MEME MONDAY #34

Karl is slowly increasing his output and we are currently engaged in a phased return to the main Facebook page.  Taking his frustrations on board with relation to funding, we are also looking at other avenues to raise funds.  Repeated pleas for donations have falled on deaf ears, despite the fact our Facebook distribution often runs into the tens of thousands.  We are in discussions with a merchandiser and looking at potentially importing a shop into this site, but it's early days.

If you are a Facebook follower, please be sure to have both pages in your likes and follows, as we are currently splitting content on a fairly equal basis in the hope to generate some revenue that way.  We didn't start this thing up ten years ago to make money, but now we have a website to run and we would very much like to start paying for an X subscription this year.

Dig deep behind the sofa if you can and let us hope the pleas will soon subside.  Donations welcome here.

Mon 28 Apr - 235 shares on the main Facebook page. This was our
pre-election cover photo

Tue 29 Apr - 11 shares on the backup page

Sat 3 May - 255 shares

Sat 3 May - 16 shares.  The troll's name is Aitor Santiago and he has taken a leaf
right out of the Home Office playbook by declaring that talk of two tier justice
and rape gang cover-ups 'sounds like a load of far right nonsense'

Sun 4 May - 149 shares

Sun 4 May - 268 shares

Feel free to download and share, credits where possible are much appreciated.

HATE FOR AUSTIN STILL STRONG

On Wednesday award-winning British actress Jodie Comer became the latest target of the far left Twitter hate mob.  Her 'crime' in their eyes?  She is rumoured to be dating an American who supports the Republican Party of President Trump.  Apparently that's all it takes now for a celeb to fall foul of the mob - a rumour of association with someone who doesn't toe the commie line.

Comer had already quit social media prior to the onslaught, so she will have avoided the worst of it.  Her name still trended on Twitter as the hatemongers vented their fury amongst themselves.  Wonder how many of them tweeted the hashtag #BeKind after Caroline Flack committed suicide?

Meanwhile, someone who's not for backing down from the trolls is former Labour MP Ian Austin.  His crusade against Jeremy Corbyn's far left Labour still clearly rankles Jezza's loyalists.  On Wednesday he tweeted the following effort with the caption: "Kinder, gentler politics".

Austin is used to it by now and has a thick skin.  That's more than can be said for @RedCorbynista who went to ground after Austin tweeted the above screenshot to his 35,000 followers.  One might argue that his part in the equation was eminently more innocent than Jason Dunn whose friendly cat-hugging profile picture belies something altogether more sinister...

Jason appears to embody Lenin's famous quote: "The goal of socialism is communism".  Minus the Gucci logo, obviously.

BLM ACTIVIST CALLS FOR GANG RAPE

Hate is stronger than ever on the left and cancel culture is set to target anyone who doesn't 'take the knee'.  When Dominic Raab said he wouldn't be taking the knee, Labour politicians were quick to denounce him and the mainstream media followed suit.  Then there was the usual outpouring of bile on social media.  One particularly vile comment came from a Twitter user by the name of Tongai Dodo who suggested that Raab's wife should be gang raped.

Dodo followed this up with a further tweet saying Mrs Raab should be raped 'on one knee'.

According to Dodo's Facebook page he is originally from Dublin, but now lives in Chelmsford.  On his Twitter profile he calls himself a 'black panther' and 'African revolutionist'.  Worryingly, his Twitter profile also states that he is a football coach at Galleywood Youth Football Club.  After his tweets were brought to their attention, the club released a number of urgent statements, saying that Dodo is no longer affiliated with the club.

Galleywood Youth also confirmed they had reported Dodo to Essex Police and directly addressed him on Twitter, saying if he didn't remove the club's name from his profile they would take legal action.  Dodo has since removed the reference, deleted the tweets, changed his Twitter name and locked down his account.

Looks like the left have cancelled themselves in this instance.

Tongai Dodo

RYAN THE PLUMBER'S LEFTIST BACKLASH

The Surrey plumber who was lauded for his forthright interpretation of Boris Johnson's lockdown message has inevitably fallen victim to the left-wing Twitter hate mob.  Ryan Price told LBC Radio's Nick Ferrari that he's been "getting a bit of grief" since his Channel 4 vox pop.  Watch the full interview below.

Many of the more condescending comments on Ryan's Twitter account have come from the middle class #FBPE Remain brigade.  Nick Ferrari's LBC colleague James O'Brien was also one of those laying into Ryan, but the plucky plumber had a few words of his own for Britain's most smug Remainer.

Here's a small selection of the comments aimed at Ryan, including the classic 'Tory plant' accusation, devoid of any proof.

Such sneering hatred of the working class not only helped to deliver Brexit, but it also handed the Tories a huge majority last December.  These keyboard warriors think they're so much more sophisticated than the rest of us, but the truth is that their conceited arrogance represents the greatest stupidity of all.

BORIS ICU A 'PUBLICITY STUNT' SAYS COUNCILLOR

Cllr Jools Heselwood

A Labour member of Leeds City Council has claimed that Boris Johnson's hospitalisation is a 'publicity stunt'.  Cllr Jools Heselwood made the remarks on a Facebook post by radio host Ryan Swain and urged people not to "fall for it".  When someone objected to her comment, she gave the condescending reply: "I just understand politics".

As with the case of Cllr Sheila Oakes in Derbyshire earlier this week, Cllr Heselwood was quickly forced into a humiliating climb-down.  She deleted her comments and issued a public apology.  Writing to the leader of Leeds City Council (also Labour) she wrote: "I am deeply sorry for my crass and offensive comments about Boris Johnson's hospital treatment.  I was wrong, I should never have made that claim and I apologise unreservedly.  I wish the Prime Minister a speedy recovery and my thoughts are with him and his family at what I know is a very difficult time for them".  That's some turnaround.

A Labour spokesperson said: "Julie Heselwood fully accepts her post was wrong and has apologised unreservedly for it".

Cllr Heselwood represents the Leeds council ward of Bramley and Stanningley.  Speaking of publicity stunts, she is clearly very proud of documenting her efforts in the current crisis.  She is not even above a supermarket selfie...

So this is something I never thought I’d be doing-shopping in Morrison’s at 7AM wearing a mask, helping the fantastic @BramleyElderly get food for older people who are self isolating. Thanks to my co-shoppers @I_M_Shaw , Rebecca Durrant and Phil Mcconnell for making it fun!!! pic.twitter.com/ETlOh1J1Py

— jools heselwood (@joolsheselwood) April 6, 2020

CLLR OAKES SACKED BY LAW FIRM

The Derbyshire councillor who said Boris Johnson 'deserved' to be fighting for his life has been sacked from the law firm that employed her.  Cllr Sheila Oakes had been a legal advisor for VHS Fletchers Solicitors in Ilkeston, but has been fired just two days after her controversial Facebook post.  The firm released the following statement on its website on Wednesday afternoon.

"As you may be aware, on Monday evening Sheila Oakes, a paralegal at our Ilkeston office and also Mayor of Heanor posted deeply offensive remarks relating to the Prime Minister’s current state of health on Facebook. These posts were made in a personal capacity, but it was clear from her Facebook biog that she was an employee of this firm, and as a result we became embroiled in understandable and legitimate criticism of what she had said.

We can confirm that as of now Ms Oakes is no longer employed by this firm in any capacity. We have no knowledge of what her intentions are in relation to her political career.

We have previously stressed that her views are not shared by the partners or any other members of staff. To wish illness upon anyone must be abhorrent to all right thinking members of the public. We are acutely aware of the distress that such posts can cause, both to the family and friends of the Prime Minister, but also to all of those affected by this terrible virus.

These are difficult times, and it is perhaps all the more important that people show restraint and most importantly think about what they say and post online before they do so. Our experience shows the hurt and upset that such posts can cause.

The partners are hopeful that we are now able to move on from this incident. Swift and decisive action was taken by the firm, even though at times we could be less than transparent with the steps that we were taking due to issues of confidentiality. We hope that people are in retrospect understanding of these issues.

Although the commentary on this issue has been mixed in tone, although united in condemnation of Ms Oakes’ actions, we have been heartened by a number of those who were able to distinguish her actions from those of this firm. It must have been clear that her actions had the potential to have a detrimental effect on the reputation of the firm and those working within in, and reduce the morale of those staff who continue on a daily basis to provide advice and representation to all those who need it, whether this is in police interview or at court.

As key workers, those staff members are unable to isolate themselves and will continue to attend where necessary at police stations and at courts despite the clear risk to their own health. For example, our solicitors are arguing with the police on a daily basis that there is no need to arrest or interview suspects to reduce our client’s risk of coming into contact with the virus. The partners would hope that their efforts continue to be applauded.

We are realistic and know that lawyers, particularly those who are engaged in criminal defence work, are perhaps not valued for the service that they provide to clients. We also know, however, that once a person has seen the effort that a defence solicitor puts in on their behalf to best present their case and secure a favourable outcome, they immediately see their value. This also, of course, includes our lawyers.

The partners hope that our actions have clearly demonstrated that we will never condone such sentiments or activity on social media or elsewhere and that the activities of an individual no longer employed by the firm will not reflect badly on the remaining staff".

Cllr Oakes remains an independent councillor on Amber Valley Borough Council, having had the party whip withdrawn from Labour on Tuesday.

CLLR OAKES SUSPENDED BY LAW FIRM

Cllr Sheila Oakes is facing disciplinary proceedings at work following her Facebook outburst in which she wrote that Boris Johnson 'deserves' to be in intensive care.  Cllr Oakes works for the Ilkeston branch of VHS Fletchers Solicitors as a legal advisor, but following yesterday's backlash the firm released a statement confirming that she had been suspended pending an investigation.

In addition to the statement, her profile page on the firm's website has been deleted.  This morning the firm released a second statement, saying that the result of their investigation would be published in the next few days.

Following her Facebook outburst Cllr Oakes' career in local politics is all but over.  Labour withdrew the party whip yesterday and will carry out its own investigation.  Cllr Oakes will continue to sit as an independent in the meantime and is unlikely to be re-elected.

THIS IS THE LEFT

If the current predicament facing our Prime Minister shows us one thing, it is our capacity for empathy.  Voices from across the political spectrum have expressed compassion.  While hard left politicians may have been slow to react on Sunday night - if at all - last night was different.  When news broke that the PM's condition had worsened there were messages of support from Jeremy Corbyn, John McDonnell, Mark Drakeford and even Momentum.  However, while such sentiment is welcome in these universally troubling times, you won't have to look far to find some disturbing and utterly vile comments in response to such messages.

We know from recent weeks that whenever coronavirus strikes down a member of the government, it is celebrated by a small but vocal minority on social media.  This blind hatred first emerged when health minister Nadine Dorries was diagnosed and has continued at every stage of Boris Johnson's coronavirus decline.  The fact that this wicked virus does not discriminate is apparently lost on these imbeciles.  Since the hate campaign against Dorries, there have been numerous deaths among Labour councillors around the country as a result of Covid-19.  Labour MP Tony Lloyd is currently in hospital suffering from coronavirus.  No-one here is calling for his death or glorifying the death of any left-wing politician.

Yet here is a small selection of the vile messages that have been posted on social media since Boris contracted coronavirus.

The hate from the left appears to be unrivalled, but sadly it is not limited to the fringes of the Labour Party.  One of those spewing their bile on social media last night was a Labour councillor and town mayor.  Beneath a Facebook asking people to say a 'little prayer' for the PM, Cllr Sheila Oakes posted the following comment.

Unlike so many of the faceless Labour activists on social media who can swiftly lock down or delete their accounts, Cllr Oakes had to personally own this.  She apologised earlier today, but in a BBC interview seemed oblivious to the nature of her remark and how it might be perceived: "I didn't think what I said would upset so many people.  It came across as not a nice thing to say.  I'm concerned about nurses and doctors who don't have protective equipment.  I said something when I was angry without thinking about the Prime Minister or his family".

Her half-hearted apology was too little, too late and her career in local politics now lies in tatters.  The party has withdrawn the whip from her and she has been publicly condemned by Labour's group leader on Amber Valley Borough Council.  If it wasn't for coronavirus Cllr Oakes would be up for re-election next month, but she can now cling on to her Amber Valley seat for another year, albeit as an independent.  Her future status as Mayor of Heanor is unclear.  To compound her disgrace, Cllr Oakes also has a long legal career and is currently employed by VHS Fletchers Solicitors in Ilkeston.

Cllr Sheila Oakes

Labour's Richard Burgon also came in for criticism over his response - or lack of it - to Boris Johnson's hospitalisation.  While most of his colleagues were sending their best wishes last night, the outgoing Shadow Justice Secretary proudly tweeted a list of his favourite policies from his time on the front bench.  Of course none of those policies will ever be realised, but it was his lack of empathy and inappropriate timing that led to criticism.  "Now is not the time" was how several Twitter users responded.  Burgon later hastily issued a message of support, by which time its meaning was empty.

One of the many responses to Richard Burgon on Monday night

Also completely devoid of support for the Prime Minister were Burgon's hard left colleagues Diane Abbott and Ian Lavery.  Abbott was active on Twitter last night, retweeting Burgon's self-indulgent list among others, but she did not once refer to the Prime Minister's ordeal.  Instead, Diane has been tweeting about how coronavirus adversely affects African-Americans in US neighbourhoods.  Yes, seriously.

When this is all over, and hopefully we have our Prime Minister back in good health, the left ought to take a long hard look in the mirror.

BEWARE FAKE POSTS

Scaremongering and false reporting in the mainstream media is bad enough, but to make matters worse there are plenty of viral social media posts going around which are clearly fake.  Take this one, claiming that these photos prove that the army is about to put London on 'lockdown'.

The morons behind this are tagging it with captions like: "This keeps getting taken down, lockdown is happening Friday".  The post keeps being removed because it is fake.  Here are some obvious pointers.

If you are sharing things like this you are not helping anyone.

TWITTER BANS LABOUR ACTIVIST

The Labour activist who tweeted his delight at finding out Nadine Dorries had contracted Covid-19 has been banned from Twitter.

The platform took action minutes after his disgusting tweet was shared by Piers Morgan.  Will the Labour Party follow suit?  Don't hold your breath!

Lord Mann, formerly the Labour MP for Bassetlaw in Nottinghamshire, was already aware of Matthews.  Earlier today the peer referred to previous comments made by Matthews about Meghan Markle, although he does not expand further.  Unfortunately we can't check this out as Matthews' Twitter account has been removed.

Certainly there's no love lost between the pair as Matthews dedicates a lengthy Facebook post to attacking Mann labelling him the "epitome of a parasite Labour MP".

LEFTIST TROLLS MOCK DORRIES

The news that health minister Nadine Dorries has tested positive for coronavirus received a mixed reception on Twitter.  While most rational people wished her a speedy recovery, others were depressingly less sympathetic.  Labour MPs were among those sending their kind regards, including Dave Lammy, Jon Ashworth, Angela Rayner, Chris Bryant, Jess Phillips, Wes Streeting and Rosena Allin-Khan.  However, some Labour followers and assorted remoaners reacted with vile jubilation.

Guy Matthews is a Labour activist from Nottinghamshire and appeared in a Labour promo video last year.

Joe claims to be a member of both Labour and Momentum, although following a previous Twitter controversy both deny he is a member.

Others used the news to wish the illness on the Prime Minister.

One wonders how many of these foul individuals were - only a few weeks ago - asking fellow Twitter users to #BeKind after the suicide of Caroline Flack?

Thankfully Nadine Dorries is upbeat about her condition and tweeted that she hopes she's got over the worst of it.  However, she is concerned for her 84-year-old mother who had been staying with her and who developed a cough yesterday.  Something to think about for those wishing the illness on people purely for their political alignment.  People who don't share your views are human beings too and, crucially, they move around the population.  How many of you will contract the illness, what about your own elderly relatives?  What about the Great Leader himself?  As a man in his seventies, Corbyn is in the danger zone.

Be careful what you wish for sickos.