Morrissey at Kings Theatre
Morrissey at Kings Theatre in 2017 (more by P Squared)

Morrissey pens response to Manchester attack, decries Theresa May & The Queen

Morrissey at Kings Theatre
photo by P Squared

The world is still coming to grips with the tragedy of what happened at Manchester Arena last night — the suicide bombing that killed 22 people and injured 50+ more outside an Ariana Grande concert. Among those with opinions on what happened is Morrissey, who lives in Los Angeles these days, but was raised in Manchester and was actually back in his former hometown yesterday for his birthday (he turned 58). Today he shared a  virulent response via his official Facebook, where he blasted current British Prime Minister Theresa May, The Queen and London Mayor Sadiq Khan:

Celebrating my birthday in Manchester as news of the Manchester Arena bomb broke. The anger is monumental.

For what reason will this ever stop?

Theresa May says such attacks “will not break us”, but her own life is lived in a bullet-proof bubble, and she evidently does not need to identify any young people today in Manchester morgues. Also, “will not break us” means that the tragedy will not break her, or her policies on immigration. The young people of Manchester are already broken – thanks all the same, Theresa. Sadiq Khan says “London is united with Manchester”, but he does not condemn Islamic State – who have claimed responsibility for the bomb. The Queen receives absurd praise for her ‘strong words’ against the attack, yet she does not cancel today’s garden party at Buckingham Palace – for which no criticism is allowed in the Britain of free press. Manchester mayor Andy Burnham says the attack is the work of an “extremist”. An extreme what? An extreme rabbit?

In modern Britain everyone seems petrified to officially say what we all say in private. Politicians tell us they are unafraid, but they are never the victims. How easy to be unafraid when one is protected from the line of fire. The people have no such protections.

Morrissey
23 May 2017.

Morrissey’s conservative views on immigration have put him under criticism as far back as his first solo album and its controversial song “Bengali in Platforms.” (He was also pro-Brexit.) Morrissey’s former Smiths songwriting partner Johnny Marr, meanwhile, simply wrote “Manchester stands together.”