David Cameron Pressured As Twitter Users Say #CameronMustGo

Pressure is mounting on British Prime Minister David Cameron, as a public and political backlash against him plays out amid the stark backdrop of a Twitter hashtag, titled #CameronMustGo. The current maelstrom seemed to gather momentum when, on Friday (November 21), Mark Reckless won a by-election for Rochester and Strood.

Mr. Reckless – formerly the Conservative MP for Rochester and Strood – defected from David Cameron’s party in September, joining the UK Independence Party (UKIP). Winning back his former constituency for his new party, Mr. Reckless has delivered the second House Of Commons seat for UKIP since the party celebrated victory in last month’s Clacton by-election. That win was for Douglas Carswell – another Conservative defector.

That political defeat was followed, at the weekend, by the appearance of the Twitter hashtag #CameronMustGo. The Guardian reports that over 180,000 tweets were sent associated with the tag during the course of the weekend, with notable figures from the worlds of U.K politics, journalism and entertainment joining in alongside demonstrably unhappy citizens. As a collection, it eventually began to include accusations, GIFs, and memes systematically picking apart the record of David Cameron’s coalition government. The laundry list of grievances, which continues to grow on the micro-blogging site, includes the government’s tax policies, changes to the benefits system, the treatment of workers in the public sector, and actions perceived as attacks on the National Health Service.

A cursory glance through the popular trending topic presents striking evidence of the public perception of the Prime Minister and his Cabinet. The majority of tweets contain images or implications of Cameron and his colleagues seeming to “laugh” at the misfortune of British citizens, who cite the Coalition government’s approach to employment, education, health, and the welfare state as a causative factor in the ongoing economic and social strife that currently grips the country.

While the Twitter-storm gathered, November 24 brought with it new political woes for Prime Minister Cameron, as the membership of 11 unions – collectively thousands of health workers – walked out of their jobs for a four-hour strike. This action was organized in response to government refusal to agree to a recommended 1 percent pay increase for NHS staff – whose wages have been frozen for the past four years. Those participating have also committed to “work to rule” for the rest of week.

The Twitter hashtag continues to feature prominently in the social media site’s top-ten trending topics worldwide for the fourth consecutive day, despite claims by some that it represents the views of a vocal minority. It has also spawned an online petition aimed at harnessing public opinion and transforming it into something tangible and actionable. David Cameron, meanwhile, found himself deflecting blows from another Conservative MP (and former Cabinet Minister), Owen Patterson – as the one time Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs invoked the lengthy shadow of the U.K’s membership of the European Union.

Speaking to the Business for Britain pressure group, Mr. Patterson declared his belief that the U.K should withdraw from the E.U in political terms, while retaining a free trade agreement.

“Our universities, scientific research, medicine, arts, music, literature and sports lead the world. Why do we doubt our ability to represent ourselves on the world stage?”

The significance of the issue of E.U membership is growing as the United Kingdom nears its next General Election – due to take place in 2015. The subject is expected to play a large part in debates and campaigning, as David Cameron previously promised that a Conservative government would hold a referendum on E.U membership in 2017.

[Image via Google]