The fact that an extremist anti-EU streak exists in the Conservative party shouldn't surprise anyone... but those that hold those views tend to at least try to keep their heads down.
In a tweet that wouldn't have looked out of place on the feed of a kipper, Tory MEP David Bannerman took his chance this morning to call for supporters of the EU to be tried with treason.
In a now deleted tweet (we'll come back to that), Bannerman claimed "It is about time we brought the Treason Act (1372) up to date and made it apply to those seeking to destroy or undermine the British state. That means extreme jihadis. It also means those undermining the U.K through extreme EU loyalty".
Just a Tory MEP wanting to prosecute people with different views on the EU for exercising their freedom of speech. pic.twitter.com/CsfVNIDf7D
— Steve Peers (@StevePeers) July 25, 2018
Wow...
The Jouker would argue that the supression of opposing views such as Bannerman is calling for would constitute a much greater "undermining" of so-called British values (if you think Britain has much value left) and by extension, the state itself.
But that's just us.
Bannerman, perhaps indulging in a moment of self-awareness, deleted the tweet shortly after and re-posted it with a slight tweak to the wording.
He added the caveat that treason should only apply to supporters of the EU "in future".
David. We have some news for you:
THAT. ISN'T. ANY. BETTER.
It doesn't take much to imagine that, under Bannerman's definition of "treason", campaigners for Scottish independence would soon find themselves against the wall too.
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