a No Deal Brexit."
Once this is achieved and we're Frithed, how long is he going to be around? https://t.co/7UgJ9EOIDx
— Jon Howes ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ ⓥ 🏴 🇫🇷 🏳️🌈 🏴 (@Chaeth) June 11, 2020
This is the man who Boris Johnson has put in charge of the government, according to a former Tory aide:
PM letting 'crazy' Cummings control government, former aide warns https://t.co/I8VsvRaDUn
— The Independent (@Independent) June 11, 2020
Priti Patel is also in trouble. Her harsh immigration bill will needlessly shut out people trying to “contribute to society”, say Catholic leaders in a stinging attack on the plans:
Catholic leaders condemn Priti Patel's immigration crackdown for shutting out people trying to 'contribute to society' | The Independent https://t.co/czZN506dc4
— Samuel Miller (@Hephaestus7) June 11, 2020
They should excommunicate her. I doubt she’s a Catholic but a good pre-emptive strike won’t do them any harm.
And there’s this:
BAME MPs accuse Priti Patel of gaslighting in racism debate https://t.co/DKDSCZUx3U
— The Guardian (@guardian) June 11, 2020
Hey Priti,
If you're willing to impose immigration policies that you admit would have banned your OWN FAMILY from entering the country, then you can't say that your experience of xenophobia means you can't be xenophobic.
Stop playing the victim when you're the oppressor.
Thanks!— Femi (@Femi_Sorry) June 11, 2020
The Robert Jenrick corruption scandal is rolling on:
Scandal-hit cabinet minister Robert Jenrick is refusing to turn up in the Commons to answer questions about his go-ahead for a billionaire Tory donor’s property scheme.
The stench of corruption. Big money political donations must be made illegal.https://t.co/yLaLMxKINq
— Nick Reeves #RejoinEU #PATH #FBPE (@nickreeves9876) June 11, 2020
Robert Jenrick should be fired.
But that won’t happen.
The saga with Cummings changed things for good. If they can get away with telling us he went for a drive to a beauty spot to test his eyesight, with his wife and child in the car, on her birthday, they’ve got a free pass.
— Rachael Swindon (@Rachael_Swindon) June 11, 2020
And Chancellor Rishi Sunak is being taken to court over his sexist self-employed grant scheme:
BIG NEWS: We are taking the Chancellor to court. The Self employed grant scheme discriminates against women in the way it has been calculated and they must be held to account https://t.co/Lfk1trqMwu
— PregnantThenScrewed (@PregnantScrewed) June 11, 2020
Over at Labour, tone-deaf Keir Starmer has unveiled a new ‘race equality’ strategy. Presumably he’s desperate for us to forget his own two-tier attitude to racism in his own party:
He had an entire dossier with the names of racists, with supporting evidence, and he’s done his absolute best to protect them from the same auto-suspension he demanded for party members accused of racism. Another hollow gesture. #BlackLivesMatter https://t.co/exdE9rvm9t
— Rachael Swindon (@Rachael_Swindon) June 11, 2020
He mentioned seven reports on racism in the House of Commons but strangely can’t seem to see the leaked report by his own party that named racists among Labour employees who targeted Diane Abbott (among others) for racist abuse – and won’t take action against them:
This moment must be a turning point.#PMQs pic.twitter.com/4w9HiLiJwq
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) June 11, 2020
Consider Starmer’s shadow work and pensions secretary, who thinks the best way to mark Diane Abbott’s 33rd anniversary as the UK’s first black female MP was to delete his backstabbing tweet attacking her choice of education for her children:
Fellow 'Labour' MP Jonathan Reynolds has marked the 33rd anniversary of his colleague Diane Abbott's election as Britain's first black woman MP – by deleting his tweet abusing her for choosing the best school for her children…
We're marking it by calling for a #DianeStatue pic.twitter.com/yuOsoNvXPZ— The Prole Star (@TheProleStar) June 11, 2020
Labour isn’t the only UK organisation that needs to have a serious look at itself with regard to racism:
British military needs to do ‘soul-searching’ over racism within its ranks https://t.co/w5NSndDQHr
— The Independent (@Independent) June 11, 2020
Thank goodness we have a few people whose attitude to racism is more sincere:
https://twitter.com/TheMendozaWoman/status/1271071359527985154
Stormzy to donate £10m to black British causes over ten years https://t.co/n9rkaAkPBm
— The Guardian (@guardian) June 11, 2020
Grenfell Tower campaigners are trying to get the Conservatives to commit to removing flammable cladding from more than 23,000 households that should never have been forced to have it in the first place:
Grenfell campaigners call on Government to commit to cladding deadline | The Canary https://t.co/Sq3nBsTGsC
— Samuel Miller (@Hephaestus7) June 11, 2020
No sooner had he alerted us all to the danger to cancer patients of having to wait longer for treatment, than Dr Karel Sikora ruined his reputation:
This is horrible. And wrong.
1. “Excess” death figures cannot be “gamed” whatever is on the death certificate.
2. It’s a criminal offence to write a false cause of death on a certificatehttps://t.co/KuBr3A5m6B— Dr Dominic Pimenta MD (@DrDomPimenta) June 11, 2020
Whaaat?
Professor, if a very old man is hit by a bus and dies as a result, then it was the bus that killed him even if probably he would have died soon anyway
That’s basic medicine (and law)
Your argument is wrong and is also dangerous IMO https://t.co/fcAXyuKnfn
— Tom London (@TomLondon6) June 11, 2020
Statues are still in danger across the UK as their subjects’ misdeeds are re-examined:
“Robert Clive was a vicious asset-stripper. His statue has no place on Whitehall” @DalrympleWill doesn’t mince his words, as ever. I’m with him on this one…. https://t.co/0AdbymS8vl
— Prof Paul Bernal (@PaulbernalUK) June 11, 2020
Racism in the United States is still under the spotlight (and rightly so):
Scotland votes to suspend tear gas, rubber bullet and riot shield exports to US https://t.co/Q2auqGXak8
— The Independent (@Independent) June 11, 2020
Former IS bride Shamima Begum has launched a legal appeal to reclaim her UK citizenship after it was stripped from her by former Home Secretary Sajid Javid:
British citizenship of former Isis bride Shamima Begum should be restored, court of appeal told https://t.co/bwAL6S1C3E
— The Independent (@Independent) June 11, 2020
Oh, and some right-wing nutjob called Nigel Farage is no longer working at LBC radio:
Don't applaud people removing fascist rabble-rousers from their platform.
Ask them why they they employed fascist rabble-rousers on their platform in the first place.#NigelFarage #LBC
— Another Angry Voice (@Angry_Voice) June 11, 2020
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