Speaking to STV News, former Greek Finance Minister and celebrity socialist Yanis Varoufakis let the cat out of the bag.
“Socialism is in retreat, as it deserves to be, because we socialists have messed up big time, for decades if not for a century at least.”
An honest socialist?
Those Tories uncomfortable with Nick Timothy’s more statist policy platform will be amused to see he is a disciple of Yanis Varoufakis. The book beardless Timothy is reading is the Greek firebrand’s “My Battle with Europe’s Deep Establishment”. Nick was one of the leading Brexiters in the government before he quit, no doubt he and Yanis have some shared experiences…
Left-wing firebrand Yanis Varoufakis on Eurosceptic Margaret Thatcher:
“I agree with her about a lot of things, I always enjoyed listening to her. The way she wiped the floor with the opposition was astonishing… Even though I spent my youth joining every demonstration against Mrs Thatcher’s government, and there were many, I always had a great appreciation of her.”
“I can announce to the House his latest economic adviser, one Mr Yanis Varoufakis. He was the Greek finance minister who left his economy in ruins. That is Labour’s policy in two words: Acropolis Now.”
Surely ‘Greek comedy‘ was the better gag…
On Saturday Channel 4 News economics editor Paul Mason, Guido’s favourite self-confessed Marxist, announced he is quitting and going freelance. He says he wants to be free from the shackles of broadcast impartiality regulations:
“everybody who knows me also knows the price you pay in terms of having to button your lip. Fifteen years is enough”
At last we’ll find out what he really thinks!
No sooner had he announced his departure when this press release popped up in Guido’s inbox:
EMBARGOED NEWS FROM LABOUR: Paul Mason joins John McDonnell’s ‘New Economics’ series
He’s joining his old mate Yanis Varoufakis (who is now advising Labour) on the Shadow Chancellor’s class consciousness lecture circuit, of course. Mason says he’ll work with any party who wants him:
“I am delighted to take part in the economic debate Labour – and indeed all political parties – need to have, in the face of the failure of free market economics.”
A Greek comedy…
Rock star former Greek finance minister and self confessed “unapologetic Marxist” Yanis Varoufakis used his slot on Question Time last night to compliment George Osborne for not actually implementing austerity.
“I don’t believe that we need an alternative to austerity because austerity is not an option. And indeed, I’m going to give a compliment to George Osborne and to the Tory government, it’s going to create some consternation I think in the Tory party. He hasn’t really practiced austerity, he’s talked about austerity, he did a little bit of it and then it didn’t work. He killed off this nascent recovery after 2009 with the little bit of austerity he did and he stopped, and indeed I can assure you that in discussions I have with good friends of mine in the Tory party, they have been very supportive to us here in Greece and to me personally in our struggle to end austerity in Greece.”
Varoufakis is right, Osborne jacked up welfare spending by £28 billion during his first four years on the job and is still overspending by £2 billion a week. In office Varoufakis, a socialist Greek finance minister, was more of a deficit hawk than the Conservative British Chancellor, Osborne’s austerity is only rhetorical, he is currently running a higher deficit than Greece…
