Miriam Cates/National Conservatives conference

Even the bastion of impartiality the BBC!!!

TRA’s gonna TRA I guess.

Do you know why someone so focussed on children and families didn't vote to ban smoking yesterday?

I'm a supporter of Miriam Cates.
So perhaps this is directed at me?

I hugely admire her integrity and her commitment to positions which get you labelled as 'far right' but which in fact have grounding in truth and reality.

She is particularly focused on families and children and takes positions that I think are true but most people won't say because of the backlash you get for saying it.
Sound familiar?

Anyone or anything described as far right these days immediately gets a pass over from me.
It usually means: saying things the left liberal consensus have decided you can no longer say.

And look where that's got us.

Interestingly some of those who were speaking in Brussels have suggested that peaceful protests in London and other cities should be banned. Curious how they are affronted when their freedom to rabble rouse is limited, but dislike it when other people express their opinions.

I couldn't agree more.

Statement by the Prime Minister. What happened at the Claridge today is unacceptable. Municipal autonomy is a cornerstone of our democracy but can never overrule the Belgian constitution guaranteeing the freedom of speech and peaceful assembly since 1830. Banning political meetings is unconstitutional.Full stop.— Alexander De Croo 🇧🇪🇪🇺 (@alexanderdecroo) April 16, 2024. You should be ashamed Adam.

I'm.coming to the conclusion that the real dividing line in current politics is how you handle dissent.

Right and left don't mean so much any more, they are broad categories about attitudes towards economics and towards social issues.
You can be leftist on one and rightish on the other but the real divide is whether you think the other side is merely wrong, but means well and can be reasoned with, or whether you think the other side is wilfully evil and must be destroyed.

The totalitarian intolerant impulse, whether sugar or salt flavoured, is incredibly dangerous.

https://twitter.com/shellenberger/status/1780265580072939988?t=V9zAZfbr8GYKHU7aiuScIg&s=19

Is this the rabble you identify with?

https://medyanews.net/the-european-politicians-in-bed-with-turkeys-far-right-islamist-paramilitaries/
The "Belgian" politician boasting of having banned #NatConBrussels2 has ties to the "Turkish far-right" and is an Armenian Genocide denier. Emir Kir was expelled from the Belgian Socialists because of his connections to the "far-right, ultranationalist" MHP Grey Wolves. #Brussels

This is what Far right looks like. I'm pretty alarmed at your confected outrage over anyone who doesn't follow your political position. It's really pathetic that you get exercised about people you don't like having a voice rather than the real issue of the totalitarian attack on free speech.

Even the BBC! I'll have to take to my fainting couch

I am pro-choice. I am also in favour of gay marriage. I still think people have every right to be against those things and to say they are against them. When gay marriage was legalised in the UK there were debates in parliaments where both sides could speak freely and debate openly and in the end the bill was passed. That's how democracy is supposed to be done.

What would happen if a faction opposed to abortion got into power and decided that saying life didn't begin at conception was hateful/against human life. Any weapons built can be turned against you.

By 'the Europeans' you presumably mean the far left Socialist Mayor who previously hosted a radical Islamist Mayor Alireza Zakini involved in serious human rights violations in Iran.

I have absolutely zero respect for this infantile name calling. Far right is now as meaningless as Terf.

I thought Keir Starmer would be interested too but he also had no vote registered

Jonathan Ashworth, "I'm a champion of free speech.. But I am surprised that Suella Braverman is a speaker there because some of the speakers have unsavoury views

Not really a champion of free speech then.

Its a good point that there weren't many delegates, perhaps they are best just ignored?

Comforting to know that there's a puffed up mayor elsewhere besides London.

Seriously though I was shocked that this right of free speech was stomped on so thoroughly. There looked to be more police than delegates. It's chilling.

How odd, I had been led to believe she was interested in helping people.

She had no vote recorded!

I just read about the conference being closed down and was shocked actually. One of the reasons given was that the police thought it would cause violence. Other venues had already turned them down after bomb threats. So basically, if I say something and a man threatens to punch me for it/kill me the Belgium police should swoop in and stop me saying any more. To prevent violence.

Incidentally the owner of the (Turkish wedding) venue where the conference took place said that he is opposed to the politics of the organisation but absolutely determined to enforce their right to say it. Maybe if more people were like that guy the world would be a better place.