The Labour Party campaigning wing Momentum released a video yesterday to coincide with Jeremy Corbyns visit to Scotland, calling for Scotrail to be renationalised. The idea of renationalisation of the rail system has broad support with many people now won over to the idea because of concerns about profits being taken out of the system into private hands, which could be reinvested in the system itself.
So having convinced the public that the railways should be state owned all that is left to do really is to either pressure the respective governments of Scotland and England/Wales to nationalise the railways or wait until there is a Labour government which could be anywhere from 6 months to 5 years away. This could be done by highlighting safety and performance issues which are directly related to underfunding. With good links to unions like ASLEF and TSSA and a cordial relationship with the RMT that would not be difficult. So what do they do? They follow in the footsteps of the TSSA union who earlier this year issued a video which focussed on the fact that not only were profits from the rail industry going into private hands, but worse than that, they were going into FOREIGN private hands!
Having watched the behaviour of UKIP and the right wing who have railed against all things foreign, both Momentum and the RMT dropped into the gutter of xenophobia with their attacks on the Dutch the French and the Germans; riding on the back of Brexit they insinuate that these people are stealing hard earned money from the British taxpayer. ‘Look at these foreigners, taking your money. We need to take back control and stop them’ they imply.
In the 1930’s the Nazi regime operated precisely the same tactics to unite their people and stir up hatred against the Jew’s, who they ‘othered’ as a group and blamed for wealth being taken from decent, ordinary, hardworking German families. Momentums message of today would not look out of place on the propaganda of yesterday and it has to be called out as what it is: a cheap xenophobic attempt to gain working and middle class votes.
For many Europeans living and working in the UK, now is a terrible time of uncertainty as to their futures. With the UK government “accidentally” sending out deportation letters and both of the main Westminster parties being less than friendly to them, European citizens both here and abroad must be looking at our government, our political movements and our print media and seeing an overtly hostile picture. If Jeremy Corbyn does not speak out against this type of behaviour in his own movement then he sends out the message that the othering of foreigners is acceptable. Will he speak out against Momentum? It’s highly unlikely, and if so British politics just got a whole lot dirtier.
An Independent Scotsman 