Fool me twice?

Written By: - Date published: 12:05 am, July 27th, 2019 - 29 comments
Categories: boris johnson, class war, crosby textor, Europe, making shit up, Propaganda, uk politics - Tags:

Boris Johnson’s ruthless purge of Cabinet and hard right shift looks like preparation for an early election.  Reminds me of 1984 at home, as a right wing coup is on the way. He lied his way to Brexit – will it work again?

He’s appointed his controversial Brexit campaign director Dominic Cummings as chief of staff and trialled some Facebook ads.

Johnson’s rejects the Irish backstop and promises to leave the EU by Halloween “No ifs or buts.” No deal is therefore most likely, and since it is not acceptable to Parliament he may choose to take the issue to the electorate before the reality of no deal bites too hard.

Some idea of the real policy agenda is found in Britannia Unchained, produced in 2012 by five new Conservative MPs, three of whom are now in Cabinet. Two of the four so-called great offices of state are held by its co-authors. Dominic Raab is Foreign Minister and Johnson’s effective deputy, and Priti Patel is Home Secretary.

Writing the New Statesman, George Eaton says;

For libertarians, the appeal of a no-deal Brexit, as threatened by Johnson, is precisely that it could create the conditions to impose policies unachievable in normal times (just as the 2008 financial crisis helped enable austerity). As Milton Friedman once remarked: “Only a crisis –  actual or perceived – produces real change. When that crisis occurs, the actions that are taken depend on the ideas that are lying around.”

That’s what happened to us in 1984. I can still recall my horror when I found the typewritten draft of Economic Management left by Simon Walker on the Labour Party office photocopier on the Monday after the 1984 election.

Expect Johnson to promise the earth as he did in the referendum, and the Conservatives managed by Cummings and Crosby to run a very nasty and very personal attack on Jeremy Corbyn.

The good news is that personal attack is no stranger to Corbyn. Johnson has already tried to argue that he is “for the many,” but a Cabinet that has 64% of its members who were privately educated gives the lie to that.

The proverb says “fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.” The fool’s role is to distract from what is really going on. Watch this space.

29 comments on “Fool me twice? ”

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  1. johnm 1
    27 July 2019 at 1:12 am

    Boris promises BREXIT, Corbyn threatens REMAIN

  2. Dennis Frank 2
    27 July 2019 at 6:55 am

    So seven years on, you think he still has a rule Britannia scenario in mind, eh? Wouldn't surprise me, but I hope he's learnt something about the short-comings of neoliberalism.

    "For these authors – all members of the party's right-leaning Free Enterprise Group – it is a binary world, where everything is forward or back, progress or decline, sink or swim, good or bad. They do not appear to see the world as a complex place. The choice is between regulation and dynamism… The demonisation of the welfare recipient continues apace; a broad dystopian worldview dominates the future. The bottom line for these Tory radicals is that the notion of community, society or indeed country is always trumped by textbook economic liberalism."

    A stale ideology, re-run, isn't what his situation requires. To succeed, he will have to adapt to the complexities reality provides. Realpolitik will thus be his test. Out-flanked on the right by Nigel, he has the choice of partisan competition or the forging of common ground. I will watch for his brain to kick in, make him realise the latter choice is the cleverest!

  3. Jenny - How to Get there? 3
    27 July 2019 at 7:30 am

    Airstrip One

    Britain once had an empire and didn't need Europe.

    Britain no longer has an empire.

    If Britain leaves the EU now, it can only be to become a junior partner of the US.

    What this means for world peace is not good, as the UK will be counted to uncritically support US wars, politically, financially and militarily.

    Just like the Iraq war the British people won't get a say.

    Their only chance to avoid this fate will be a change of government.

    https://literature.stackexchange.com/questions/71/why-is-the-uk-called-airstrip-one

    • Heather Grimwoood 3.1
      27 July 2019 at 10:27 am

      To Jenny at 3 : " If Britain leaves the EU now it can only be to become a junior partner of the US " My fear too Jenny….even a lackey.

      • Dukeofurl 3.1.1
        27 July 2019 at 1:34 pm

        EU will remain UKs major trading partner. I dont quite get your point, as there is nothing to join as far as US goes ( they will remain in Nato)

  4. Dennis Frank 4
    27 July 2019 at 7:33 am

    No deal is therefore most likely, and since it is not acceptable to Parliament he may choose to take the issue to the electorate before the reality of no deal bites too hard.

    Unlikely: "Boris Johnson has said he will "absolutely" not call a general election before the latest Brexit deadline of 31 October. Speaking during a visit in Birmingham, the prime minister said voters did not want another general election or a referendum. "What they want us to do is deliver on their mandate to come out of the EU," he added." https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-49125078

    So how the hell he expects to swing a parliament opposed to no deal around to acceptance is anyone's guess. Play the inevitability card I suppose. Knowing the Eurocrats have to refuse any compromise, go along with the negotiations charade while keeping the public informed of every EU refusal as it happens. Parliament will inevitably shift in accord with the emerging `fuck you' attitude of the Brits to the EU…

    • ianmac 4.1
      27 July 2019 at 9:16 am

      He can suspend the House, complete Brexit then call an election before the reality bites too hard on the people.

      • Dennis Frank 4.1.1
        27 July 2019 at 9:46 am

        Interesting option, Ian. Probably will see how the polls run over the next few months, to get a sense of his realistic options. If he can swing a deal with Nigel, he'll look more like a winner. Power-sharing. Nigel will need a prominent perch. So here's a scenario from a while back: Making Plans for Nigel. 40 years back, actually, I took a google and unfortunately it showed the lyrics of the song. Don't do it. Banality in the extreme…

      • Anne 4.1.2
        27 July 2019 at 9:51 am

        He can suspend the House, complete Brexit then call an election before the reality bites too hard on the people.

        And he will demonise his parliamentary opponents claiming their intransigence has forced him to agree to an early election even though he had promised there would not be one.

        It has been said he has no political ideals or principles but rather goes with the flow as he sees fit according to the mood of his gullible supporters at a given point in time. Now where have I heard something like that before? Of course, Donald Trump.

        Now, how is our government going to handle this? We know Jacinda is a glass half full type of person, but there is a limit beyond which no principled leader can go. And what about Winston Peters? He's a fan of Boris Johnson. Oh dear, some sparks are going to fly sooner or later.

      • Dukeofurl 4.1.3
        27 July 2019 at 1:28 pm

        2/3 of parliament has to vote FOR an early general election for it too happen. Its no longer something a PM can just do without wide support

        Losing a vote of No Confidence doesnt mean an election will happen, just a new government based on existing MPs !! That means Johnson again

  5. Dukeofurl 5
    27 July 2019 at 10:39 am

    Edward Lister is BoJos Downing St Chief of Staff, Cummings is merely a 'special advisor' ( the link doesnt even say he is COS)

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Lister

  6. mosa 6
    27 July 2019 at 12:04 pm

    So Boris has ruled out a general election before the October 31 deadline.

    They all lie for political expediency even Bo Jo and the U.K is not in a period of business as usual so every option is on the table including a general election if it suits his agenda.

    I remember May saying there would not be an early poll and then wallah.

    This crisis is the perfect opportunity for a hard right shift if he can pull it off and keep Corbyn and the socialist's out for the next five years by which time Corbyn will be gone.

  7. Wayne 7
    27 July 2019 at 2:19 pm

    I reckon an election this November, irrespective of the Brexit outcome.

    • Anne 7.1
      27 July 2019 at 3:45 pm

      My reckons before the end of this year yes.

      Glad my parents are no longer around to see what is happening to their beloved England.

    • OnceWasTim 7.2
      27 July 2019 at 3:50 pm

      Care to pontificate on what happens thereafter Wayne?

      Being an admirer of yours since the days of the leisure suit and your proven record of wisdom, I'm desperate to know when you might next appear on free-to-ear.

      In the meantime I'll get Mrs OwT to make me a nice cuppa and search the interweb (with the help of Senior Net) for when next you might appear.

      We really don't know how lucky we are aye!

    • Dukeofurl 7.3
      27 July 2019 at 3:52 pm

      After being fooled by the polls last time , I cant see there being 2/3 of 650 MPs voting for early election, that is 434 Mps

      Conservatives won 317 last election , they may have lost a few since then, so need another 117 votes.

      • Wayne 7.3.1
        27 July 2019 at 9:51 pm

        If Boris wants a November election he will get it. Virtually all of Labour will go for it, as will the SNP. How could they not? Presumably most Conservatives. So there is the necessary majority in the parliament for the early election.

        I reckon Boris will win. Basically he is a far superior campaigner than Jeremy. Just way more interesting. But after nearly ten years of Conservative led governments, maybe not. However ScoMo won against the odds.

  8. katipo 8
    27 July 2019 at 4:26 pm

    Interesting, seems like a few well off folks will do very nicely out of a 'no-deal' Brexit thank you very much.



  10. CHCoff 10
    27 July 2019 at 5:30 pm

    They were not very well organised to go MAGA when President Trump was in town, so that was a miss.

    Why they need an electon is really putting the parliament ahead of the people's vote yet again.

    There was the ref vote, then May to her credit gave the voters choice of Con or Lab Brexit, the hard Brexit party won, so far so good, but then it all got muddled as following the will of the people got lost in the process. Then the Euro elections and the hard Brexit party had the biggest relative win i think in the whole election. Then the Cons membership voted the face of the hard Brexit ref election as deal maker.

    So it seems clear in a sense that there are road blocks to the parliament following people's vote mandates; this should not be surprising as from what i gathered, the ref. was the first one they have had of the type. Excutive orders are used in the US system.

    A parliament proroguing might not be a bad way of clearing out the cobwebs for a post Brexit future in of itself.

  11. peterlepaysan 11
    27 July 2019 at 11:20 pm

    Bojo is liar.

    He does not know what is going to happen before Oct 31.

    He does not know what is going to happen after Oct 31.

    There is very, very large train wreck imminent.

    • Incognito 12.1
      28 July 2019 at 1:44 pm

      Could you please briefly explain why I’d spend almost 25 min of my life watching this? There are zillions of articles and videos on BoJo so why this one?

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