(^8) DAILY MIRROR MONDAY 19.08.
DM1ST
VOICE OF THE
Johnson is
no Winston
BORIS Johnson sees himself as a modern-
day version of his hero Winston Churchill.
The bungling Prime Minister believes he is
the man for our country’s hour of need, the
figure to steer a worried, anxious, troubled
nation through its Darkest Hour.
But as he faces his own D-Day on October
31, nothing could be further from the truth.
Remainers say the impacts of a no-deal Brexit
would have “wartime” implications.
While there would be no bombs falling,
families racing for air raid shelters or evacua-
tions to the countryside, there would obviously
be big consequences for life as we know it.
Yet where Churchill was able to forge inter-
national alliances for the good of the country,
Johnson is hellbent on tearing us from the
world’s biggest trading bloc in the most
destructive way possible.
Churchill was a respected statesman on the
global stage. Boris offends our allies.
Mother’s grief
THE heartbreaking tribute from hero PC
Andrew Harper’s mum reveals a mourning
mother’s grief for her son.
The pain she suffers at his death is evident
from her moving words of how she feels his
“presence comforting me in my darkest hours”.
The bereaved finding solace among the
memories of those they loved is a cloak to
shield their sorrow.
Yet the tragedy also underlines the erosion
of respect for our 999 services: Firefighters
pelted with stones as they tackle blazes. Para-
medics assaulted by drunks outside late-night
pubs. And constables killed on duty.
Our country needs to rediscover its regard
and reverence for those who keep us safe.
It is a shame the Tories axed 21,000 cops
after returning to power in 2010.
Inspiring Mia
INSPIRATIONAL Mia Mifsud crossing a
race finish line just weeks after walking
for the first time is a sight to cheer us all.
Well done, Mia – and best of luck with the
hurdles you may face in future.
Political commentator & guest columnist
ASH SARKAR
This weekend, it was revealed in The Sunday Mirror that the Tories will raise the age of retirement
from 67 to 75. Lots of people were very angry about this, not least because life expectancies for
poorer people fall under this threshold. Not me, I’m actually delighted. As a millennial with no hope of
ever buying a house and no idea of how I’m going to pay for my retirement, it’s quite reassuring to
know that I’m going to die before I’m entitled to stop working anyway. Panic over.
Beware the patter
of sideshow Boris
IT’S been three weeks since the
chattering classes hailed Boris
Johnson as a champion of
diversity for choosing Priti Patel
as his Home Secretary.
And truly, who among us could
have predicted the promotion of one
woman wouldn’t end all racism?
Not only that, the Home Office
under new management
has reaffirmed its
commitment to discrim-
ination in ways not even
the deportation-happy
Theresa May could have
dreamed of.
Last week, Johnson’s
government announced
two initiatives: to end
knife crime by slathering fried
chicken boxes with inspirational
messages, and to limit immigration
with a £36,000 income threshold.
So there we have it. The govern-
ment policy to address serious youth
violence has nothing to do with
reversing brutal cuts to social
services, education, or youth centres.
Instead, it boils down to nudge-
nudging at an offensive stereotype
about black people and chicken.
And despite the NHS being hit by
a staffing crisis, immigration income
rules are being set at levels that could
exclude senior nurses and newly
qualified doctors. Ridiculous?
O bviously. Divisive? Absolutely. But
that’s the point.
Neither of these policies are
designed to work. They’re designed
to appeal to the clueless racism of
moneyed Tories in the Shires.
This becomes clear when you stop
thinking of Johnson as a serious
Prime Minister. He’s the
captain of a clown car with
the brakes cut, hoping to
hurl us over the cliff edge of
a No-Deal Brexit.
Everything announced
between now and October
31 is just a sideshow,
designed to take his
voters along for
the ride in the event of
an early election.
“Chicken wings
against stabbings” is
unlikely to inspire
confidence in the
people of
To tt e n h a m
that the PM is
tackling youth
violence
effec-
tively.
Instead,
it’s to
reassure
the curtain-twitchers of Tunbridge
Wells that Something Is Being Done.
Both policies speak to that portion
of the electorate who learned every-
thing they think they know about
black and brown folk from Nigel
Farage. Who live in a big house in the
Cotswolds, but are terrified of
“Muslim no-go areas” in Birmingham
(despite never having been there).
Who don’t like immigrants, but really
would like to retire in France.
With the Brexit Party snapping at
the Tories’ heels, Johnson knows he
has to win back the votes of those
exact demographics. Which is why
we’re treated to the spectacle of an
Eton-educated millionaire whipping
up the racism of the middle class
against a diverse working class.
And it’s this diverse working
class – whether they are immi-
g r a n t s or inner-city youth –
who are treated as
convenient
scapegoats for
everything
that’s wrong
with the
UK.
‘‘His policies
aim to appeal
to the clueless
racism of
monied Tories
DM
On Friday, after his birthday party, the journalist
Owen Jones got beaten up on the street by men
who recognised him, and hated him for his politics.
Thankfully, he’s all right. But it’s a shock for those
of us on the left who make a living sticking our
heads above the parapet.
Owen is not just someone
whose writing I admire. He’s
a good mate. I’ve seen how
over the past few years
he’s become a verbal
punching bag for both
the hard right and self-
identifying moderates.
He’s been dismissed as a
propagandist, called all manner of horrible names,
and subjected to threats. But he’s never once let
himself be silenced by those who seek to bully him
and sneer at the possibility of social change.
Owen, keep doing what you’re doing. Your pen is
more dangerous than any coward’s punch could be.
ATTACK Owen Jones
BULLIES WON’T
SILENCE OWEN
I was lucky enough to share
a stage with the
Opposition’s big hitters –
Jeremy Corbyn, Diane
Abbott, and Becky
Long-Bailey – at a Labour
Roots event in Bolton
this weekend.
But the most interesting
thing about the big red do
wasn’t the presence of
front benchers. It was
their membership.
Without even the excuse
of a by-election, Labour
were able to mobilise 700
lefties at the drop of a hat
on a Saturday evening. It
wasn’t just a Clapalong-
with-Corbyn affair either.
People were trained in
how to unionise their
workplaces and run local
campaigns. Frighteningly
young and talented teens
were taking the lead on
issues like climate change,
regional inequality and
antiracist organising.
This spells trouble for
the Tories. Labour’s
membership, at around half
a million people, is more
than three times that of
Boris Johnson’s lot.
When it comes to
fighting an election, there’s
no substitute for being able
to pack out your get-out-
the-vote operation with
experienced activists who
know where their voters are.
Despite all of Dominic
Cummings’ data wizardry,
the Conservative Party are
at a real disadvantage
when it comes to
grassroots muscle.
They should be worried.
The election will depend on
how marginal constituencies
vote in the North and the
Midlands – and that means
every doorknock counts.
BIG HITTER Diane Abbott
and Ash at Bolton event
VOTE ARMY
IS LABOUR’S
BIG WEAPON
BREXIT MINISTER (WHO HE?)
PONDERS ‘NO DEAL’ PREPARATION
Option 1.. cross fingers, screw eyes
shut really tight, hope for best..
Option 2.. magic beans!
Option 3.. la la la la la can’t hear youcan t h
KEVIN MAGUIRE IS AWAY
Brexit report name
made to be leaked
I’m convinced that explosive
documents in Westminster get drafted
just so they can be leaked to the press.
Details of the Government’s classified
Operation Yellowhammer report have
spilled the beans on how catastrophic a
no-deal Brexit is likely to be.
But beyond the oncoming medicine
shortages and food riots, I found myself
thinking that a dossier with this
codename is just begging to be leaked.
It’s like labelling a file “Big Effing
Deal’’ – there’s no way it’s
staying under wraps. Try
naming it something
nice and boring.
Operation Kirstie
Allsopp, perhaps.
NO DEAL Queues
at Dover and
Allsopp, right
nandana
(Nandana)
#1