• Disrupting Power Since 2015
  • Donate
  • Login
Saturday, May 17, 2025
  • Login
  • Register
Canary
MEDIA THAT DISRUPTS
  • News
    • UK
    • Global
    • Analysis
    • Trending
  • Editorial
  • Features
    • Features
    • Environment
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Money
    • Science
    • Business
    • Tech
    • Travel
    • Sport & Gaming
  • Media
    • Video
    • Cartoons
  • Opinion
No Result
View All Result
MANAGE SUBSCRIPTION
SUPPORT
  • News
    • UK
    • Global
    • Analysis
    • Trending
  • Editorial
  • Features
    • Features
    • Environment
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Money
    • Science
    • Business
    • Tech
    • Travel
    • Sport & Gaming
  • Media
    • Video
    • Cartoons
  • Opinion
No Result
View All Result
Canary
No Result
View All Result

The sharing of Johnson’s Brexit tweets raises some interesting questions

Peadar O'Cearnaigh by Peadar O'Cearnaigh
1 September 2019
in Trending, UK
Reading Time: 3 mins read
167 5
A A
2
Home Trending
320
SHARES
2.5k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Academic Marc Owen Jones studied two of Boris Johnson’s Brexit tweets from 15 and 27 August. He found something, that could be revealing when he analysed 13,000 retweets of Johnson’s original messages.

Jones suggested that a large number of these retweets could either be “inorganic” or from Trump supporters.

His analysis also led Journalist Carole Cadwalladr to say some accounts sharing Johnson’s tweets may be either “fake” or “Trumpist”.

Johnson’s tweet

On 15 August, Johnson tweeted:

The referendum result must be respected.

We will leave the EU on 31st October. #LeaveOct31

— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) August 15, 2019

He tweeted the exact same message on 27 August.

Analysis

Jones is an assistant professor in Middle East studies and digital humanities at Hamad bin Khalifa University in Doha. One of his key research areas is investigating “propaganda and Twitter bots”.

When he investigated the descriptions of the accounts that retweeted Johnson’s original tweets, he discovered a large number contained the word “Trump” or “MAGA”. MAGA stands for Make America Great Again, which was Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential election slogan.

The account biographies mentioned the word “MAGA” 1,025 times and “Trump” 853 times. They only mentioned “#Brexit” 508 times. This is odd, according to Jones, as they were retweeting the comments of a British politician:

853 times. This outranks #Brexit, which was mentioned about 508 times. So remember, this is an analysis of a British politican's retweets. One may reasonably assume that if you analysed those people who retweeted it, their bios would probably be more likely to include Brexit

— Marc Owen Jones (@marcowenjones) August 29, 2019

And while the accounts with “Trump” or MAGA” only accounted for 8% of the sample, it’s still significant according to Jones. It prompted him to look further.

Jones’ conclusion

While acknowledging the USA has a larger population than the UK, Jones feels one explanation for the many pro-Trump biographies is that:

If we make another assumption, that many of the accounts are inorganic trolls (i.e. paid to promote Trump and his policies), then it probably makes more sense.

This led Jones to suggest that based on his “ongoing analysis of Twitter propaganda”:

I would say organised entities are manipulating Twitter (including @BorisJohnson TL) in order to promote a hard-brexit. This #MAGA community’s other tropes are familiar and consistent –
they are anti-Corbyn, anti-Islam, often self described ‘patriots’, or veterans, pro-Israel and anti-fascists. I don’t doubt a huge number are real, but I am genuinely surprised by how many can consistently be so on message. 

Jones also suggested:

that of Johnson’s retweets, a large number of those promoting the message are accounts that clearly align themselves with Trump.

in terms of biographical detail. They are also remarkably on message (won't go into that now until maybe some NLP analysis can be conducted). Anyway, we can conclude that of Johnson's retweets, a large number of those promoting the message are accounts that clearly align

— Marc Owen Jones (@marcowenjones) August 29, 2019

themselves with Trump. In a related analysis, I also conducted the same analysis on the #LeaveOct31. This returned around 14,000 individual accounts and 20,000 tweets. Again, MAGA and Trump are the most popular descriptions within the biographies of accounts tweeting

— Marc Owen Jones (@marcowenjones) August 29, 2019

Jones concluded:

This is large scale analysis so I should re-emphasise a number of the accounts will be legitimate, but I’d wager a significant amount are absolutely not. We know enough now to assume that this type of behaviour is par for the course.

It is sad so little is being done about it. Anyway, be vigilant, and angry, and above all, #StopTheCoup.

Online reaction

Many people responded to Cadwalladr’s comments that people retweeting may be either ‘fake’ and ‘Trumpist’:

https://twitter.com/cbn2/status/1167624238162948098

Bannon / Trump / Farage / Johnson. So obvious it’s ridiculous. Question is who is behind it all, what are they wanting to get out of it and how far are they prepared to go.

— Galactic Bloke (@Lego_Yoda) August 30, 2019

I can well believe it, he is acting very Trumpian so faking his support is quite normal for him, he's a proven liar

— Alison Citrine FBPE #resist 🧡 (@alison1928) August 30, 2019

Keep questioning

While Jones’ findings are small in the greater scheme of things, it could be revealing of a far bigger picture. Also, his findings indicate that we need more people conducting this kind of analysis and investigation to counter far-right propaganda.

But even where this level of analysis is not possible, we need people to continuously question them and call them out.

Featured image Screengrab/BBC News & Flickr/Matt Johnson

Share128Tweet80
Previous Post

In ‘stop the coup’ demos, police arrest protesters while protecting some from the far right

Next Post

As Swinson goes MIA, Corbyn proves he’s Leader of the Opposition in both name and nature

Next Post
Jeremy Corbyn speaking in Glasgow

As Swinson goes MIA, Corbyn proves he's Leader of the Opposition in both name and nature

Johnson is ‘goading’ Tory rebels so he can force an election, says Gauke

Nicola Sturgeon: MPs must prioritise stopping no-deal Brexit

Nicola Sturgeon: MPs must prioritise stopping no-deal Brexit

Michael Gove and almost empty supermarket shelves

Michael Gove’s claim that a no-deal Brexit won’t affect food supplies is ‘categorically untrue’

Stop Arming Israel banner

Day of action gets underway to say no to arming Apartheid Israel

Please login to join discussion
Disabled people set to take to parliament en masse to oppose DWP cuts
Analysis

Disabled people set to take to parliament en masse to oppose DWP cuts

by The Canary
16 May 2025
Southern Water are threatening a journalist with defamation for asking difficult questions
Analysis

Southern Water are threatening a journalist with defamation for doing their job

by HG
16 May 2025
FIFA face human rights questions over upcoming world cups in Saudi Arabia and the US
Analysis

FIFA face human rights questions over upcoming world cups in Saudi Arabia and the US

by Maryam Jameela
16 May 2025
Plaid Cymru Commons leader just hit a nerve with this biting question to Keir Starmer
Analysis

Plaid Cymru Commons leader just hit a nerve with this biting question to Keir Starmer

by James Wright
16 May 2025
DWP failures have led to hundreds of deaths - but these are just the tip of the iceberg
Analysis

DWP failures have now led to hundreds of deaths – but these are still the tip of the iceberg

by Steve Topple
16 May 2025
  • Contact
  • About & FAQ
  • Get our Daily News Email
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy

The Canary
PO Box 71199
LONDON
SE20 9EX

Canary Media Ltd – registered in England. Company registration number 09788095.

For guest posting, contact [email protected]

For other enquiries, contact: [email protected]

The Canary is owned and run by independent journalists and volunteers, NOT offshore billionaires.

You can write for us, or support us by making a regular or one-off donation.

© Canary Media Ltd 2024, all rights reserved | Website by Monster | Hosted by Krystal | Privacy Settings

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • UK
    • Global
    • Analysis
    • Trending
  • Editorial
  • Features
    • Features
    • Environment
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Money
    • Science
    • Business
    • Tech
    • Travel
    • Sport & Gaming
  • Media
    • Video
    • Cartoons
  • Opinion

© 2023 Canary - Worker's co-op.

Before you go, have you seen...?

Disabled people set to take to parliament en masse to oppose DWP cuts
Analysis
The Canary

Disabled people set to take to parliament en masse to oppose DWP cuts

Southern Water are threatening a journalist with defamation for asking difficult questions
Analysis
HG

Southern Water are threatening a journalist with defamation for doing their job

FIFA face human rights questions over upcoming world cups in Saudi Arabia and the US
Analysis
Maryam Jameela

FIFA face human rights questions over upcoming world cups in Saudi Arabia and the US

Plaid Cymru Commons leader just hit a nerve with this biting question to Keir Starmer
Analysis
James Wright

Plaid Cymru Commons leader just hit a nerve with this biting question to Keir Starmer

ADVERTISEMENT
Business
Nathan Spears

Smart Delivery Positions Mr Nang as a Leader in Australia’s Cream Charger Market

Lifestyle
Nathan Spears

Social Media Activism: How Grassroots Movements Are Gaining Power Online

Travel
Nathan Spears

Best Destinations In Spain For A Couples Holiday