Statement from #Lexit the Left Leave Campaign on the killing of Jo Cox: We are horrified at the death of Jo Cox and send our deepest condolences to her husband and children, to her family, friends and colleagues. We believe that the murder of an elected representative marks a deterioration of our society and our politics. Any links with possible far right groups must be fully investigated. The atmosphere of racism and Islamophobia, and the scapegoating of migrants and refugees, which have been so much part of political discourse in recent years, is in danger of poisoning all political debate. We are in favour of leaving the EU because 'Fortress Europe' and the EU's sytematic promotion of austerity policies has led to the growth of such reactionary ideas. Whatever the outcome of this referendum, all on the left must unite against such racism and support policies which undercut appeals to scapegoating minorities. Lexit the Left Leave Campaign Steering Committee Friday 17 June 2016
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West Yorkshire police have issued the following update re the murder of Jo Cox: West Yorkshire Police Temporary Chief Constable Dee Collins said: The whole of the Labour Party and Labour family — and indeed the whole country — will be in shock at the horrific murder of Jo Cox yesterday. The man who murdered Jo Cox in cold blood, who shot her, stabbed her, then continued to brutally kick her when she was on the ground, was apparently a "loner".
Neighbours expressed their shock at the atrocity he has committed, because he was "quiet" and he also had a strong work ethic. He worked on people's gardens and he had said that he believed that "hard work" could cure mental illness. That's a particularly right wing notion, by the way. He was clearly wrong, and so are the Tories. As usual people don't pay enough attention to details. Since when was being "quiet" or "hard working" anything to do with being a decent, humane, moral, empathic and good citizen? He is a neo nazi, he was living quietly and planning a cold-bloodied murder, for crying out loud. All those dutiful people out there conforming to the frightfully exploitative tory redefinition of our social norms seem to fail to recognise how empty such superficial gestures are, and how they lack meaning, when they are premised on repression, festering hatred, fear of others and such rage-driven motives. And who bothered to get to know him? It was more than one person that killed Jo Cox. It was our whole stinking pathological right wing intolerant, prejudiced society. Sure, it was only one person who pulled the trigger. Notice how quickly his local community disassociated themselves from him, prefering to see him as a pathological mystery, as someone hiding in their midst, rather than as a member of the community, sharing an intersubjective realm of cultural meanings. The linguistic downgrading of human life requires dehumanising metaphors: a dehumanising socio-political system using a dehumanising language, and it has become familiar and all-pervasive: it has seeped almost unnoticed into our lives. Because we permitted it to do so. (Though some of us do challenge it, we need the public to recognise their moral and rational boundaries are being systematically pushed). Shame on us for allowing a group of vile social Darwinist, supremicist bigots to shape the world we inhabit, norms and to intrude on our thoughts, attitudes and definitions of what is right and wrong and how we should be. Shame on us Thanks to Sue Jones for sharing her thoughts. You can find her online where she writes as Kitty Jones https://kittysjones.wordpress.com Thursday was election day in Tooting, London. It was also the day Labour MP Jo Cox was brutally killed as she attended to her political duties in her constituency in West Yorkshire. The British Labour Party had a successful election in Tooting with Rosena Allin-Khan winning and getting a more than 6,000 majority. The seat was previously held by Labour's Sadiq Khan who is now London Mayor. With the Tooting by-election overshadowed by the murder of Jo Cox there was little news media coverage from the polls and the turnout was not brilliant at 42.5% . The following is a Labour press release Friday: Following the result of the Tooting by-election, Dr Rosena Allin-Khan, said: Dear friends, comrades, brothers and sisters,
there are many who think that a vote to leave the EU would bring about the downfall of David Cameron and indeed you might be right but, and it's a big but, it wouldn't get rid of the Tory government due to the fixed term parliament act 2011 whilst it is acknowledged that under the act a dissolution of parliament can occur under certain circumstances. If the House of Commons resolves "That this House has no confidence in Her Majesty's Government", an early general election is held, unless the House of Commons subsequently resolves "That this House has confidence in Her Majesty's Government". This second resolution must be made within fourteen days of the first or If the House of Commons, with the support of two-thirds of its total membership (including vacant seats), resolves "That there shall be an early parliamentary general election". In either of these two cases, the Monarch (on the recommendation of the prime minister) appoints the date of the new election by proclamation. Parliament is then dissolved 25 working days before that date. Can anyone really see the Tories losing a confidence vote? It would be like asking Turkey's to vote for Christmas. Indeed Cameron may be forced to resign as leader of the Conservative Party and as Prime Minister but what would you get as a replacement - Boris Johnson, Michael Gove, Theresa May? One thing you can be assured of is that we would have a more right-wing government; sometimes you must be careful what you want you just might get it. If Britain were to leave the EU then I honestly believe that we would be at the mercy of the right; it may be wise to vote remain, at the very least we could use the EU as a buttress against what would be a more tyrannical right-wing tory government. The EU does indeed have it's faults and a perceived democratic deficit but we also have that in this country. Perhaps using the lack of democracy argument might leave us to think that one should leave the UK. Well anyway I think it's a facile argument. In conclusion Vote Leave is the worst of all possible options. Thanks to Frederick James for sharing his thoughts on the up oming EU in /out referendum Also at NEWTEKWORLDNEWS: http://www.newtekjournalismukworld.com/eileen-kersey/tory-party-huge-rifts-as-nadine-dorries-claims-cameron-is-toast |
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