A TOP POLITICIAN has been branded “infantile” for jabbing at ‘social justice warriors’ on social media.
Buckinghamshire Council leader, Martin Tett, was told to concentrate on “other things” when he commented on a response to a tweet by actor Laurence Fox who celebrated getting wartime singer Dame Vera Lynn trending online.
Cllr Tett tweeted “The woke must be in tears” in response to a tweet by Annunziata Rees-Mogg, who joined Mr Fox in rejoicing the singer’s ascendance to “12 best sellers in songs” on Amazon.
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Ms Rees-Mogg is the sister of Jacob Rees-Mogg and former Member of the European Parliament for the East Midlands region.
Mr Fox’s online campaign appeared to be an indirect response to the BBC’s announcement the lyrics to Rule, Britannia! and Land Of Hope And Glory would be dropped from the Last Night Of The Proms.
However, new BBC boss Tim Davie could reverse the decision, according to the Daily Express.
In response to Cllr Tett’s jab at the “woke” on August 27, several Twitter users criticised him and one urged him to focus on other matters like halting HS2 and the impact of coronavirus in Buckinghamshire.
“Haven’t you got other things to think about? Like stopping HS2 or dealing with the double whammy of Covid 19 and a no deal Brexit which will affect the people of Bucks and the UK,” wrote @CeriJane.
“So infantile. If ‘woke’ is awareness of social and racial injustice, I’m happy to wear that badge and not at all upset by Vera Lynn’s patriotic songs,” wrote another.
“Can you define ’woke’ please?” wrote @dm3pol. “Can you describe the appropriateness of the use of the term for the people of Bucks? I’d like to think everyone can have an opinion in the county rather than described as ‘woke’.”
It is not clear Cllr Tett’s tweet was directed specifically at people in Buckinghamshire.
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Labour councillor and Buckingham Town Council member, Jon Harvey, also weighed in on Cllr Tett by posting a screenshot of the dictionary definition of the mainly US political term “woke”, beneath #proudtobewoke and #notintears.
Cllr Harvey also replied to Ms Rees-Mogg, saying: “Is this evidence of the ‘un-woke’ trying to learn the words?”
Mr Fox’s initial August 26 tweet received around 1,500 retweets and used #GetinVeraLynn and #WeAreGreatBritain. Adding: “Come on, it’s gone too far! (It totally hasn’t).
Cllr Tett has been approached for comment.
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