One of the architects of Tory Brexit has been caught out in a really weird deception [TWEETS]
Although less notorious than many other Tories, the MEP Daniel Hannan has played a pivotal role in recent politics. He is the man that The Financial Times referred to [paywall] as “the brains behind Brexit”. And yet his Eurosceptic stance is not the only thing he’s famous for. He’s also famous for his shameless deceptions. The weirdest of these having been thrust back into the public’s attention this week.
How have I never seen this? Dan Hannan goes on imagined walk in Hampshire. Tweets stock pics of Wales. Is he mad? https://t.co/3vgg1DS2ii pic.twitter.com/vDV5G1t4QV
— Tom Peck (@tompeck) July 17, 2017
What?
As Zelo Street reported last year, the photograph’s actual author said:
The photo used by Daniel Hannan on 6 May 2016 is a copy of the photo in the ‘Images of Wales’ feature on my website … I took the photo myself eighteen years ago on 20 May 1998.
Read on...
Support us and go ad-free
Now, Andrew Lilico – the Executive Director and Principal of Europe Economics – has come to Hannan’s defence:
If you’re worried about what this may do for Lilico’s credibility, don’t be. He’d squandered that already. The Europe Economics website describes him as the man responsible for:
the ‘essential theory’ behind the [Tory/Lib-Dem] Coalition’s initial deficit reduction strategy.
Fake views
The tweet led to other people tweeting out places they have ‘visited’:
"15 miles up and down over the mythical planet Tatooine's sloping fields, pausing for a pie." pic.twitter.com/AwNtB4C6IW
— Joe Sandler Clarke (@JSandlerClarke) July 17, 2017
Just had a most enjoyable walk through Bristol's leafy suburbs with Dan Hannan. pic.twitter.com/OOAYGFfAW4
— DocHackenbush (@DocHackenbush) July 17, 2017
15 miles up and down Hampshire's sloping fields, pausing for a pie @VineHannington. God, I love England in May. #hannanviews pic.twitter.com/t4Lh5wmTrj
— Laurence Horton (@laurencedata) July 17, 2017
A history of nonsense
Before Brexit, Hannan famously said:
Absolutely nobody is talking about threatening our place in the Single Market
Something that panned out as being blatantly false.
After Brexit, Hannan was criticised by Newsnight presenter Evan Davis for the “change of tone on freedom of movement”. Hannan was by then saying that freedom of movement with the EU could continue, although EU citizens would lose some legal entitlements. Davis responded:
Why didn’t you say this in the campaign? Why didn’t you say in the campaign that you were wanting a scheme where we have free movement of labour?
The New Statesman even had a regular column documenting the nonsense that Hannan came out with. In it, they once commented on this now deleted tweet:
The obvious problem is that claiming a hard Brexit will offer limitless riches is at odds with pretty much everyone. Although there’s a good chance he only deleted it because it reminded people that Vote Leave had long abandoned the £350m proposal.
Another now deleted tweet showed Hannan’s ignorance of this thing called ‘the British Empire’:
Although credit where credit’s due, he did at least use his own photo. Unless he’s found a body double.
Deception
Although there has always been a left argument for Brexit, there was little chance of implementing it given that the Tories were in power. Especially as the party contains people like Daniel Hannan. A man who walked people up the garden path, and then posted a picture of someone else’s garden to boast about getting away with it (#metaphor).
Get Involved!
– Read more Canary articles on Brexit.
– Support The Canary so we can keep holding the powerful to account.
Featured image via Wikimedia
Support us and go ad-free
We know everyone is suffering under the Tories - but the Canary is a vital weapon in our fight back, and we need your support
The Canary Workers’ Co-op knows life is hard. The Tories are waging a class war against us we’re all having to fight. But like trade unions and community organising, truly independent working-class media is a vital weapon in our armoury.
The Canary doesn’t have the budget of the corporate media. In fact, our income is over 1,000 times less than the Guardian’s. What we do have is a radical agenda that disrupts power and amplifies marginalised communities. But we can only do this with our readers’ support.
So please, help us continue to spread messages of resistance and hope. Even the smallest donation would mean the world to us.
