Prompted by the front page of the Daily Mail today, I did something this evening that I’ve been meaning to do for a some time: made out a monthly standing order to support the Guardian. Because, by Christ, we need some decent journalism to stand up to the despicable rantings of the Daily Mail and its like.
I don’t object to the fact that it’s crap journalism, there’s a lot of that about. It’s much more sinister and calculating than that. At every conceivable opportunity the Mail seeks to divide, diminish and demonise. It’s a skidmark on the underpants of our society and those that work for it produce the stain. I say one word to all those who read, buy or work for it.
Stop!
Do you really want to enable this rag to continue? Think about it for a moment. Let’s take today’s story. With cynically manufactured outrage, the front page accuses of treachery and betrayal the 11 Tories who supported Dominic Grieve’s amendment to oblige the government to acknowledge the sovereignty of Parliament (our most fundamental constitutional safeguard from arbitrary government) by allowing it to debate and vote on whatever EU Brexit deal David Davis can lash up by March 19 2018.
Proud of Yourselves? the Daily Mail asks the ‘rebels’. I hope they are because they should be. I, for one, am proud of them for standing up for a vital democratic principle.
It matters not which side of the Brexit argument you favour, we are a parliamentary democracy with elected representatives whose duty is to exercise their conscience on our behalf. It’s not perfect but it’s what we’ve got and it’s still pretty much the envy of the world. So, Brexiteer or Remainer, what could possibly be a rational objection to Parliament making the final decision?
Rational… there lies the rub. Daily Mail editor, Paul Dacre (currently on a £2.5million profit-related salary) who likes to think of himself as the people’s friend, has not the slightest interest in rational argument. It’s not difficult to sell a lot of newspapers if you pander to our baser instincts. It’s not difficult to peddle porn or drugs either, and for similar reasons.
Hereditary billionaire, Viscount Rothermere, who owns the Mail, declares that he never interferes in the editorial control of his newspapers. Well, Jonathan Harold Esmond Vere Harmsworth, if you want Santa to fill your stocking this Christmas, it’s about bloody time that you did. Also, how can you in all conscience claim the privileges of being a peer of the realm whilst also avoiding UK tax by conveniently arranging non-dom status?
Ah yes… conscience… there’s the other rub.
Coming Home to Story 
Thanks for being angry, Geoff.
I sometimes feel quite alone in my anger. It feels as if somehow we so-called ‘inquiring’ folks are required to be open-hearted, open-minded, opening spaces for dialogue hither ‘n’ yon … and are most definitely not supposed to be visibly, terribly, absolutely f***ing pissed off betimes!
So, as I say, thanks for rolling a hand grenade down the dancefloor 🙂