'Nothing has Changed' | 'Change is Coming'

The 12^th May (2018) was National Limerick Day. A few days late I’ve written a political limerick compilation/thread (with the odd bit of poetic license). 

‘Nothing has changed, nothing has changed.’

A snap general election in June (2017),

To shut down descent and maroon (anyone who dares to have a different view).

The manifesto divides,

[A couple of examples of manifesto backtracking:

‘The Conservatives are in meltdown after Theresa May is forced to make another embarrassing U-turn’ 

https://www.thecanary.co/uk/2017/05/24/conservatives-meltdown-after-may-embarrassing-uturn/ 

‘'Dementia tax': What is the Conservative policy and why is it so controversial?’ https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/dementia-tax-conservatives-pensions-policy-what-is-it-why-controversy-tory-election-manifesto-2017-a7749121.html ]

The Prime Minister hides,

[Just one link here -  ‘Theresa May Accused Of Dodging 'Any Form Of Public Scrutiny' After Keeping Journalists At A Distance’ https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/theresa-may-journalists-cornwall_uk_59086eece4b05c3976825a43  - there were more times]

But; ‘nothing has changed’ is the tune.

[Watch this: https://uk.video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=mcafee&p=you+tube+May+nothing+has+changed#id=1&vid=95bde230b02ce7b509e0d7625190951d&action=click ]

***

Moving on to the spring of this year,

Still fit for nothing but jeer.

Abandoning anything good, 

[@AngelaRayner: The ‘Do nothing’ PM dodges 181 election vows. Theresa May is "the do nothing Prime Minister” Stop procrastinating, we don’t need a review into student finance, we need to scrap fees and restore grants now!

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/396aa7ac-352a-11e8-8e3a-d639f3c4b43e ]

They don’t debate, just sling mud.  

[Lots of evidence here, including:

‘Theresa May gets personal in attack on Jeremy Corbyn as election polls narrow:  Tories try to contrast the PM and the Labour leader, who she claims would go ‘alone and naked’ into Brexit negotiations’

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/may/30/corbyn-would-go-alone-and-naked-into-brexit-talks-says-theresa-may

‘At PMQs today, Theresa May chose to insult doctors and nurses on the 69^th anniversary of the NHS’ https://www.independent.co.uk/Voices/pmqs-today-what-happened-jeremy-corbyn-theresa-may-nhs-doctors-nurses-69th-insult-a7824841.html

‘Sajid Javid threatened with legal action after calling Momentum ‘neo-fascist’ - https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/sajid-javid-momentum-neo-facist-labour-party-antisemitisim-jewish-a8280601.html

‘Theresa May 'Misled Parliament' In Trying To Blame Labour For Windrush Fiasco’ - https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/theresa-may-falsely-tried-to-blame-labour-for-the-windrush-fiasco-to-deflect-jeremy-corbyns-questions_uk_5ad74773e4b0e4d0715c25b1 ]

So, ‘nothing has changed’. This is clear. 

***

Brexit, Grenfell, Windrush and more,

With promises crushed to the floor.

[For example:
11 Brexit promises the government quietly dropped
Leaving aside the £350m for the NHS, Brexit has promised quick and easy trade deals with the EU and the rest of the world, an end to ECJ jurisdiction and free movement, and British control of North Sea fishing. None of this has come to pass. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-interactive/2018/mar/28/11-brexit-promises-leavers-quietly-dropped
84 Men, Millicent, Mary, Jesus and a ‘Monument to Tory Britain’ | #VoteLabour3dMay http://arwenackcerebrals.blogspot.ca/2018/04/84-men-millicent-mary-jesus-and.html
Why Tory Promises to Windrush Children Aren’t Enough 

http://www.jostevens.co.uk/why_tory_promises_to_windrush_children_aren_t_enough ]

Quick to strike and to arm,

They condemn calls for calm,

[@YouGov: With an attack on Syria looking imminent, YouGov reveals only 22% of Brits would support missile attacks on the Syrian military - almost twice as many (43%) are opposed ]

Again, ‘nothing has changed’, that’s for sure.

***

Royal babies and weddings prompt (inter)national fest (I’m in Canada at the moment and the anticipation amongst some is palpable),

Despite those deprived of the place where they rest.

[Royal wedding: Homeless near Windsor Castle have sleeping bags taken away by police before Meghan Markle and Harry’s big day’ https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/rough-sleepers-belongings-cleared-across-12543170 ]

More tax for the poor,

Those offshore ignore,

[A piece of ‘fiction’ seems relevant here:  The People Who Live In Trees -https://www.abctales.com/story/gletherby/people-who-live-trees ]

‘Nothing has changed’; you can see it's no jest.

***

Yet, much of the media re-frames or denies,

Smearing the alternative and all this implies.

[A personal view here:

Grieving for the BBC (and the mainstream media more generally) | #VoteLabourMay3rd

http://arwenackcerebrals.blogspot.ca/2018/04/grieving-for-bbc-and-mainstream-media.html ]

Giving the ‘elite’ (!) a free pass,

Leads to challenge en masse.

Oh, ‘nothing has changed’, the commentariat cries.

***

@evolvepolitics: These Daily Mail headlines just one month apart show precisely what’s wrong with the Mainstream Media (the first heading relates to Windrush)

But still there are many together who rise up in hope,

Across all walks of life we challenge the trope.

We’re not ‘out of touch’,

Nor ‘too thick’ to know much.

Change is possible. Change is needed. Change is coming (sorry ran out of rhymes at the end).

https://join.labour.org.uk/