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→ Diane Abbott labels Meloni ‘a literal fascist’
Every week, Keir Starmer seems to be dealing with a rebellion from the Left of the Labour Party. Last week, it was over cutting the winter fuel payment. Today, some aren’t too happy about the Prime Minister receiving tips from his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni about how to limit illegal migration.
Why is @starmer meeting with Italian PM Giorgia Meloni, a literal fascist, to discuss immigration? What does he hope to learn from her? pic.twitter.com/nThfvibxAV
— Diane Abbott (@HackneyAbbott) September 16, 2024
An outraged Diane Abbott posted on X, managing to tag an unlucky software engineer in Baltimore called James Starmer rather than her party leader: “Why is @starmer meeting with Italian PM Giorgia Meloni, a literal fascist, to discuss immigration? What does he hope to learn from her?” Illegal migration to Italy has reduced by 60% since the same time last year, and presumably Starmer wants to mimic that at home. Just months after scrapping the Conservatives’ Rwanda plan, the PM today said that he is “very interested” in Italy’s agreement with Albania to use the latter as a third country for processing asylum claims.
Starmer and his aides will be hoping no one notices the news that Meloni’s Deputy PM Matteo Salvini may be facing jail time over refusing to allow a migrant ship to land on Italian shores in 2019. Stay tuned — the optics might get worse…
→ Four in 10 Americans think businesses should be political
Amid reports that some prestigious Ivy League universities in the US are no longer taking stances on hot-button issues, corporate America is still undecided on the matter. This will not be helped by recent polling from Gallup and Bentley University showing that a significant portion (38%) of Americans think businesses should take a public position on current events.
While this is down from 48% in 2022, it is still high enough for companies to feel as if they are pleasing a significant number of customers when they get political. The survey also found that over half of Americans are interested in businesses taking a stance on climate change (54%), mental health (53%) and diversity, equity and inclusion (53%). Political polarisation doesn’t seem to be going away…
→ Bankrupt diocese advertises lucrative ‘Head of Racial Justice’ role
Exciting news: the Diocese of London is advertising for a new role. The “Head of Racial Justice Priority” — paid £66,646 per annum — will “lead the Diocese of London’s priority of a more racially-just church”.
The diocese has a £5 million deficit. pic.twitter.com/M1xiQDcsXu
— Marcus Walker (@WalkerMarcus) September 16, 2024
The successful candidate will be asked to “foster a culture […] that is built on love, fairness, equity, justice, collaboration, and integrity” and “break down mental, cultural, and institutional barriers that exist within the diocesan structures, policies, and processes to engender true race equality”. According to its financial summary for 2023, the “London Diocesan Fund is reporting an operating deficit of £6.7m before transfers and gains”. Plenty of dough for racial justice then…
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SubscribeDianne Abbott is a literal idiot
A bit thick, I think. Last week she accuses someone of being a ra*ist, this week a fas*cist, next a sex*st. She is just too old and boring to do the job properly.
You wrote the words right out of my keyboard.
Aaah no, this is yet another Claire D, there seem to be several of us.
Why does UnHerd allow it ?
It’s so confusing.
I think I’ll change my name to Claire D.
Easy to see why Albania might be happy to import some people; almost all the Albanians are already in the UK and other countries. Bit ironic.
And according to The Telegraph it’s the next go to holiday destination… Croatia and Montenegro are so last year. What’s not to like?
Regarding the political stances of US businesses:
That’s assuming those who think businesses should have a political stance actually agree with that stance!! Duh.
If Ms. Abbott wants to see a “literal fascist,” a quick glance in any nearby mirror will fulfill that desire.
Yeah, literal fascists, they’re the worst. People who tick you off for saying ‘less’ instead of ‘fewer’. Hanging’s too good for ’em.
Perhaps a glance in a mirror would help the gentle lady see an actual fascist.
Am I the only one that sees the 666 in the salary of ‘Head of Racial Justice’ as troubling coming from the Diocese of London?
Where is my comment?
That’s almost Zen.
Ha ha. Well said.
What does Starmer hope to learn? The Right way to tackle illegal migration, presumably.
The babbling L’Oreal syrup strikes again. The Abbottross is literally worth it.
When is Diane Abbott up for Damehood? She is the gift that keeps on giving. Done so much for society, a true pillar. She deserves it.
Of course Keir Starmer and Giorgia Meloni get on like a house on fire. Centrism and right-wing populism are con tricks to sell exactly the same economic and foreign policies to different audiences by pretending to wage a culture war. Fascism is inherent in both of them, and it never arises except by their joint enterprise.
While pre-existing conservative phenomena have been known to ally with Fascism, usually to their own ruin, it is the liberal bourgeoisie that keeps Fascism in reserve for when it might ever face any serious demand to share its economic or social power with anyone who did not have it before the rise of the bourgeois liberal order, or to share its cultural or political power with anyone at all.
Thus, both Starmer and Meloni welcomed the appointment of Michel Barnier by Emmanuel Macron because that was who Marine Le Pen wanted, or could at least work with, to keep out the New Popular Front. A Fascist movement never gets anywhere unless it has been at least cultivated and often directly created by the likes of Starmer and Macron, they will always back it against the Left because that is why they have it, and no Fascist has ever come to power except by some form of that arrangement. Nor ever will.
it is the liberal bourgeoisie that keeps Fascism in reserve
Sorry, but these attempts to explain contemporary political phenomena by reference to defunct ideologies from the past obscure more than they illuminate. Our current discontents are driven by opposition to the open borders globalism that makes the ‘liberal bourgeoisie’ wealthier at the expense of the blue collar classes. It is the liberal bourgeoisie themselves who stigmatise this opposition as ‘fascist’. They have no more interest in promoting fascism than they do in controlling the borders or making the trains run on time. The term itself should be as taboo as the ‘N’ word.
Of course Keir Starmer and Giorgia Meloni get on like a house of fire. Centrism and right-wing populism are con tricks to sell exactly the same economic and foreign policies to different audiences by pretending to wage a culture war. Fascism is inherent in both of them, and it never arises except by their joint enterprise.
While pre-existing conservative phenomena have been known to ally with Fascism, usually to their own ruin, it is the liberal bourgeoisie that keeps Fascism in reserve for when it might ever face any serious demand to share its economic or social power with anyone who did not have it before the rise of the bourgeois liberal order, or to share its cultural or political power with anyone at all.
Thus, both Starmer and Meloni welcomed the appointment of Michel Barnier by Emmanuel Macron because that was who Marine Le Pen wanted, or could at least work with, to keep out the New Popular Front. A Fascist movement never gets anywhere unless it has been at least cultivated and often directly created by the likes of Starmer and Macron, they will always back it against the Left because that is why they have it, and no Fascist has ever come to power except by some form of that arrangement. Nor ever will.