This is a priceless takedown of Jacob Rees-Mogg’s historical schtick and very satisfying indeed
It’s a familiar tactic used by Jacob Rees-Mogg and others to appear more in command of the facts than perhaps he might be and here he is doing it again in the Telegraph.
Quote of the day in the @Telegraph from @Jacob_Rees_Mogg pic.twitter.com/cmAMegxvan
— Christopher Hope (@christopherhope) October 8, 2018
‘Handel did not need the free movement of people to come to England and compose the Messiah.’
It’s usually more effective with a bit of Latin thrown in for good measure, Jacob, but iterum felicius, eh?
Except, well, this time it rather unravelled and it’s very satisfying indeed, thanks to Newsnight’s policy editor, Chris Cook.
Ehem: https://t.co/P2ShZkPwFc https://t.co/qve3x95iGY
— Chris Cook (@xtophercook) October 8, 2018
And this is what it says.
An Act for naturalizing Louis Sekeyhaye, George Frederick Handel, and others, later given the short title of Handel’s Naturalisation Act 1727, was a 1727 Act of the Parliament of Great Britain with the intent of naturalising and granting British citizenship to German-born composer George Frideric Handel and other foreign citizens.
In other words …
He didn’t need free movement, but he did need a literal Act of Parliament to regularise his status and permit him to teach.
— Chris Cook (@xtophercook) October 8, 2018
Brilliant find. I am intrigued as to whether you just happened to know about the Handel Act, were tipped off by someone who knows it, or if you researched it on the off-chance that JRM was wrong.
— John Louth (@CJLouth) October 8, 2018
I spent too long at university, and vaguely remembered he was the beneficiary of a private bill, but couldn’t remember why…
— Chris Cook (@xtophercook) October 8, 2018
Confirming my growing suspicion that Jacob Rees Mogg is actually really thick. An extremely expensively educated twit with a good selection of classical references, but not a single original thought in his head.
— Stuart Laverick. That's MISTER Remoaner to you. (@cheese4mice) October 8, 2018
This is strange, because Jacob Rees-Mogg is exactly the sort of man you’d expect to role his eyes and say ‘actually it’s Messiah, not THE Messiah’
— Jack Head (@JackHead95) October 8, 2018
as in "It's not THE Messiah, and Jacob's a very naughty boy"?
— billse10 (@billse10) October 8, 2018
This really is priceless, and unintentionally revealing about state of Brexit discourse https://t.co/CYmQzmil7S
— Peter Geoghegan (@PeterKGeoghegan) October 8, 2018
