Why it’s not Libellous to Call Tories Corrupt Now
When you train to be a journalist you have to rapidly learn a lot of law. You need to be able to cover everything from court cases to corporate wrongdoing to political proceedings without getting yourself and your publication sued for libel — or convicted of contempt of court and thrown in jail.
I did my postgraduate journalism programme in the pre-Trump days and just before the Tories slithered into power — initially in coalition with the Lib Dems. Back then there was an expectation that politicians would at least pretend to have integrity.
In those simpler times, when the law was the law and facts were valued, a young reporter calling a ‘top politician’ a liar — let alone a racist, a rapist, an inciter of societal conflict or corrupt — would have been in hot water.
Now I can confidently use words like liar, corrupt, crooked and even refer to sexual offences in relation to a troubling number of Tories (not to mention Donald Trump) and there’s nothing they can do about it. That’s because the best defence against a defamation accusation is that you are stating the truth.
For this article I’ll stick to the problem of corruption — which in itself could fill a book.
Examples of Tory corruption
It’s worth going back to 2009, the year before the Tories came to power, and recall the expenses scandal. It was revealed that several Tory MPs had been claiming fraudulent expenses, ranging from moat cleaning to duck houses.
Even in opposition, Tories were using taxpayer money to fund their lavish and ludicrous lifestyles — while ordinary people were struggling to make ends meet. It was a blatant display of entitlement and corruption.
I don’t recall much contrition at the time — just indignation at being caught. People in any real industry would have been sacked and jailed. But you can’t even sack an MP as they are not employees, despite their substantial salaries. They operate more like some weird amalgamation of business franchises and feudalistic feifdoms.
In 2021 the Tory Party’s Cash for Access scandal was revealed. This involved rich, powerful and often very shady people gaining access to Tory politicians for money.
Wealthy ‘donors’ buying themselves privileged access and influence from the party could be described as an auction for political favours, with the highest bidder getting a front-row seat to the corruption.
This links to the ongoing bizarre nature of Tory Party funding. The Conservative Party has a long history of cozying up to big business and accepting dodgy donations. Whether it’s hedge fund managers, property developers, or shady Russian ‘businessmen’, the Tories have shown a remarkable talent for turning a blind eye to the questionable sources of their funding.
The funding model presents a clear conflict of interest, which undermines the integrity of the political system and democracy itself. But without those shady donors, the Tory Party could be as financially bankrupt as it is morally and ideologically bankrupt.
Cronyism during the pandemic is a polite way to put it! There is more to come out and some (though not enough) proceedings are active — but another c-word is appropriate. In fact, a few c-words are!
Right from the start, the Tories saw the Covid-19 pandemic as a money making opportunity and a way of undermining the NHS, by letting scurrilous and often completely inept ‘businessess’ into a feeding frenzy. This ultimately robbed the country of vast sums of money and left hospitals and care homes with shoddy equipment.
From awarding lucrative contracts to chums, without proper competition, to appointing ideological allies to key advisory roles, the Tories used the crisis as a chance to line pockets and reward their cronies. It was a disgusting display of nepotism.
And by writing off billions of PPE fraud and other Covid crookery, Rishi Sunak has tried to slam the door on proper investigations. In what other area of life would those implicated be allowed to cull investigations?
Above are just a few examples of the Tory Party’s corruption over the past 15 years. There are numerous more instances of sleaze, backroom deals and shady behaviour. It’s a never-ending cycle of self-serving scankery that erodes trust in our democratic institutions.
So, congratulations to the Tories for their impressive dedication to corruption! It’s truly a masterclass in how to screw over the very people you’re supposed to represent — and grab all you can when you have the chance.
I strongly urge readers to Register to Vote and USE YOUR VOTE! The fewer Tories remain in their seats, the longer the party will be out of power.
