The point of a democracy is that politics is for everyone. Gone are the days when the business of running the country was the preserve of the “ruling classes”. In fact, since Brexit the conmen in charge have delighted in claiming their actions are “the will of the people”. So why are Conservative MPs suddenly so quick to tell people they disagree with to stay out of politics?
Ultimately it’s because this group of populists are allergic to criticism and have done everything they can to prevent scrutiny. They are incompetent, corrupt and dishonest, living in an echo chamber to justify their abhorrent behaviour. Anything that threatens that is treated with outright hostility.
Easter weekend has perfectly highlighted the Conservative hypocrisy
A few days before Easter weekend, the Conservative’s launched one of the most abhorrent policies in modern British history. It has been universally panned and is a national embarrassment that undermines any moral authority this government had. This policy targets the weakest and most vulnerable in our society. It is the antithesis of Christ’s teachings.
In this context, it was a cruel irony that saw Conservative MPs rushing to profess their Christian beliefs this weekend. Evidently, this did not go unnoticed by leading figures in the Church of England.
It is rare for religious leaders to comment on politicians actions. But then again, we live in strange times and this is a nasty, vindictive policy that is designed to hurt people. And the Conservatives know it; in fact that is the whole point of it. But like all bullies, they hate it when their behaviour is called out. In response to the above criticism, MPs up and down the country clamoured to admonish the Archbishops.
It is frankly astonishing that they have picked a fight with the Church on Easter weekend. Having told economists and business leaders that they were wrong about Brexit, they are now telling religious leaders that they are wrong about Jesus. They are utterly incapable of admitting that they are wrong.
And this isn’t the first time this has happened
The worst thing about this is that this has been a growing theme over the last 5 years. Any time someone criticises the government, MPs line up to tell them to “stay out”. This government has been quick to tell anyone that isn’t a “professional politician” to keep quiet. For example, this comment from Priti Patel prior to the Euros…
Which led to this gem of an exchange between Tyrone Mings and Andrew Rosindell…
This just smacks of a “know your place” attitude that belongs to a bygone era. And this isn’t just reserved for footballers and Archbishops. Boris Johnson has previously told business leaders to keep their opinions to themselves. Nadhim Zahawi reportedly told students that they shouldn’t criticise Boris Johnson in class. And let’s not forget Sir Peter Bottomley who stated that emails from campaigners are irritating.
Ultimately, we have a weak government with an even weaker Prime Minister, and all their bluster only serves to mask deep insecurities. They know that their ideas are an affront to decency, but unlike Boris Johnson the majority of MPs are not devoid of shame. They cannot bare what they have become, and when confronted with it react with aggression. All that we can do is to continue to hold up a mirror and let them expose themselves as the cruel cowards that they really are.