Independent Media | Campaigning Journalism
Angela Rayner asks the question on everyone’s lips as cabinet members back PM’s coup
On 29 August, shadow education secretary Angela Rayner asked the question on everyone’s lips about cabinet members who are backing Boris Johnson’s parliamentary coup. In particular, she targeted health secretary Matt Hancock, who’d insisted in June that “proroguing Parliament undermines parliamentary democracy”. But that’s exactly what Johnson is now doing. And Hancock is remaining conspicuously silent about it.
A day before, Rayner had said:
Some tweets can come back to haunt you….. https://t.co/5ULN1xPUpI
— Angela Rayner 🌈 (@AngelaRayner) August 28, 2019
Read on...
And on 29 August, she asked:
when are you resigning…?
Thanks Matt, when are you resigning over your comments in the Tory leadership contest when you said "Proroguing Parliament undermines parliamentary democracy and risks a general election. I rule it out and call on all candidates to do the same"? What is your view now? 🤔 https://t.co/yOFlKfA5WO
— Angela Rayner 🌈 (@AngelaRayner) August 29, 2019
When is your boss ‘undermining democracy’ not serious enough to resign? When you’re a slimy careerist.
Channel 4 News had earlier released a video exposing Tory MPs who opposed ‘proroguing’ but are now in Johnson’s cabinet:
These Conservative MPs warned against the proroguing of parliament.
Now they are all cabinet ministers in Boris Johnson's government. pic.twitter.com/bxuW2h3zPS
— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) August 29, 2019
In fact, as the video shows, even Johnson had said previously:
I’m not attracted to archaic devices like proroguing.
Johnson is a serial liar, of course, so it’s no surprise that he’s now done a U-turn on the issue. But if any of his anti-proroguing cabinet members had an ounce of self-respect or integrity left, they would resign immediately.
Featured image via Rwendland
We need your help to keep speaking the truth
Every story that you have come to us with; each injustice you have asked us to investigate; every campaign we have fought; each of your unheard voices we amplified; we do this for you. We are making a difference on your behalf.
Our fight is your fight. You’ve supported our collective struggle every time you gave us a like; and every time you shared our work across social media. Now we need you to support us with a monthly donation.
We have published nearly 2,000 articles and over 50 films in 2021. And we want to do this and more in 2022 but we don’t have enough money to go on at this pace. So, if you value our work and want us to continue then please join us and be part of The Canary family.
In return, you get:
* Advert free reading experience
* Quarterly group video call with the Editor-in-Chief
* Behind the scenes monthly e-newsletter
* 20% discount in our shop
Almost all of our spending goes to the people who make The Canary’s content. So your contribution directly supports our writers and enables us to continue to do what we do: speaking truth, powered by you. We have weathered many attempts to shut us down and silence our vital opposition to an increasingly fascist government and right-wing mainstream media.
With your help we can continue:
* Holding political and state power to account
* Advocating for the people the system marginalises
* Being a media outlet that upholds the highest standards
* Campaigning on the issues others won’t
* Putting your lives central to everything we do
We are a drop of truth in an ocean of deceit. But we can’t do this without your support. So please, can you help us continue the fight?
Support us -
Show Comments
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to leave a comment.Join the conversationPlease read our comment moderation policy here.
Hypocrisy is no bar to attaining, and remaining in, high office. It is a truth applicable all political parties. It is a consequence of representative democracy wherein, for the most part, people of talent, imagination, and ability to perceive the ‘big picture’, find better things to do with their lives than canvassing, suffering fools gladly, and climbing the greasy pole of professional politics.
Climbing the pole requires conformity. Most of the few starting out with praiseworthy aptitudes, commitment, and personal integrity, have had ability to ‘think outside the box’ knocked out of them before attaining high office.
I guess that’s why J Corbyn has gotten on so well, by sucking up to the likes of T Blair and voting for illegal wars… No, wait a minute, you are actually right. It took him 30 or so years of going against the grain to be recognised as someone with integrity.
Just don’t tar all politicians with the same brush.
The relevance of the Royality in being astute seems to be an issue now.
Royality used to mean a guidance beyond what was available through partisian politics.
Royality now appears as a rubber stamp without any concerns for the people who finance it.
Oh, if resignation was on their minds, they would be men and women of honour. They are defenders of sectional interest and when people defend an interest, objectivity evaporates. The most difficult thing to be objective about is your own mind. Einstein got gravity but how to get on with women defeated him. He didn’t know why. He was baffled.
These people don’t even begin to be either objective or honourable, They want power. Remember Loudon Wainwright: “Wealth and fame are what I’m after/Bucks and praise are what I crave/ How I get’em hardly matters/ For these things I’ll be your slave.” They are slaves to their own ambition, illusion, avarice, egotism.
We shall have to teach them a lesson about humility, honesty, objectivity and democracy. One they won’t forget.