Read on Twitter
1. Reading this article again (sub-tweeting my thread with another thread, here... soz folks!) and my first overwhelming feeling was "How are the Left ever going to win against such a well-oiled populist machine prepared to throw any minority, anywhere, under the bus for power? https://twitter.com/0Calamity/status/1298175632938065921
2. Then I thought back to the 2017 GE. How did we make such huge strides, despite the Tories and their dirty tricks? We took the establishment by surprise. They weren't ready for us. How? One word: dialogue https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4044728/Theresa-wants-use-army-computerised-Trump-mind-readers-help-win-Election.html#ixzz5AEJMjzck
3. The etymology of "dialogue" is not, as many think, from "two" ie a discussion between two people. The ancient Greek meaning is "through words". (I won't go into an exposition of all the different types of dialogue recognised by social scientists here as it would take a book)
4. For the first time that I can remember, we had a political party that was seeking to have a meaningful conversation with the electorate, and listen to - and act upon - people's needs. For the first time we had a leader with the skills to be able to do that.
5. @mattzarb came in for a lot of stick and ridicule when he said this (thread here: https://twitter.com/mattzarb/status/1297166468208107521?s=20 ) but whatever your personal likes or dislikes he is right.
6. Corbyn could not have become leader if organisations like People's Assembly had not done years of groundwork, of dialogue within the community. Momentum rode the crest of that wave but changed the nature of the grassroots movement into top-down control rather than dialogue.
7. So when organisations like Red Labour say "Don't Leave! Organise!" this is what they mean. The only way to bypass the populist media machine is on a local, grassroots level. People mocked Corbyn for his rallies, but hundreds of thousands were inspired by them. Even in the rain
8. That spirit hasn't disappeared. It was important for the Right to choose the right moment to deploy their own icon - loveable, affable Boris, ooh he's such a charmer and such a card! - when the time was right. He's no leader, though. He's a figurehead to "Get Brexit Done".
9. Rumblings in the media today confirm my view that he was only ever put in place for that sole purpose. After 2 years of an establishment vilification process (see the article in 1.) they deployed a cartoon caracter politician to garner their majority. He's served his purpose.
10. What comes next? Well, we are headed for a cliff-edge Brexit, and if you think there is poverty and suffering in the UK already, you ain't seen nothing yet. The Tories will blame Covid for it. But the one weakness they have is short-termism.
11. Modern Toryism is all about instant gratification, for themselves and their pals. So they don't plan ahead. They will take the money and run, like they always do, leaving the mess for Labour to clear up in their wake. That inspiration of 2017 hasn't gone away, though.
12. Half-hearted attempts to demoralise the Left by constant attacks on Corbyn won't work. One think the British collective psyche has in spades is the spirit of the Blitz. When we are under attack, we galvanise into a strong resistance. We must organise. And we must resist.
