Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg at the launch of the Popular Conservatives, (top marks for Liz Truss’s sense of irony by the way ) criticised “Davos man”. In much the same way that Theresa May once attacked ‘citizens of nowhere’.
But despite their attacks I am none the wiser as to who they mean and what they intend to do about it. The only “Davos Man” who I can think of that might fall under the gun sights of JRM, is that academic who turned up one year and told the assembled millionaires the truth, that if they stopped wittering on and actually paid their taxes all the things they were wringing their hankies over would be solved. I don’t think he was asked back.
Flying by private jet to an elite conference of mostly male millionaires is not the kind of thing that woke cosmopolitan elites do. It is what right wing, nasty, selfish, self important, arrogant, and wealthy men do. The ones who think that they are better than the rest of us.
Quite a few of them are probably members of the Tory party, or donate to right wing think tanks, or own right wing newspapers or pay for access to political leaders around the world, to further their own interests.
I somehow doubt that many of them pay their taxes happily, fund immigration charities, donate to food banks or worry that their private jets are contributing to climate change.
Even if the right wing of the Tory party’s real target is those people who move around the world working as ex pats, I have news for them, most ex pats are pretty conservative. If they mean the people who used to retire to Spain or France, well you try buying The Guardian on the Costa Brava.
I cannot think of a time when the Tory party had so many multi millionaires in its top ranks. Ones who have made their money working abroad or for international firms or by betting against their country. Ones who can move to pretty much any country they want, who support those who make their money in the UK and are suddenly desperate to pay for the defence of Monaco.
Who else are they talking about, who are these Davos men who have so outraged the Tory faithful and what have they done to upset the party’s leadership?
Seriously, does anyone know?
Economics, trade and Brexit, not necessarily in that order but the dog always comes first.
By Jonty Bloom Media
Jacob Rees Mogg teaches us that in an information world where pure drivel has the same or better exposure than informed comment, free speech is always safe for the powerful.