Child star of Labour conference and the truth behind his 'life of poverty', he went to private school, what does he know of poor?

Dear All

At the recent Labour Party conference, up popped a 16 year old lad called Rory Weal.

He was quickly feted as the ‘hero’ of the Labour conference for an impassioned speech telling how the welfare state saved his family from ruin.

One slight problem emerged.

As the schoolboy played to the crowd with a tale of his home being repossessed and the family having ‘nothing, no money, no savings’, and how it was only the benefits system the family had to to fall back on.

It turns out he is the privileged son of a millionaire property developer who sent Rory to a private school.

And even now he goes he goes to a selective grammar school.

The ‘poor’ Weal family owned homes worth an estimated £2.25million in some of the most sought-after addresses in the land.

Jonathan Weal, Rory’s dad previously lived in a luxury penthouse apartment in leafy Blackheath, South London, valued at £1.3million.

Another hovel owned by the family was a £950,000 Grade II listed lodge house in Chislehurst, Kent.

And regards to schooling, Rory went to 13,788-a-year Colfe’s School in Blackheath.

Hardly Oliver Twist is he?

It seems the narrative of a poor kid rising up through the ranks is sheer nonsense.

So, we got treated to a ‘William Hague moment’.

Getting on his designer soapbox, Rory attacking the ‘vicious and Right-wing’ Government of Cameron and Clegg as he constructed the image of his destitute family!

He told Labour delegates:

“Two and a half years ago, the home I had lived in since birth was repossessed. We had nothing, no money, no savings”.

Adding:

“I owe my entire well-being and that of my family to the welfare state. That is why I joined the Labour Party, but that very same welfare state is being ruthlessly ripped apart by a vicious and Right-wing Tory-led government. I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for that system, that safety net. So I take this opportunity to plead with the Government to reconsider their measures.”

However, he did have 13 and a half years of luxury few poor people will ever realise except in their dreams.
Rory, who later declared he would ‘not rule out’ becoming Prime Minister one day.

He also said:

“I ask David Cameron, what does he think I should do when I can’t afford to get to school in the morning?”

Walk like the poor do.

“What does he think I should do when I can’t buy the materials I need for school?”

Get a part time job.

Unfortunately Rory’s own grandmother was less kind as she described the budding politician as an accomplished actor.

At her home in Stockbridge, Hampshire, Sandra Weal said:

“He used to do a lot of acting and I think that’s why he was so confident in front of an audience. We only found out about the speech on Monday and it’s really the first time we’ve heard about his interest in politics. We were surprised because we thought he wanted to go in to something like acting. But he’ll make a fantastic politician - he’s not pompous, he’s just a very genuine person.”

Fuck off!

Yesterday the Labour Party was keeping a tight rein on its ‘new star’. Rory was placed under the protection of two Labour minders who were fending off the media and ensuring he did not stray ‘off message’.

But the message is clear, how to stand for elected office, claim you are poor, that you have suffer hardship and come from a rough area, never having the advantages in life.

Then go home to your £300,000 semi-detached house after conning the public.

I would put money the little shit is one of the 90 minutes activists who only come out at election times.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University