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Miriam Margoyles said the coup she describes was "years in the making". Therefore she wasn't describing a *single event* such as one election, but a process.
Despite being a professor of politics, Rob Ford has missed this - elementary - distinction. https://twitter.com/robfordmancs/status/1350026387567030276
Despite being a professor of politics, Rob Ford has missed this - elementary - distinction. https://twitter.com/robfordmancs/status/1350026387567030276
So let's look at the ingredients of the long coup that Rob Ford hasn't noticed.
1a. We'll start with the obvious: Violence.
Jo Cox's murder in 2016 was decisive in the Brexit campaign. The Remain campaign paused their publicity. Leave did not.
1a. We'll start with the obvious: Violence.
Jo Cox's murder in 2016 was decisive in the Brexit campaign. The Remain campaign paused their publicity. Leave did not.
1b. The Finsbury Park terrorist claimed in court that his actual target was the leader of the opposition. He justified this by calling the Leader of the Opposition a ... "terrorist". https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42875216
1c. Anybody else remember what happened in George Square after the 2014 referendum result? Well, funny enough, it wasn't the left or independence supporters who kicked off. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/sep/19/violence-glasgow-scotland-loyalists-attack-independence-supporters
1d. There's many more examples.
Since 2014 we've grown used to right-wing violence. The astonishing thing is how peaceful the left has been in the same period.
Since 2014 we've grown used to right-wing violence. The astonishing thing is how peaceful the left has been in the same period.
2. Twentieth Century coups often focused on media - seizing the tv station, for example.
Let's look at that.
Let's look at that.
2a. New Labour forced the BBC into line when it attempted to do real journalism in the run-up to the Iraq War, especially over David Kelly's death.
Questioning the British state's actions and motives became increasingly taboo for the BBC.
Since 2010 the process sped up.
Questioning the British state's actions and motives became increasingly taboo for the BBC.
Since 2010 the process sped up.
2b. Embedding reporters with the armed forces became a substitute for foreign affairs journalism.
This helped fuel a new rise in imperialist sentiment and symbolism. Where the BBC led, other media happily followed.
This helped fuel a new rise in imperialist sentiment and symbolism. Where the BBC led, other media happily followed.
2c. Outsourcing of BBC decisions to Tory-linked private companies became common - with that process reaching its apogee with the appointments of a former Tory brach chair and a former Tory donor to its top jobs the last year.
2d. Famously, both the fact and the nature of Brexit piggybacked upon the packing of both panels and audiences in current affairs shows with selected right-wingers and conservatives. eg.
2e. Rob Ford has probably heard of @carolecadwalla - but he's avoided noticing that illegality (another key coup component) is what characterises the media actions she unmasked relating to the Brexit vote.
2f. Some of those most egregiously damaging democracy thought it was fine to simply disregard the House of Commons (and other parliaments) wanting a word.
Siobhan Kennedy for Channel 4 put it like this:
Siobhan Kennedy for Channel 4 put it like this:
2g. In a coup, the lies of the powerful become the *only things* it's permissable to say. One of these lies is the one Rob Ford is leaning on, that "both sides" are doing the same thing.
2h. Another of these lies, of course, was the one put or implied daily in most major media since 2015, that the left were antisemitic whilst the right were not.
3. It is commonplace for coups to involve the veneration of the military and "the flag".
This has been increasing, continuously, from the Iraq War onwards. And, these
are now multiplying in public announcements
This has been increasing, continuously, from the Iraq War onwards. And, these
are now multiplying in public announcements
4a. Coups involve the suspension of democratic processes, or the knowing attempt to bypass them. Like this, which a Professor of Politics should not have forgotten so fast:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_British_prorogation_controversy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_British_prorogation_controversy
4b. An example from http://nation.cymru relating to Wales - you won't have to look like to find a slew of examples from where you are.
5. So, yes, a "long coup" is an appropriate way to talk about what's happening. Well put Miriam. And well done for quoting it @LeanneWood.
