A Conservative MP tweets support for Newsnight’s hatchet job on Corbyn. It didn’t end well.

Conservative MP Nadine Dorries has waded into the row about BBC Newsnight‘s recent hatchet job on Jeremy Corbyn. Journalist Owen Jones questioned the programme superimposing Corbyn’s face on an image of the Kremlin, and allegedly photoshopping his hat to look ‘Russian’. Jones tweeted a response to Jess Brammar, acting editor at Newsnight, who denied photoshopping:
Hi Jess, firstly lots of respect for you. The photo of Williamson is in a suit and his photo remains clear. There is no shortage of photos of Corbyn in a suit. A photo was selected which was as Leninesque as possible in combination with a red Kremlin background.
— Owen Jones? (@OwenJones84) March 17, 2018
But Dorries was quick to defend the BBC:
Read on...
And the problem with a friend of Russia who refuses to condem Russia (and any other number of murderous regimes) being portrayed in that way, is what exactly? https://t.co/3Cin9QxO5V
— Nadine Dorries (@NadineDorries) March 18, 2018
She didn’t have to wait long for an answer. Jones tried to spell it out in simple terms for her:
Attempting to portray a politician who expressed his solidarity with Russia’s embattled anti-Putin dissidents and who is proposing tougher measures on Russian oligarchs as a Russian stooge is straightforward dishonesty.
Glad to help. https://t.co/F5NwOY9gbY
— Owen Jones? (@OwenJones84) March 18, 2018
Russian money
And other Twitter users soon followed suit. First, there was the issue of the Conservatives taking money from Russia:
It's your party taking money from them…
— Damo #IStandWithJeremyCorbyn #ChangeIsComing (@Cornish_Damo) March 18, 2018
— Jo T (@harrythesoldier) March 18, 2018
‘Murderous regimes’
And then there’s the tricky issue of the Conservatives’ support for Saudi Arabia:
Any number of murderous regimes Nadine? Like Saudi for instance?
— Tony Holland (@bigdutch7) March 18, 2018
Given that you're currently helping The House of Saud turn Yemen in to a crater, maybe you should reconsider using the phrase "murderous regimes."
— Div (@askforcawmby) March 18, 2018
Looking forward to your condemnation of Saudi Arabia any day now.
— Daniel (@growsunday) March 18, 2018
Evidence first
In fact, Corbyn has condemned the Salisbury attack:
The attack in Salisbury was an appalling act of violence, which we condemn in the strongest terms.
The Russian authorities must be held to account on the basis of the evidence and our response must be both decisive and proportionate.https://t.co/yaI3fXbAAu
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) March 14, 2018
He also called for an evidence-based approach, in order to avoid the extremely serious risk of a new cold war:
To rush way ahead of the evidence being gathered by the police, in a fevered parliamentary atmosphere, serves neither justice nor our national security.
Saudi crown prince welcome
And Dorries’ claim that Corbyn has refused to condemn ”any other number of murderous regimes” is a bit rich. Theresa May recently hosted crown prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia when he visited the UK. Saudi Arabia’s war on Yemen has killed or injured 5,000 children and left seven million people facing famine. Yet the de facto leader of this particular ‘murderous regime’ was welcomed by the government with open arms.
In contrast, Corbyn asked Theresa May at Prime Minister’s Questions on 7 March:
As she makes her arms sales pitch, will she also call on the crown prince to halt the shocking abuse of human rights in Saudi Arabia?
But Nadine Dorries is strangely silent on her party’s support for the human rights abusing regime of Saudi Arabia.
Giving up Twitter for Lent
On 17 February this year, Dorries tweeted:
Right, I’m giving up Twitter for Lent. My parl staff or publisher may RT or post the odd PR thing but, I won’t be looking and I’m even deleting the app. See after ? Easter.
— Nadine Dorries (@NadineDorries) February 13, 2018
She might just be wishing she’d followed through.
Get involved!
– Join The Canary, so we can keep holding the powerful to account.
– Read and support other independent media outlets:
Media Diversified, Novara Media, Corporate Watch, Red Pepper, New Internationalist, Common Space, Media Lens, Bella Caledonia, Vox Political, Evolve Politics, Real Media, Reel News, STRIKE! magazine, The Bristol Cable, The Meteor, The Skwawkbox, Salford Star, The Ferret.
featured image via Chris McAndrew/Wikimedia and screengrab
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?