That politicians live in sealed bubbles totally out of touch with the real world was proved this week to be true by the foolish actions of TDC Labour councillor Kristian Notso-Bright.
Cllr Notso-Bright, who is also the Chairperson of the Thanet East constituency Labour Party and the Trainee Mayor of Broadstairs demonstrated his bubble dwelling lack of affinity with the everyday folks of Thanet by failing to see the funny side of my satirical April Fool’s day article about Council Leader Rick Everitt and wannabe Labour MP for the new Thanet East constituency, “Parachute” Polly Billington.
Whilst others read my article with much merriment and amusement and whilst even my harshest critics raised a wry smile, not so councillor Notso-Bright. He glumy described my article as being “damaging”, I presume to the Labour Party, and he petulantly demanded that the administrator of a Broadstairs Facebook page delete what most people recognized as a funny satirical April Fool’s day joke.
Notso-Bright has clearly visited an expensive private hospital to have a sense of humour by-pass operation, which all aspiring Labour politicians are forced to undergo these days.
Whilst there its likely he also had his spine removed, his principles prolapsed, and brain lobotomized, thus removing any subversive non-Starmerite thoughts or ideas he might have had about justice freedom and equality.
But seriously think on this - Cllr Notso-Bright who, by Thanet standards, is a very senior Labour politician appeared to be speaking on behalf of his party when he described my joke article as “damaging” to his Party and when he demanded its deletion from public view.
In International, European, and UK law it has long been established that there is a right to freedom expression. This right includes the use of parody, satire and general piss taking through speech, the written word, music, imagery etc.
It also includes the right to cause offence, shock and disgust – but not the encouragement of violence and harassment, or hatred against those with protected characteristics.
These rights are given additional legal protection if they relate to politics and political debate and even more protection when the legal envelope protecting free speech is pushed to its limits on occasions such as April Fool’s Day.
Yet despite this considerable legal protection councillor Notso-Bright attacks my right to Freedom of Expression by demanding that my perfectly lawful post be removed from a public Facebook page because it “ damages” the Labour Party.
I had no idea that taking the piss out of the Labour Party and its prominent Thanet members, Rick Everitt and Polly Billington, was now against the law. Or was it the case that on reading my April Fools Day article Notso-Bright’s delusional totalitarian vision for the future overcame him like a thrilling wank bank fantasy he couldnt suppress.
I did email him to find out, but like the good democrat he is, he declined to reply . In fact not only did he fail to answer the questions I asked him about his comments on my post, but like a coward he sneakily removed them from Facebook.
Sadly Notso-Bright isn’t the only despotic anti-democratic councillor in Thanet. TDC councillor and Herne Bay and Sandwich Labour parliamentary candidate Helen “Concrete Fields” Whithead is also trying her best to prevent the public from disagreeing with, or criticising , the actions of elected MPs and councilors.
Make no mistake those bubble living, out of touch politicos, desperately want to cut their last remaining link with their voting fodder – the fundamental democratic link of public accountability and transparency -and rule Thanet like PoundShopPutins without challenge or scrutiny.
My April Fools Article - read it and weep with laughter. Ban it and be miserable like Cllr Notso-Bright