Rod Liddle Rod Liddle

We want one thing from our royals: patriotism

There is a fascinating social media group which I think we should all join. It is called ‘DeMOCKracy — 2019 12/12 UK Election Was Undemocratic’. I hadn’t realised, but apparently the election was ‘rigged by Tory billionaires’ to ensure Jeremy Corbyn was defeated. This was done with the aid of fraudulent postal votes, Tory lies, a media which was unanimous in rooting for the Tories — including the BBC and the Guardian! — and will lead, ineluctably, to fascism and the gassing of millions.

Where is the evidence for this chicanery? One woman on there, called Lisa, who had campaigned with the appalling Laura Pidcock in Durham North West, contributed the following by way of explanation: ‘The new Tory MP Richard Holden (former special adviser to Chris Grayling… not from the area, and cleared of a sexual assault charge) rarely gets 200 likes on a tweet or Facebook post, yet Laura gets thousands within minutes…’,  so how come Pidcock lost? And below her post the comments read ‘Fix’ and ‘It stinks!’

Lisa’s bewilderment is probably shared by many who apportion rather too much weight to the fury and virtue-signalling of social media, and especially Twitter. The only people who go on Twitter are journos self-publicising and the relentlessly outraged, relentlessly active, largely middle-class lefties, many of whom paid three quid in 2015 and took over the Labour party.

‘Relax Bigfoot, I’m here to get a photo of Meghan.’

These people think Twitter is a window on the world, whereas it is really a powerful microscope directed solely at their own flatus. Most people avoid social media as they would a rabid bat, and go on it only to say ‘What time are we meeting for a drink, Bob?’ or ‘Here’s a kitten reciting Sophocles.’ Most people are doing stuff like working, or maybe having a nice time in the real world.

Already a subscriber? Log in

Keep reading with a free trial

Subscribe and get your first month of online and app access for free. After that it’s just £1 a week.

There’s no commitment, you can cancel any time.

Or

Unlock more articles

REGISTER

Comments

Don't miss out

Join the conversation with other Spectator readers. Subscribe to leave a comment.

Already a subscriber? Log in