Exposing Theresa May
Earlier today, Andrea Leadsom, MP for South Northamptonshire since 2010, pulled out of the Conservative Party leadership race, leaving Theresa May, MP for Maidenhead since 1997, to run unopposed meaning she has effectively been confirmed as Britain's next Prime Minister.
Despite the fact that Andrea's views on many matters in addition to her Eurosceptic stance lean her closer to UKIP than the Conservatives (in fact former UKIP leader Nigel Farage endorsed her for Conservative leader) mean that there are many people who prefer Theresa May to Andrea Leadsom, Theresa's record in Parliament and as Home Secretary shows she is no better:
-In the 13 years she represented Maidenhead as an opposition MP (i.e. 1997 to 2010) rather than as a government MP (2010 to present), she voted for the illegal invasion of Iraq, against banning fox hunting, against an investigation into the Iraq war, and against bans on smoking in public places. It is for those reasons that the Liberal Democrats tried to use their unsuccessful 'decapitation' strategy in Maidenhead (and other constituencies with prominent Conservative MPs, especially Michael Howard in Folkestone & Hythe) at the 2005 general election.
-Since 2010, she consistently voted for raising tuition fees even when she had voted against them in opposition, for welfare cuts to our society's most vulnerable people, for Royal Mail privatisation, for restricting legal aid even where it is actually needed, and for everything else supported by the parliamentary Conservative Party no matter how unethical or immoral the proposed law is.
-Her record as Home Secretary since she took up this office in 2010, almost immediately after David Cameron took office, is in my opinion the worst I have ever seen. She has called for Britain to withdraw from the European Court of Human Rights and repeal the very important Human Rights Act, has been responsible for pushing through intrusive mass surveillance laws, has advocated 'anti-extremism' laws which could potentially catch out almost anyone opposed to government policies or the Establishment in general, and has resolutely supported other restrictive and unfair laws like the 'Gagging Law' which make lobbying by trade unions and charities very difficult whilst giving corporations a free rein in that respect.
Despite being on the 'Remain' side of the EU referendum, it appears she only has respect for the pro-corporate, pro-business parts of the European Union and not the environmental and trade protections within it, or its support of human rights (at least compared with that of the Conservative Party).
Given that she will officially become Prime Minister this Wednesday, and that she has confirmed she will not call an early general election, those of us who are progressive and who campaign for a better future for us all and an end to the neoliberal consensus must do all we can to thwart the plans of the Conservative Party, campaign to protect our hard-won human rights, environmental protections, rights at work and other things that have helped Britain become a better society, campaign for a society that respects refugees, asylum seekers and other immigrants, and to campaign for the fair and sustainable future we and our descendants need.
Alan.
Despite the fact that Andrea's views on many matters in addition to her Eurosceptic stance lean her closer to UKIP than the Conservatives (in fact former UKIP leader Nigel Farage endorsed her for Conservative leader) mean that there are many people who prefer Theresa May to Andrea Leadsom, Theresa's record in Parliament and as Home Secretary shows she is no better:
-In the 13 years she represented Maidenhead as an opposition MP (i.e. 1997 to 2010) rather than as a government MP (2010 to present), she voted for the illegal invasion of Iraq, against banning fox hunting, against an investigation into the Iraq war, and against bans on smoking in public places. It is for those reasons that the Liberal Democrats tried to use their unsuccessful 'decapitation' strategy in Maidenhead (and other constituencies with prominent Conservative MPs, especially Michael Howard in Folkestone & Hythe) at the 2005 general election.
-Since 2010, she consistently voted for raising tuition fees even when she had voted against them in opposition, for welfare cuts to our society's most vulnerable people, for Royal Mail privatisation, for restricting legal aid even where it is actually needed, and for everything else supported by the parliamentary Conservative Party no matter how unethical or immoral the proposed law is.
-Her record as Home Secretary since she took up this office in 2010, almost immediately after David Cameron took office, is in my opinion the worst I have ever seen. She has called for Britain to withdraw from the European Court of Human Rights and repeal the very important Human Rights Act, has been responsible for pushing through intrusive mass surveillance laws, has advocated 'anti-extremism' laws which could potentially catch out almost anyone opposed to government policies or the Establishment in general, and has resolutely supported other restrictive and unfair laws like the 'Gagging Law' which make lobbying by trade unions and charities very difficult whilst giving corporations a free rein in that respect.
Despite being on the 'Remain' side of the EU referendum, it appears she only has respect for the pro-corporate, pro-business parts of the European Union and not the environmental and trade protections within it, or its support of human rights (at least compared with that of the Conservative Party).
Given that she will officially become Prime Minister this Wednesday, and that she has confirmed she will not call an early general election, those of us who are progressive and who campaign for a better future for us all and an end to the neoliberal consensus must do all we can to thwart the plans of the Conservative Party, campaign to protect our hard-won human rights, environmental protections, rights at work and other things that have helped Britain become a better society, campaign for a society that respects refugees, asylum seekers and other immigrants, and to campaign for the fair and sustainable future we and our descendants need.
Alan.
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