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Want to make progress? Know thy barons
SOLOMON HUGHES on tricks of rhetoric that serve to confuse our political narrative

WHO are the barons ? Here we are, in the 21st century, and the answer to that 11th-century sounding question will decide whether we go on with stagnating pay, homelessness and fractured, fragmented public services or start to divert money from the rich back to the rest of society. To make that change, we need to know who the barons are.

Chancellor Philip Hammond raised the baron question in his Tory conference speech. Hammond simultaneously apologised to super-rich Tory financial backers for not winning the election, and attacked trade unions.

Hammond said: “I want to thank our financial supporters as well. We need your support more than ever as the union barons mobilise their power behind Corbyn.

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