SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Marchers in support of migrants on December 9, 2018 in London. The demonstration takes place three days before parliament is due to make the crucial vote on Theresa May's Brexit deal with the European Union. (Photo: Alex Cavendish/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Must-See Labour Ad Shows When Right Wing Blames Immigrants for Everything 'You Know They've Run Out of Ideas'
"Immigrants haven't been cutting public services," wrote one Tory critic in response. "Conservatives have."
Nov 14, 2019
The British Labour Party released an ad Thursday ahead of next month's general election ridiculing Conservative claims that immigrants--not austerity policies and corporate greed--are to blame for failing schools, long wait times for medical care, and a frayed social safety net.
The ad suggests that many working Britons find the Conservative Party's scapegoating of immigrants just as implausible and frustrating as do Labour politicians who are hoping to win control of government on December 12 after nearly a decade of budget cuts and anti-immigration rhetoric from pro-Brexit politicians.
The video shows community members confronting an elected official and demanding to know why their children's schools are understaffed, the government isn't funding public housing, and wait times at the National Health Service (NHS) are growing longer.
"Look, I know you're all angry. But there is one simple explanation. It's all his fault," the politician says, pointing to an immigrant, Ali, in the back row--drawing incredulous responses from Ali's neighbors.
Watch:
After assuring the dubious crowd that the government has no money to pour into hospitals, schools, and other public services "because we have to spend it all on Ali," the politician hands a bundle of cash to "the CEO of a major tech company that needed a tax break.
"But if you need money, couldn't you just stop giving it to him?" a man asks. "He clearly doesn't need it."
"I trust Ali more than him," a woman says.
The politician finally admits that he can't offer a reasonable explanation for the corporate tax breaks while 600,000 children have fallen into poverty and the number of households relying on food banks has nearly doubled--and resorts to openly scapegoating Ali.
"My hands are tied," he says. "I have to give wealthy corporations massive tax cuts because...of Ali."
"When politicians resort to blaming immigrants, you know they've run out of excuses," reads the text on screen.
Labour politicians and other Tory critics highlighted and praised the video on social media.
"This just about sums up the Tories and the hard-right--whenever something is wrong, let's blame immigration," tweeted Labour MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi. "It's not immigrants who have imposed austerity and decimated our public services."
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
The British Labour Party released an ad Thursday ahead of next month's general election ridiculing Conservative claims that immigrants--not austerity policies and corporate greed--are to blame for failing schools, long wait times for medical care, and a frayed social safety net.
The ad suggests that many working Britons find the Conservative Party's scapegoating of immigrants just as implausible and frustrating as do Labour politicians who are hoping to win control of government on December 12 after nearly a decade of budget cuts and anti-immigration rhetoric from pro-Brexit politicians.
The video shows community members confronting an elected official and demanding to know why their children's schools are understaffed, the government isn't funding public housing, and wait times at the National Health Service (NHS) are growing longer.
"Look, I know you're all angry. But there is one simple explanation. It's all his fault," the politician says, pointing to an immigrant, Ali, in the back row--drawing incredulous responses from Ali's neighbors.
Watch:
After assuring the dubious crowd that the government has no money to pour into hospitals, schools, and other public services "because we have to spend it all on Ali," the politician hands a bundle of cash to "the CEO of a major tech company that needed a tax break.
"But if you need money, couldn't you just stop giving it to him?" a man asks. "He clearly doesn't need it."
"I trust Ali more than him," a woman says.
The politician finally admits that he can't offer a reasonable explanation for the corporate tax breaks while 600,000 children have fallen into poverty and the number of households relying on food banks has nearly doubled--and resorts to openly scapegoating Ali.
"My hands are tied," he says. "I have to give wealthy corporations massive tax cuts because...of Ali."
"When politicians resort to blaming immigrants, you know they've run out of excuses," reads the text on screen.
Labour politicians and other Tory critics highlighted and praised the video on social media.
"This just about sums up the Tories and the hard-right--whenever something is wrong, let's blame immigration," tweeted Labour MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi. "It's not immigrants who have imposed austerity and decimated our public services."
The British Labour Party released an ad Thursday ahead of next month's general election ridiculing Conservative claims that immigrants--not austerity policies and corporate greed--are to blame for failing schools, long wait times for medical care, and a frayed social safety net.
The ad suggests that many working Britons find the Conservative Party's scapegoating of immigrants just as implausible and frustrating as do Labour politicians who are hoping to win control of government on December 12 after nearly a decade of budget cuts and anti-immigration rhetoric from pro-Brexit politicians.
The video shows community members confronting an elected official and demanding to know why their children's schools are understaffed, the government isn't funding public housing, and wait times at the National Health Service (NHS) are growing longer.
"Look, I know you're all angry. But there is one simple explanation. It's all his fault," the politician says, pointing to an immigrant, Ali, in the back row--drawing incredulous responses from Ali's neighbors.
Watch:
After assuring the dubious crowd that the government has no money to pour into hospitals, schools, and other public services "because we have to spend it all on Ali," the politician hands a bundle of cash to "the CEO of a major tech company that needed a tax break.
"But if you need money, couldn't you just stop giving it to him?" a man asks. "He clearly doesn't need it."
"I trust Ali more than him," a woman says.
The politician finally admits that he can't offer a reasonable explanation for the corporate tax breaks while 600,000 children have fallen into poverty and the number of households relying on food banks has nearly doubled--and resorts to openly scapegoating Ali.
"My hands are tied," he says. "I have to give wealthy corporations massive tax cuts because...of Ali."
"When politicians resort to blaming immigrants, you know they've run out of excuses," reads the text on screen.
Labour politicians and other Tory critics highlighted and praised the video on social media.
"This just about sums up the Tories and the hard-right--whenever something is wrong, let's blame immigration," tweeted Labour MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi. "It's not immigrants who have imposed austerity and decimated our public services."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.
To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.
News & Opinion
Trending
Common Dreams, Inc. Founded 1997. Registered 501(c3) Non-Profit
Privacy Policy