WHEN we are exhausted and ground down by life it is natural to want somebody to speak up for us, to feel that we have a voice, and that somebody is on our side.
Amid the toxicity of cancel-culture and levels of censorship most would never have imagined could happen in the UK, it is more important than ever that those with influence are willing to listen to and publicise our legitimate concerns. When they do it gives us a much-needed sense that not all is lost.
So last week I was much dismayed when three influencers that we can usually depend on to be brave and say what many in politics and journalism will not betrayed us.
On February 15 the excellent V4 Report published a quote from former Italian deputy prime minister Mateo Salvini: ‘On issue of immigration, we will propose adoption of European legislation . . . It is good for us that immigration in Italy is treated as it is treated in France and Germany, with the same rules.’
The article went on: ‘Who broke Salvini? Even the far-left Huffington Post thinks he is “responsible”, pro-EU guy now.
‘Very disappointing and one must believe the plastic man (Berlusconi) and the frauds at Germany’s EPP Party got to him.’
This is the same Salvini who has vociferously opposed EU legislation on immigration for almost a decade, making him popular among the many voiceless Italians concerned about the high levels of illegal immigration assisted by Leftist NGOs. It appears he has gone rogue.
A friend who is knowledgeable about all things political humorously pointed out to me that if Salvini is in politics the chances are he will have been rogue to begin with – a fair comment, but the contrast with the former honesty, passion and commitment of Salvini is a bitter pill to swallow.
A day later, February 16, Richard Tice of the Reform Party published a video on social media asking for an answer to the question of the low take-up of the vaccine in BAME communities.
Unfortunately Dr David Bull, who interviewed a man from one such community failed to focus on this question. Instead he prattled on about ‘the danger’ that anti-vaxxers pose, and how the ‘disinformation’ they are spreading on social media needs to be censored. There was no balance in the interview, no mention of how many so-called ‘anti-vaxxers’ are nothing of the kind: many people have taken to social media in the last month to explain how they are in favour of vaccines, just not this one.
The rhetoric strongly implied that freethinkers need to be silenced. I wonder what exactly Mr Tice is ‘reforming’? I am also pondering quite how in touch Tice is with the concerns of homeless Conservatives who have taken shelter within the Reform Party?
Friday February 19: The national treasure of many a True Blue Conservative, Richard Littlejohn in the Daily Mail, informed us of his support for ‘no jab – no job’.
This felt like a real kick in the guts, not just because of the opinion he was voicing but because of the absence of any semblance of balance in his article.
He failed to mention that the virus has a survival rate of 99.37 per cent, but it was his failure to challenge the ‘no jab – no job’ narrative from a democratic, ethical or just viewpoint that stood out. His writing had an almost defeatist flavour, as though we now live in a country that simply doesn’t question draconian, totalitarian orthodoxy any more.
We do have a few remaining voices who are willing to speak up on the issues that concern conservative minds – Graham Brady, Charles Walker, Desmond Swayne and Lord Sumption, but when we consider that the powers-that-be have managed to fiddle a US election and prior to that censored a sitting US president, something tells me if we want to resist ‘Build Back Better’ this one is down to us?
