A former international football player is getting a reputation on social media for speaking out against the Conservative government, especially on homelessness. And it’s delicious to watch.
Sticking it to the Tories
Neville Southall is a former Welsh international and Everton footballer. But aside from the ‘beautiful game’, he is also rather political on social media. On Tuesday 6 March, he tweeted:
Getting a bit of stick from Tories tonight
Must be getting through
They have no defence for letting people die
Homelessness is growing
NHS is failing
They are struggling with brexit
Basically they are shit— Neville Southall (@NevilleSouthall) March 6, 2018
He wasn’t playing, either:
Tories the more you attack the more I will attack
You left people to die in streets
You are killing people in hospitals
No funding
Overworked staff
Your putting lives at risk
Less police
Firefighters
Armed forces
I will stay on here till u go— Neville Southall (@NevilleSouthall) March 6, 2018
Speaking out
Southall regularly speaks out or shares information on various issues, including animal rights, racism and mental health. Southall let a mental health campaigner “take over” his Twitter on 4 March to raise awareness and start conversations:
#MHTakeover has begun! Join @HopeVirgo as she takes over my twitter to talk about #mentalthealth over the next hour! Come with your questions and thoughts!
Let's break the silence around mental health! pic.twitter.com/KEb2GV7IT2
— Neville Southall (@NevilleSouthall) March 4, 2018
He has also been tweeting furiously about the Conservative government:
Mrs May
No compassion
No soul
No direction
Not even your party want you
U employed hunt to murder the NHS
Shame on you— Neville Southall (@NevilleSouthall) March 6, 2018
Jeremy Hunt
Privatisation of NHS criminal
Underfunded shocking
Staff morale lower that your ratings
How u sleep at night is beyond me
So many people suffering because of you
It’s the people s NHS not yours
So resign— Neville Southall (@NevilleSouthall) March 6, 2018
David Davies
Nobody listens to u
Not even your own party
Brexit negotiator
Europe doesn’t listen to you
Just like may talk shite
Do nothing— Neville Southall (@NevilleSouthall) March 6, 2018
Boris Johnson
Only cares about Boris Johnson
Fuck the country
He wants to be PM
Anyway he can
Selfish
Mini trump in makin— Neville Southall (@NevilleSouthall) March 6, 2018
Tories
Always moaning about hard brexit or soft brexit
What about a brexit that’s best for people of Britain
You never mentioned people just what u want
Selfish arrogance
It’s our Britain not just yours
Wake up
Or go— Neville Southall (@NevilleSouthall) March 6, 2018
And he doesn’t mess around when it comes to Tory-defending Twitter users trying to take him on:
No nurses no doctors no police cut every service going
How many big Businesses going out of business
Left homeless to die in snow
Trying to water down unions
Fucking up brexit
Education cuts
Mental health cuts
Brilliant— Neville Southall (@NevilleSouthall) March 6, 2018
Shame u don’t listen to staff then
Underfunded
Underpaid
Overworked— Neville Southall (@NevilleSouthall) March 6, 2018
Southall even released his own “alternative Christmas speech” for lifestyle and news website JOE:
Football: a force for good
But most notable of late has been his support for homeless people and rough sleepers. He has been sharing and supporting the work of grassroots homelessness group Streets Kitchen. Also, he helped me promote Streets Kitchen’s rally – ‘No More Deaths On Our Streets’ – on Saturday 3 March:
As The Canary‘s Nye Jones reported, people marched with Streets Kitchen through central London to raise awareness of the situation for homeless people and rough sleepers in the UK. Jones noted:
No one should have to sleep on the streets at any time. Britain is the fifth largest economy in the world. And it is estimated that over 200,000 homes lie empty in England alone. Under Conservative rule, rough sleeping has increased 169% since 2010. Meanwhile, the fact that the Rough Sleeping and Homelessness Reduction Taskforce has reportedly not even met since its creation in 2017 makes a mockery of the government’s plan to eradicate rough sleeping by 2027.
Streets Kitchen is currently occupying the Sofia House building at 204 Great Portland Street, London. It has been offering support and a roof to around 60 people, and Neville’s support is a much-needed boost for Streets Kitchen’s work.
It’s great to see a high-profile footballer using his status to promote good causes and speak out against injustices. It’s even better when it directly makes a difference in people’s lives.
Get Involved!
– Streets Kitchen needs your donations. If you have camp beds, sleeping bags, heaters, duvets, or anything else which you think will help, take them down to the occupation on Great Portland Street.
Featured image via JOE/YouTube and Guardian News/YouTube
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