Histories of the present: Jenrick’s great moving right show lurches further right
The media is bad at history, even very recent history. When Robert Jenrick resigned as a Minister in December 2023 spoke to Laura Kuenssberg on her Sunday morning slot and claimed that migrants don’t integrate into British society. He gave as an example the thousands who have marched and continue to march to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. Of course he has a point Jenrick’s Tory principles include war not peace, even if that is a minority view generally.
This week he has suggested that the Israeli flag be shown at points of entry to the UK. Usually senior Tories patriotism focuses on the UK but Jenrick’s allegiance is apparently to Tel Aviv
Following his resignation there were attempts to suggest that his lurch to the right is a recent thing. It isn’t.
When he was Communities Minister in 2021 Jenrick has announced in the Sunday Telegraph that he planned to make any changes to historic statues and monuments subject to planning laws.
In doing so Jenrick used Trumpian language. Anti-racist protesters were a ‘baying mob’ while democratically elected local councillors are a ‘cultural committee’ of town hall militants and woke worthies”. If we were to lower ourselves to Jenrick’s level what he was actually proposing was to override local democratic processes with decisions by a coterie of racist Tory Ministers.
Jenrick is part of a Tory Great Moving Right Show and it could end up moving very far right indeed based on present performance.
His revelation at the Tory Conference in Birmingham on 1st October that one of the middle names of his daughter is ‘Thatcher’ perhaps underlines that in future he might be someone to be found parading around in a smart uniform…
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