Reasons to be cheerful
Image: Suzanne Christiansen
Most international observers watched with horror and amusement last week while Boris Johnson bullied, blathered and then resigned – but decided he would be caretaker in the meantime. A bit like having the proverbial fox guarding the hen coop, imho. We here in the UK will be treated to a plethora of PR and ads while they find a new Prime Minister among the detritus of the Conservative party here.
At last count, there were 11 people thinking they could have a slot at Number 10. This new person hopefully will be ready for the new Parliament in the autumn, and Johnson can go retire to his rounds of lectures and whatever else he might get up to. I wish obscurity on him because it is his greatest fear. He goes down in the history books already, as the PM with the greatest number of ministers resigning before he decided to leave, as well as one of the most ungracious leaving speeches ever presented here in the UK.
Meanwhile, Labour and the Liberal Democrats demand a general election, which would probably be the most sensible thing. Of course, the Conservatives don’t want any part of that, as it would mean they would probably lose a lot of seats in Parliament and no doubt the ability for any of them to be Prime Minister for years. They want to cling onto their hold until the next general election is required (2024 or 2025, I think).
However, it hopefully does mean that there will be a less disorganised, scandal-ridden government in the near future, and someone who leaders of the world can have a sensible conversation with. Pick a good one, Conservative Party.
I would say it’s past the time, as while the Conservatives are doing their usual backstabbing and internal politics, the UK is having crises on many fronts. Brexit has caused many issues with trade, paperwork and the EU (and not one of the candidates mentions it, mainly because it is such a mess), we have global warming (where I think Johnson was busy throwing out any commitments he had to carbon neutrality recently), and farmers here are dealing with the disappearance of CAP subsidies and trying to fathom whether the government will replace those funds. The people who provide us with food are going to the wall, and that’s not where you want them. Again, a Brexit issue that nobody wants to talk about. I won’t even mention the Horizon and science problem.
It is a mess, but sometimes you have to have a mess before you can clear it up. The next PM should bring a mop and a bucket. We still have a functioning economy for now and the removal of Johnson will be like the removal of Trump in the US – a relief.
So, reasons to be cheerful – every day we see Johnson at Number 10 is now a day closer to his departure. And my local café has invested in a set of new stencils for its cappuccinos. See the photo.
- Suzanne Christiansen, editor, Dairy Industries International.
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