It seems the season of goodwill is over for Labour. Momentum, the pro-Jeremy Corbyn campaign group, have been accused of playing on xenophobic stereotypes and acting like Ukip by the Labour MP Stella Creasy over a video they shared on social media on Tuesday.
The video, made by the TSSA Union, was designed as a protest against the annual 2.3 per cent rise in rail fares which have left some paying 43 per cent more for season tickets than they did seven years ago. But it appears to have backfired — with debate raging on Twitter as to whether the short film plays upon anti-EU sentiment.
As your rail fares rise again, here’s a special message from our friends on the continent…#RailFail #RailRipOff pic.twitter.com/tiiuoVRIdh
— Momentum (@PeoplesMomentum) January 3, 2017
Walthamstow MP Stella Creasy was outspoken in her criticism of the video tweeting: “I want to mutualise our railways not because I demonise other Europeans @PeoplesMomentum but because I think we’ll ALL get a better deal…”.
She continued:
Xenophobic stereotypes. check. promoting brexit. check. Must be …wait, what is it now @PeoplesMomentum if you can’t beat UKIP join them?? https://t.co/Bp9vfBAzUB
— stellacreasy (@stellacreasy) January 3, 2017
In the video, Europeans from France, Germany and the Netherlands discuss the hike in UK rail fares, and point out that their countries can make money from our privatised railways.
EU citizens are filmed saying: “So when you buy a ticket…the profits go to make our railways cheaper. In 2012, we got £3 million just from Greater Anglia.
“Not only that, the British taxpayers pay our franchises massive subsidies, without which we could never make a profit. So even if you catch a train, you’re still sending us money!”
One scene features two Germans football fans watching England lose a match to their nation and saying “thank you” to the British people.
The video ends by asking if the public want to “take back control” of their railways and end the “great rail rip off”. The first part of which, sounds to the mole, rather similar to the Leave campaign’s famous Brexit slogan.
A Momentum spokesperson told the Telegraph: “The video is a tongue in cheek comment on the absurdity of Britain’s privatised railways.
The mole agrees that it is certainly absurd, but is unsure why this aspect of the problem was highlighted instead of focusing the attack firmly on the Tories for continuing with privatisation.
The hashtag #RailFail, used to promote the video, seems rather appropriate.
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