By Pete Adams
Silly Billy
Was Billy silly?
Billy felt silly. He believed he was a socialist and a committed anti-racist and was now being called an anti-Semite because the Labour Party said so – he felt so silly.
Billy felt silly because he thought Corbyn was the hope he and the country needed, but he was wrong, because the Labour Party said so – he felt so silly.
Billy felt silly because he joined the Labour Party to support the party of the people, but he was wrong, because the Labour Party supported the establishment – he felt so silly.
Billy felt silly because for 2 elections he campaigned hard with so many people, old and especially an energised youth, it felt right to do so, but he was wrong, because the Labour Party hierarchy didn’t want a socialist leader – he felt so silly.
Billy felt silly because he challenged the Labour Party about some of their MPs as members of Friends of Israel. To Billy, the Israeli government were committing terrible crimes against the Palestinian people, but he was wrong, because the Labour Party said so – he felt so silly for caring about an oppressed people.
Billy felt silly because he said the report on the sabotaging of the 2 elections of 2017 and 2019 by Labour Party officials should be published, but he was wrong because the Labour Party said they would and then didn’t, so – he felt silly.
Billy felt silly because he could not understand how a new leader, so clearly not a socialist and evidently involved in trying to bring down Mr Corbyn in the “chicken coup” in parliament, could overwhelmingly be voted new leader and, Billy said so, but he was wrong, because the Labour Party said he was, and – he felt silly.
Billy felt silly because he could not understand how a new leader of the Labour Party could support Tory polices in parliament, or abstain, when he should be opposing with all the energy he could muster, and he said so, but he was wrong because the Labour Party said he was, and – he felt silly.
Billy felt silly because he could not understand how a new leader of the Labour Party could have no policies that he could get behind and campaign for, and he said so, but he was wrong, because the Labour Party said he was and that the leader was playing the long game – so he felt silly.
Billy felt silly because he could not understand how a new leader of the Labour Party could stand by and not challenge the Tories, and he said so, but he was wrong because the Labour Party said he was and that he should shut up to follow his betters – Billy felt silly.
Billy felt silly because he was upset that all the pledges the new leader of the Labour Party made in his leadership election campaign were soon dumped, and he said so, but he was wrong, because the Labour Party said so and that freedom of speech was no longer allowed – Billy felt silly.
Billy felt silly for thinking he could stay in the Labour Party and fight for socialist principles, but he was wrong, because the Labour Party said so – he felt so silly.
Billy felt silly because he thought he had lifelong comrades in the Labour Party who shared his belief in socialism, but he was wrong, because the Labour Party said so, and now, most of his comrades are outside the party – he felt silly as he waited for others to be expelled.
Billy felt silly when he found out that some of his Labour comrades, with whom he thought he shared the struggle, were quislings – oh how he felt silly.
Billy felt silly because he had campaigned so hard to get his Labour MP elected and that MP said nothing at the way he had been treated, because the Labour Party establishment controlled him, and – Billy felt silly.
Billy felt silly and defeated, because the Labour Party said he was, but they were wrong because Billy was filled with righteous anger, and – the Labour Party will eventually feel silly.
Billy felt silly because his passions had been trampled by establishment toadying fifth columnists, because the Labour Party said so, but his fire had only been banked and he waited for his time – Labour thought Billy was silly.
Billy, willy-nilly, his fires stoked, did gyre and, as he circled, so he gimbled to hole the fake ship of the cotton candy pinkie-blue party to sink beneath the all-consuming sea of self-interest as the people rose up out of the waves – Billy was not silly, but one of many lions wakened from slumber.
Lions united, proud and strong, long memories not clouding a vision – Billy would no longer feel or be silly – he had children and grandchildren to spiritually and physically provide for…
Real… yes.
Silly… No
Billy knew that the yoke of religion had been thrown off. Why not throw off the serfdom of the establishment and, sooner the better.
No longer the ligature of the 1%, even in the Labour Party.
Be gone rule by fear.
Billy was silly, once, but never again.
I am Billy. No, I am Billy… No, I am Billy… No, I am.
See Pete, a local author with a growing international reputation talking about his books and the road to being published, live at Portsmouth Bookfest.
10th March 2022 7pm
Portsmouth Central Library
Free tickets but must be booked here.
Cover picture courtesy of Pete Adams.
