Political Euphemisms (in Quotes) 4

His rivals… were understandably annoyed by his willingness to treat journalism as a creative art, in which in order to convey larger truths, and catch his readers’ attention, he did not scruple to embroider his material. (Translation: Boris made up the EU straight banana.)

We're not going to introduce ID cards. We're going to introduce cards of identification. (David Davis)

Funny the way parties always assume the problem was "we failed to communicate", rather than "people disliked our ideas". (@JonnElledge)

Health and safety = trying to make sure people don't die
Political correctness = trying to be kind
(Sathnam Sanghera)

It would be helpful if broadcasters were willing to be a bit patriotic. (Andrea Leadsom to Emily Maitlis after being questioned on Brexit)  
Where 'patriotism' somehow means *not* asking pertinent, evidence-based questions about the national interest. (@mrjamesob James O'Brien)

PM spokesman says she "expressed her disappointment" about the Paris Agreement in a phone call with Donald Trump this evening.
This is still pretty weak, even allowing for British understatement ('I'm not angry, I'm disappointed' = 'you bumbling fool'). (@chrislintott)

"Stop virtue signalling" means "Stop making me feel bad about being an asshole by going around not being an asshole". (@MitchBenn)

'I am not political'; 'They are all as bad as each other'; 'All politicians lie'; there are many ways of saying, "Secretly, I vote Tory". (Matt McG‏ @glaikit_f )

Examples of modern jargon...
Deep State = the rule of law
I am troubled. = I will do nothing.
Fake news =  I dislike this.
(@SamWangPhD)

When Republicans and Tories say "choice", they mean "choice between commercial options". (RK)

Language of the contemporary internet-left:
"Listening" to someone means agreeing with them 
"Silencing" someone means disagreeing with them
(Jen Isaacson‏ @isacsohn)

Iain Duncan Smith hits out at "self-appointed court" that "tried to tell Parliament how to run its business". (@politicshome)
"Self-appointed" being the new way of saying "established by the Constitutional Reform Act 2005". (@alexmassie)

Funny how "hard-working British families" become the scum of the earth when they strike for decent pay, conditions, safety of their service. (@scarlettstuff)

Interesting how any way to protest that is effective is called "not the right way" to protest. (cheddar truckle ‏@emmetbroaders)

Certain mountainous districts in the north, inhabited by small savage tribes, had until recently escaped the clutches of the British, but it is more and more likely that they will meet the same fate as the rest of the country, thanks to the process euphemistically known as ‘peaceful penetration’, which means, in plain English, ‘peaceful annexation’. (George Orwell in an article on Burma)

More here, and links to the rest.