'Hague is a hypocrite', says Morning Star!

TODAY, in an editorial, the Morning Star described British the Foreign Secretary, Mr. William Hague, as a 'hypocrite'. Well that is a surprise! To describe a politician as a 'hypocrite' is a shattering revelation. Who'd have believed it?

The Morning Star was refering to Mr. Hague's 'condemnation of Vladimir Putin and, by extention, his justification of Britain's complicity in the coup in Kiev', which the Morning Star editor claims 'oozes hypocrisy'. The editor admits that the demonstrations against President Viktor Yanukovych decision not to sign an association agreement with the European Union began peacefully, but then 'degenerated into systematic attacks on police and occupations of public buildings'. The Morning Star then says: 'Had such events taken place in Whitehall rather than Independence Square, Hague's government would have mobilised state power to sweep away the rioters and stabilise the situation.'

No doubt the Metropolitan police may well have acted to clear Whitehall and even to retake some buildings. They may even have done a bit of 'kettling' and deprived the demonstrators of facilities for a few hours. But would they have employed snipers to shoot down and pick off the protesters? Would leaders of the protest have been kidnapped and beaten up and left with broken bones in the countryside to freeze to death?

No doubt the editor of the Morning Star will seek to argue that there is no proof that these things were done by the Ukrainian security services under the control of the former President Viktor Yanukovych  . These things are hard to prove in such situations, but calling the Foreign Secretary 'a hypocrite' does not even begin to describe a politician of any colour or persuasion. It is simply another example of lazy journalism.