The first National Rejoin March will take place in London this Saturday, 10 September. It has the support of dozens of UK-based, pro-European groups who will travel from across the country to attend. But what motivates those coming from further afield? I spoke to some fellow British immigrants living in Spain and asked them why they were making the effort, at considerable personal expense, to attend an event that lasts just a few hours.

Attending the National Rejoin March: Sheila

Sheila and her husband live in Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands and are retired. Her husband has health and mobility issues, yet, at considerable expense and disruption, will take the four-hour flight to London, arriving after midnight the night before the march and flying back the day after.

They have been living in Spain since 1993 and are well settled and legalised, with Brexit not causing any specific problems for them personally. So why make an effort at all?

Sheila spends time on forums helping people in crisis because of Brexit. Whether it be denied residency, advice on health, driving, families separated due to different immigration statuses or a friendly, supportive ear. She sees the stress and difficulties Brexit has wrought on many people’s lives. People have had to leave and sell their homes. Lives shattered.

Sheila’s son has lived in France for 15 years. She fears they may need his support as she and her husband get older. Brexit makes that extremely difficult. UK nationals have rights in their host country but lost their freedom of movement and must adhere to the 90/180-day rule in the rest of the Schengen zone.

Sheila, like many UK nationals residing in the EU, did not have a vote in the Brexit referendum due to the 15-year limit. She wants to voice her opinion. “Brexit has caused so much damage to so many people.”

Attending the National Rejoin March: Hilary and Stewart

Hilary and her husband Stewart will be flying in from Valencia. They are both passionate pro-Europeans and have attended protests previously.

Hilary told me:

Attending the National Rejoin March: Vanessa

I came across Vanessa a couple of weeks ago as she reached out for help on a Facebook group. She has an elderly mother in Spain who has sadly had a stroke and needs care. Brexit has made it impossible for Vanessa to stay and take care of her mother. Her tenaciousness and attitude are admirable. She has tried every avenue to get help and her story heard, including contacting many Spanish authorities, the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, Sky News, the BBC and LBC radio, and is still looking for solutions.

Vanessa must leave Spain on 8 September and leave her mother for three months before returning, or she will be deemed illegally overstaying. I couldn’t practically help Vanessa, but I was able to tell her story, which you can read here in full.

Attending the National Rejoin March: David Eldridge

David continues: “To those that say it’s too early to campaign to rejoin the EU (we’ve been dubbed ‘extremists’ in one tabloid). I know the UK isn’t going to rejoin soon, and rejoining will be a long process involving profound changes to British society and the political system. But we can start on that path immediately after the next election if the political will is there and embark on a step-by-step process. Erasmus, Horizon, an amended treaty encouraging UK-EU trade rather than inhibiting it, eventually leading to rejoining the single market and customs union, the restoration of reciprocal free movement rights until the time is right to take the next logical step and become full EU members again.”

Attending the National Rejoin March: Sue Wilson MBE

Sue is chair of the citizens’ rights group Bremain in Spain and one of the guest speakers at the event. Before Brexit, Sue was not interested in politics but was devastated by the referendum result. She was the main plaintiff in a case that took Theresa May to court over the legality of the Brexit referendum. The government accepted the referendum broke electoral law and that had the result been legally binding, it would have been overturned. However, even though it was treated as binding by the government, it was, in fact, merely advisory; therefore, the court ruled that the result should stand.

Let down by our government

What I note most strongly when speaking to UK migrants in Spain is the sense of feeling let down. Let down by a government that didn’t tell them or the country the truth about what Brexit would mean. Saddened that so many UK nationals don’t fully understand the far-reaching consequences of Brexit, what the loss of freedom of movement truly means and the difficulties it brings. After all, it was only the British that lost this right.

The Brexit referendum was six years ago and no one born this century voted for Brexit. Evidence abounds that Brexit is damaging the fabric of Britain, its investment potential, growth and the UK’s world standing. Almost half of all businesses have ceased trading with Europe due to costs and red tape.

While the Conservatives, Brexit-supporting media, and even the Labour Party may want to avoid the B word altogether, many say it is time for an open and honest conversation about the damage of Brexit and how it is exacerbating all the UK’s issues. And how the most simple solution to so many problems would be to rejoin the single market at the very minimum.

These people are no longer Remainers. They are Rejoiners, and they are not going away.

On Saturday 10 September, the National Rejoin March takes to the streets of London. It will be the first time since before the pandemic that pro Europeans will rally to the cause of rejoining the EU. The march will include many well-known speakers from the political world and from pro-EU campaign groups, all wanting to make the case for a reversal of Brexit and a return to common sense. But is now the right time?

Time to put our efforts into campaigning for these guys. MAKE IT BIG! https://t.co/mpok99jZwc#EnoughIsEnough #RejoinEU pic.twitter.com/Ch5CjxKVpW

— National Rejoin March Sat 10th (@PoIitics4You) August 12, 2022

Time for a serious debate?

Lord Alan Sugar recently raised the issue of rejoining the EU on Twitter. Lord Sugar had earlier tweeted that Boris Johnson and Michael Gove – “the biggest liars in 2016” – should both go to jail for misleading the British public during the referendum. He followed this up with the question “what would it take for us to reverse Brexit and re join (sic) the EU”, and asked for a “serious debate” on the subject.

<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>This might sound a stupid if not naive question but what would it take for us to reverse Brexit and re join the EU. Serious debate please. <a href=”https://t.co/T4l30EDpfo”>https://t.co/T4l30EDpfo</a></p>&mdash; Lord Sugar (@Lord_Sugar) <a href=”https://twitter.com/Lord_Sugar/status/1564157036975333376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>August 29, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>

Whist that debate may be starting to happen on social media, there is no evidence, as yet, that it is happening in political circles, though it certainly ought to be.

Will the EU have us back?

There seem to be two main arguments against any serious debate on rejoining the EU, or even the single market and customs union.

Firstly, the EU won’t want us back. We’re a bunch of trouble-makers, any lost business can easily be made up elsewhere and we can’t be relied upon not to change our minds again at some future juncture.

What struck me during my UK trip:

There seemed to be strong doubt whether “the EU would take us back if we wanted to rejoin”.

So let me say this:

You still have millions and millions of friends in the EU.

No matter what happens, we will always leave a light on.

🇪🇺❤️🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/neN0jDb1PY

— Terry Reintke (@TerryReintke) July 3, 2022

Terry Reintke, German MEP, and one of the speakers at next weeks’ rally, begs to differ. On a recent trip to the UK, she was struck by the UK’s doubt that “the EU would take us back if we wanted to rejoin”. She responded by stating we have “millions and millions of friends in the EU” and that “no matter what happens, we will always leave a light on.”

This is a view that is supported by former Brexit negotiator, Guy Verhofstadt, who has retweeted the details of the forthcoming rally with the following comment:

Mike Galsworthy, founder of Scientists for EU, and Campaigns Strategy Manager at the European Movement UK, also tweeted recently that the EU’s attitude should not be a matter of concern. He said he has been reassured by trusted contacts in the EU that “there would be a real supportive appetite on the other side”, and even some room for flexibility.

Now is not the time

The other pervasive argument against rejoining the EU is to do with the timing. It’s too soon, they say. We must wait a decade, or even a generation, before the country is ready to even think about Brexit again.

That argument may have held some weight in the early days of Brexit, but it’s now over 6 years since the referendum, and Brexit still hasn’t been fully implemented. All the earlier government talk of not mentioning Brexit, then the realism that Brexit still wasn’t “done”, makes the waiting even more pointless. Are we supposed to wait for Brexit to be fully implemented before we can even start a sensible, serious discussion on Brexit damage, and how to rescue the country from the Brextremists?

Brexit is reversible.
It can be reversed in 5-6 years.
It is defeatist (& unfounded) to talk of 'decades' & 'generations' – that's what the Brexiters want, in hopes of entrenching divergence from our friends & kin in the rest of Europe.
Fight to get back our rightful place!

— A C Grayling #FBPE 3.5% #Reform #Rejoin #FBPA 🐟 (@acgrayling) August 23, 2022

Sorry, but no. How can it be too soon for debate? How can it be too soon to attempt to prevent further damage, or to start to fix the many problems that Brexit has, and is, causing?

As Professor A.C Grayling says, to talk of delay is “defeatist”, and plays into the Brexiters hands. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. “Brexit is reversible”, says Grayling, and rejoining can be achieved in 5-6 years, which means we are over halfway there already. Now that’s a timescale I can get on board with!

What would it take to rejoin the EU?

In answer to Lord Sugar’s question, Galsworthy responded with a list of four requirements for rejoining and an offer of drawing up a business plan:

A stable, substantial, popular majority for Rejoin.
A competent campaign to keep it in the spotlight.
Both Labour and Tories with high Rejoin numbers.
A willing EU.

It would take the following:

1) Stable, substantial, popular majority for Rejoin (stable majority already exists – needs to be bigger)

2) Competent campaign to keep it in spotlight (@euromove & @MarchForRejoin)

3) Both Labour & Tories w/ high Rejoin MP numbers.

4) Willing EU

— Mike Galsworthy (@mikegalsworthy) August 29, 2022

Galsworthy added that the requirement that is not given enough consideration was point number 3). Not only was it important to prevent “the UK dancing the hokey-cokey down the decades (in out in out)”, as different parties took power, but also to rebuild the one nation, pro-EU, pro-single market, Conservative base.

The best catalyst for the rebuilding of the Conservative party would be a dramatic loss for the party at the next General Election, and the new government dispensing with the unfair and undemocratic first-past-the-post voting system. Considering the latest voter intention polls show a 14% lead for Labour over the Conservatives, and the public are increasingly dissatisfied with Brexit, then anything starts to look possible.

Westminster voting intention [ft. new pollster]:

LAB: 40%
CON: 26%
LDEM: 11%
GRN: 6%
REF: 5%

via @PeoplePolling, 22 Aug

Britain Predicts:https://t.co/5ksWvdaiby

Tables:https://t.co/XyVVLgouOy

— Britain Elects (@BritainElects) August 26, 2022

Nobody is suggesting that undoing Brexit will be easy, or quick. It’ll be a tough journey, with roadblocks and diversions along the way, and no doubt more Brexiteer lies, misinformation and anger. But after six years of this anti-Brexit fight, pro-EU numbers are swelling, our arguments are cutting through, and evidence of Brexit damage is in plain sight. Even the right-wing media are starting to take notice.

That’s why I, along with many more eloquent and informed speakers, will stand up on 10 September and say now is the time. The country cannot afford to wait a decade, or a generation, to save itself from Brexit. So, join the resistance now and demand a better Britain – one that is back at the heart of Europe where it belongs.

I’m recovering from Covid. I had always expected to catch Covid at some point. After all, an increasing number of friends, family members and acquaintances had succumbed, so there seemed a certain inevitability about it.

Living in Spain, in a village of 3,000 people, had certainly helped to keep me Covid free until now. The measures here were strict – much stricter than in the UK – and as a result, I felt safe. I was also very careful, and continued to avoid crowds and to wear a mask long after it was no longer mandatory, especially during the summer when our numbers were swelled by tourists.

The only time I really felt concerned for my safety was when I travelled back to the UK to visit my elderly mum. The contrast between the attitudes of both the UK and Spanish governments, and the UK and Spanish people, was stark. The British public were behaving as though Covid was no longer a threat. And why wouldn’t they? That was what they were being told to believe.

A surprise and unwelcome birthday gift

It’s rather ironic, therefore, that I caught Covid in my own home. On Sunday 14 August, 16 friends joined us for lunch in our garden to celebrate my husband Steve’s 70th birthday. Little did any of us know that a surprise birthday gift for Steve, then me, would be our first, and hopefully last, dose of Covid.

Two days later, we received a call warning us that our friend had tested positive for Covid. We both tested ourselves immediately, but both tests were negative. The following day, Steve was starting to display symptoms but still testing negative, but by Thursday morning, the test was positive. By that evening, my symptoms started appearing, and by Friday morning, I too tested positive.

Not everyone’s symptoms are the same

While most of our symptoms were the same, there were noticeable differences between my symptoms and Steve’s. We both ached all over, even our eyes seemed to ache and our ears felt as though our eardrums had been blown out by a very loud bang. We both found even the smallest of tasks took all of our energy – even making a cup of tea felt like running a marathon – a feeling compounded by a real fogginess of the brain.

However, where Steve lost his sense of taste and smell, I did not, and my cough was much worse than his, especially during the first couple of nights.

For me, the most obvious symptom though was one of exhaustion. Having tested positive on Friday, I slept for over 20 hours on Saturday, then 15 hours on Sunday and 12 on Monday. Only on Tuesday did my sleeping habits and my eating habits start to return to something like normal. In the process, I had lost 3 kg in weight in just four days.

Returning to normal

It’s now six days since I first tested positive, I am definitely past the worst, and I’m on the way to recovery. I know that I am going to have to pace myself, and will certainly heed all the warnings from those that have been here before, not to try to do too much too soon. Friends and colleagues that have had Covid tell me not to expect to feel completely back to normal for one to three months and I will gladly head their warnings.

The Covid-19 pandemic has claimed the lives of more than 180,000 people in the UK. Millions are now grappling with long Covid: a nebulous term for a baffling range of long-lasting symptoms. @SCFGallagher meets some of those sufferinghttps://t.co/tbvqjI5co4

— The Times and The Sunday Times (@thetimes) August 14, 2022

Although the last six days was a relatively short time to feel sick, the severity of my dose of Covid was not only a shock, but a wake-up call. I may be no spring chicken, but I’m a healthy middle-aged hen. I rarely drink, I eat a healthy Mediterranean diet, mostly meat-free, I exercise regularly and I keep my brain active. I’m also fully vaccinated and boosted. If Covid could hit me so hard, then how much worse could it be for someone more vulnerable, or unvaccinated?

The threat has not gone away

Responsible governments around the world are well aware of the dangers that Covid still presents. As the virus mutates into new forms, or the true nature of the long-term effects become better understood, ways of dealing with Covid will also need to mutate.

The British government, on the other hand, continues to act as though Covid is “done” and ignores the damage that is being inflicted on the British public and the NHS through their lack of action. The pandemic has claimed the lives of over 180,000 people in the UK and millions are now “grappling with long Covid”, according to The Times newspaper.

To add to the list of government mistakes made over Covid – from late lockdowns to the removal of safety measures and support too soon – they are about to add another irresponsible action to their catalogue of errors. From 31 August, “regular asymptomatic testing will be paused across certain settings including in hospitals and care homes”. Not only is this action “completely negligent” and “unacceptable”, says Dr. Deepti Gurdasani, but it will likely result in “vulnerable patients getting infected – some even dying”

This is frankly completely negligent. We know from NHS England data that 1 in 4 hospitalisations with COVID- are people who contracted COVID *in hospital*. That's completely unacceptable. Vulnerable patients getting infected- some even dying. While you strip protections further. https://t.co/nXMTA0xlmv

— Dr. Deepti Gurdasani (@dgurdasani1) August 24, 2022

Public inquiry

But sick leave ending for NHS staff with Long Covid? "UK Covid inquiry bill already at £85m as government hires top law firms" https://t.co/T0HI2yQPQQ

— roger kline (@rogerkline) August 22, 2022

Hearings for the long-awaited Covid public inquiry are planned to commence in 2024. Despite that fact, the cost of the inquiry has already reached £85 million, thanks to the government hiring top legal and public relations firms to represent it. For comparison purposes, the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, which has been running for four years, has so far cost £88 million. The Covid inquiry looks as though it will be one of the most expensive inquiries in British political history.

Ministers, it seems, do not hold back when it is their own backs that need protection. It’s a shame that they don’t feel the same way about protecting the nation, not least from themselves.

Thankfully, it appears that the worst of my infection is now behind me, and I can expect a gradual, if not speedy, return to pre-infection levels of normality. Let’s hope the same can be said for the country once we rid ourselves of the terrible virus that is infecting Westminster.

It’ll be no surprise to anyone following the trajectory of Liz Truss’s career – or to anyone trying to avoid it – that Truss used to be a Remainer. In the run up to the Brexit referendum in 2016, Truss was an ardent, and very visible, pro-EU campaigner. She would now have us believe that her Brexit position was equivocal and that she was firmly sat ‘on the fence’.

Positive Remain campaign this morning in Downham Market. #strongerin pic.twitter.com/h05hyEcZ4U

— Liz for Leader (@trussliz) June 11, 2016

A Brexit point to prove

Truss may have started out as a Remainer, but she is demonstrating the zeal of a true convert. At a recent hustings in the leadership race, Truss claimed that she only supported Remain because she was “concerned about some of the disruption”. She has now changed her mind, she insists, as “that disruption didn’t happen”. That’ll be news to businesses, economists, farmers, fishermen and tourists alike, not least those stuck for hours at Dover.

Liz Truss rides into town on Friday as a Remainer and leaves two days later on Friday as a Brexiter. How is this possible? #lateralliz

— Otto English (@Otto_English) August 4, 2022

It seems that, in order to prove the strongest Brexit credentials – as required by any Tory prime minister – you need to follow the Boris Johnson playbook. All that is required is to don the Brexit blindfold, be able to U-turn on a sixpence, and lie through your teeth.

Liz Truss says there was no disruption when leaving the EU.

Farming, fishing, music, trade, chaos at Dover, and a 4% drop in GDP all due to Brexit, all disagree. pic.twitter.com/WEtQxuhDha

— Farrukh (@implausibleblog) August 3, 2022

Showing her true colours?

Rishi Sunak, the only remaining competitor for the top job, has been keen to point out Truss’s former position on Brexit. Claiming himself to be the only true Brexit believer, he recently said Truss’s “true Remainer colours” were starting to show.

A spokesperson for Sunak’s campaign said that Truss, “blames Brexit and fails to see the opportunities from it to help farmers and food production”. Sunak also drew attention to the fact that Truss neglected to mention it was her own trade deals causing many of the problems British farmers are facing. But never fear, Truss swears she will “back our farmers” as they should be “getting on with farming, not having to fill in forms”.

Truss has also pledged to expand the visa scheme to allow more seasonal workers to pick fruit and vegetables. “I know it’s difficult for farmers at the moment”, she said, without any recognition of her part in their current difficulties.

💬 "I will back our farmers. I want our farmers producing food. We know how difficult the global situation is. We need food security."

✅ #LizForLeader
🔵 @Conservatives Hustings pic.twitter.com/pcBHMLzg1M

— Liz for Leader (@trussliz) August 1, 2022

Don’t like my policies? Just wait five minutes

An ability to abandon a proposed policy at the drop of a hat has long been a feature of recent Conservative prime ministers. If Theresa May was the ‘flip-flop’ queen, then Johnson was the U-turn king. Any policy proposal that failed to receive the required adulation, or that immediately provoked a bad public reaction, must be dropped immediately.

But it’s one thing to have a change of heart following public pressure; quite another to claim that the proposed offensive policy was never your policy in the first place.

You might expect that a leader, or even a potential leader, would have any proposal properly researched and assessed before launch. Not in Truss’s case. In fact, not only was her proposal – that public sector pay be reduced outside of London – cancelled within 24 hours, but she claimed it was never her policy in the first place. Her policy had been “wilfully misrepresented” and she had “never had any intention of changing the terms and conditions of teachers and nurses”, despite what was said in the previous day’s press release. Johnson, if he could be bothered to take notice, would be very proud.

Levelling Down Liz is stuck on repeat.

“The policy was misrepresented.” pic.twitter.com/Y9784ydq2Y

— Angela Rayner 🌹 (@AngelaRayner) August 3, 2022

If in doubt, double-down

A leaked email has this week seen Truss facing allegations of failing to declare thousands of pounds spent on ‘schmoozing’ fellow Tory MPs.

A champagne dinner labelled ‘Fizz with Liz’ was held at an exclusive London club last year. Although the event was paid for by the club owner, the function should have been declared in the Commons register. Seen as an early bid to succeed Johnson, Truss was described as being “on manoeuvres”. Truss denied any responsibility in organising the event, claiming she was merely one of the guests. That’s despite having sent out invitations personally by email.

If you aren’t starting to recognise a pattern here – break the rules, lie about it, get caught lying, change your story – then you haven’t been paying attention.

* Get caught breaking the rules
* Lie about it
* Get caught lying about it
* Change your story several times
Sounds awfully familiar, doesn't it?https://t.co/AEStrXZO5t

— They're laughing at you #FBPE (@relaughingatyou) August 3, 2022

Our next PM?

The decision on who will be the next prime minister is being made by just 160,000 Tory party members. That membership is predominantly over 60, white and male, with many seemingly holding similarly right-wing views to the influential ERG group. The grandstanding displayed by both contestants is clearly aimed at these audiences alone. Never mind what the country might want or desperately need.

At the moment, Truss is the favourite. The sheer number of ministers and MPs now throwing their support behind her is clear evidence of who the party expects to win. It’s not just the candidates whose opinions and policies are disposable. Anything goes if the reward is a Cabinet post, it seems.

Of the many terrible legacies that Johnson leaves behind, Truss appears determined to repeat his mistakes, only with bigger bells, whistles and lies. Whatever vandalism has been committed by Johnson on the British state and the British public, Truss will try to outdo it.

Johnson broke Britain. He destroyed our reputation abroad, collapsed the economy, caused untold deaths, destroyed our democracy and all while expecting to be applauded for it. Truss has the ambition, and a willingness to sink to new depths of destruction in order to gain power. It looks likely she’ll succeed in her goal, too. But that’s all there is. She has no charisma, no policies founded on anything like need, intelligence or honesty, and she’s easily led.

The ERG are going to have a field day with their latest puppet. Labour, meanwhile, can’t believe their luck. Johnson has hung on just long enough to beat May’s record in office – she made it three years and 12 days; coincidentally Johnson has been in office for three years and 12 days today. Truss, if she succeeds, seems destined to serve less time than either of them.

Truss aims to boldly go where Johnson has been before

— Citizen Paul Templeman (@PaulTempleman6) August 3, 2022

On 7July 2022, less than three years after winning a landslide election, Boris Johnson resigned as prime minister. Well, sort of. Having lost the confidence of the Conservative Party – long after losing the confidence of the country – he delivered his resignation speech outside No.10 Downing Street.

Although he didn’t actually say the words ‘I resign’, he announced his intention to do so, sparking a bitter leadership race that won’t be resolved until September. In the meantime, especially now that parliament is in summer recess, what can we expect from Johnson and his government? If the last two weeks is anything to go by, then more of the same, but with expensive knobs on!

Missing in action

One of the first plans Johnson announced after his ‘resignation’ was a wedding party at Chequers, previously postponed due to the pandemic. Following considerable outrage, it appeared that the prime minister had reconsidered, and would hold the party elsewhere, and not paid for via the public purse.

Yet within a few days, Johnson decided to host a leaving party, again at Chequers, and possibly with the exact same guest list as the wedding party. To add insult to injury, the leaving do was Johnson’s excuse for failing to attend an emergency Cobra meeting, to discuss the imminent heatwave.

Of course, Johnson has form for missing emergency Cobra meetings, having missed five such meetings during the pandemic. Not so much fiddling while Rome burns, as fiddling expenses while London burns.

Boris Johnson misses emergency Cobra meeting on UK heatwave in order to hold party for friends and family at Chequers https://t.co/9bDhWVY82H

— Adam Bienkov (@AdamBienkov) July 16, 2022

PM play days

We’ve become accustomed to seeing Johnson play dress up. There can’t be many uniforms he hasn’t donned during his premiership and if the last few days are anything to go by, we can expect many more fancy dress fantasies, all at our expense.

First footage of the PM at controls of a Typhoon last week.

In a speech this morning he'll compare the flight to
to his leadership of the Tory party:

"I hauled the joystick right the way back and we did a loop the loop…" pic.twitter.com/LXyYlArA5Q

— Tamara Cohen (@tamcohen) July 18, 2022

Johnson’s latest dressing up play series started on board a Typhoon jet. While performing a dangerous – and highly skilled – refuelling exercise, Johnson was supposedly at the controls of the jet. Few believed any jet pilot would we foolish enough, or authorised, to allow this ridiculous manoeuvre by an inexperienced passenger. But then, anything is possible. After all, this particular passenger has been at the controls of the country for almost three years, and still is.

Switching from one armed service to another, Johnson’s next play date was with the army. Happily back in camouflage and playing with weapons – hopefully not loaded! – Johnson was again proving that he has never really grown up. The man-child seems determined to play with as many toys and wear as many uniforms as possible during his last few weeks as PM. No doubt he is having a ball staying as far away from his duties as possible, and of course, as we’ve come to expect, all paid for by someone else. In this case, us.

Someone drag him out of No10 now… before the black door becomes barricaded with cosplay uniforms. pic.twitter.com/eJHAppTvgV

— Mike Galsworthy (@mikegalsworthy) July 23, 2022

Deluded to the end

Against all the evidence, Johnson still sees himself as a winner, a success story, someone to be revered and respected. That’s despite the country and his party, turning against him for his failures, dishonesty and style.

The child that wanted to be king of the world still, against all reason, believes he can be. Not only that but that the world should be grateful for his service. A “well sourced” former aide and “freelance C/conservative pundit”, Tim Montgomerie, even claims that “Boris is telling aides he’ll be PM again” next year. Which rather puts a different spin on his final words at his final PMQs last week – “hasta la vista, baby”.

!!! Boris is telling aides that he’ll be PM again within a year.

— Tim Montgomerie 🇬🇧 (@montie) July 22, 2022

Five claims, five lies

Johnson has always claimed his leadership a great success, with frequent declarations about non-existent accomplishments. It was therefore no surprise that his closing statement, published on 21 July, was entitled “Government delivery”. The 2,500+ word statement was full of exaggeration, delusion and downright dishonesty.

Johnson started by explaining why the British public “were right to place their trust in me”. We were then treated to a list of all Johnson’s achievements.

The deranged ramblings of a seriously diseased mind. pic.twitter.com/k341gGIU4I

— Simon Gosden. Esq. #fbpe 3.5% 🇪🇺🐟🇬🇧🏴‍☠️🦠💙 (@g_gosden) July 24, 2022

The first, unsurprisingly, was that “we got Brexit done”. We have, apparently, taken back control of our borders and “have been seizing the opportunities that come with this new freedom”. Johnson went on to say that it was because of that new border control that we had been able to act swiftly in Afghanistan and Ukraine and develop the relationship with Rwanda on immigration. No mention of chaos at Dover, or the fact that France – a member of the EU – was successfully demonstrating its own border controls.

Second on Johnson’s list was guiding “the country through its greatest challenge since the Second World War”. He was referring, of course, to the pandemic. Apparently we had “more powerful new drugs … than any of our neighbours” and the fastest vaccine roll-out in Europe – though in reality, Brexit severely hampered that rollout beyond the initial burst.

His third claim was on levelling up. In order to distribute opportunity equally across the country, Johnson said, this meant “bringing down crime, strengthening our health system, sorting out social care and improving our schools”.  The government, he claimed, has “acted on every front”:

• “Our streets are safer” thanks to more police officers (unless you discount those relieved of duty before the counting started, and of course you also have to ignore the fact that recorded crime has been increasing, particularly sexual offences, violence and fraud).
• “Our NHS is on a surer footing” thanks again to more recruitment, and again ignoring the earlier loss of jobs. Not to mention the chronic underfunding, the steady privatisation going on behind the scenes, the record-breaking waiting lists.
• “Our broken social care system is finally being fixed” though unsurprisingly, this section was light on achievements and long on future “opportunities”.
• “Our schools are better” – more funding apparently, and more promises of future improvements.

Johnson´s fourth claim was on how well he had, presumably single-handedly, “secured the fastest economic growth in the G7 last year”. No mention of being 19th out of the G20 countries, with only Russia’s economy performing worse than the UK. This was followed by his regularly touted lie of the “lowest unemployment rate in almost 50 years”.

The fifth and final claim was regarding the UK’s standing on the global stage. This included “embracing the freedom we now have to chart our own course”, (whatever that means), and ”driving action on climate change”

A long and expensive six weeks

Unsurprisingly, Johnson rounded off his statement with his war stories on Ukraine. Having “brought the G7 and NATO together” he also boasted of his visa scheme for Ukrainian refugees, while obviously failing to mention that other European countries had removed any visa requirements.

In his final paragraph, Johnson said he was “proud of our record in office since 2019”. He added that he remained “determined that we continue to deliver in our final weeks”.

It’s quite possible he actually believes his own hype. After all, he’s spent his life doing what he wants, when he wants, and regardless of the consequences.

Johnson believes he is better than the rest of us. He’s not. He’s the worst, most devious, most mendacious prime minister this country has ever known, and he’s not done yet. Plenty of time left for dressing-up, wasting our money and destroying our reputation.

It’s going to be a very long and very expensive six weeks!

Despite what you might have read or heard, for the foreseeable future Boris Johnson is our prime minister. He hasn’t as yet resigned, though he has said that he will. Bizarrely, despite his record, most people seem to believe him for once.

His potential replacements are falling over each other trying to present themselves as a fresh start for the party and the country. So far, they have each failed spectacularly to convince anyone that they, or the Conservative Party, have given pause for thought or considered a change of direction.

Race to be PM: who’s backing who and where they stand on tax, Johnson and the culture war https://t.co/O94gzz4igB

Once again, a few hundred Tory MPs will choose two candidates and a few thousand party members will choose our next PM. And they call this democracy? @RebootGb

— Lyn Dade – #StandWithUkraine #ResistOrganise 👍 🐟 (@LinsCookeDade) July 11, 2022

The runners and riders in the race to be prime minister

The ever-growing list of contenders includes two former and one current chancellor – Rishi Sunak, Savid Javid and Nadhim Zahawi. Each should, in theory, understand how to manage the country’s finances but if the state of the UK economy is anything to go by, they clearly don’t.

Other candidates holding cabinet positions are Attorney General Suella Braverman, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps and Trade Secretary Penny Mordaunt. So far, so law-breaking, yawn-making. That list is expected to soon include Home Secretary Priti Patel, who will presumably outdo the lot of them on the far-right swing-o-meter.

They are joined by former cabinet minister Jeremy Hunt (isn’t fox hunting marvellous!) and back-benchers Tom ‘I fought for my country’ Tugendhat, and Rehman Chishti (have you heard of him?).

A recent Times poll asked both Conservative Party members and the general public “who would be the best replacement?” for Johnson. The clear favourite was Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, who has ruled himself out from standing – proving he certainly was the better candidate.

The British public were quite clear who they would choose from the above list – 30% of them voted for ‘none of the above’ with ‘don’t know’ coming in a close second. Clearly the country is spoiled for choice.

None of the above would be the best candidate on this list. We need a General Election. pic.twitter.com/aonTaKpyXL

— Dr Martin Opposes Gov’t Corruption (@MartinRemains) July 11, 2022

More of the same, but worse

Those on the increasingly long list of runners and riders have a great deal in common. Firstly, they have all been part of a governing party that has presided over – and in most cases directly caused – all the problems the country is now facing.

The government’s appalling performance on Brexit, Covid, the cost-of-living crisis, inflation, the NHS etc., has happened on their watch. Not only have the candidates enabled the damage, they’ve accepted no responsibility for it.

Strangely, I can’t recall any one of them speaking out against government plans, or even against Johnson’s behaviour. Until the last minute, of course, when they all jumped on the ‘get Johnson done’ bandwagon when they smelt blood in the water.

All these Tory Party leadership contenders putting forward their economic plans without any serious mention of Brexit are not contenders to be serious leaders of the country.

— Chris Grey 🇺🇦 (@chrisgreybrexit) July 10, 2022

Secondly, their proposals for the future direction of the country are practically indistinguishable. What we need, apparently, is more of the same, but on steroids, and with massive tax cuts! They’ll throw in a dollop of added trust and integrity, just to prove they aren’t Johnson.

Yet, despite all of that, they all now claim to possess a magic wand that will mysteriously solve all the country’s problems. Except they really do have nothing up their sleeves. Or in their heads.

As Peter Stefanovic commented on Twitter, after listening to all the hype “it’s impossible to conclude anything other than the whole lot are completely insane”.

I’m trying very hard to be objective but listening to the Tory leadership candidates so far it’s impossible to conclude anything other than the whole lot are completely insane

— Peter Stefanovic (@PeterStefanovi2) July 10, 2022

Crisis? What crisis?

The party faithful might be swayed by the uber self-promotion, but there are serious issues that the candidates are avoiding like the plague. Not only are they all unable, it seems, to fully explain how their tax-cutting, inflation-boosting plans will be paid for, but they are not mentioning the most crucial issues of the day.

This is all bonkers. The nation faces three crises: the cost of living, the NHS backlog and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Tory “leadership” candidates have yet to say a word on these and instead bang on about tax cuts when they voted for tax hikes only weeks ago.

— Chris Bryant (@RhonddaBryant) July 11, 2022

It should be no surprise that Brexit has hardly earned a mention, but what of the cost-of-living crisis? Or the serious problems facing the NHS? As for informing us of how they might deal with the Ukraine war or Putin, it seems it’s all hush-hush, on a need-to-know basis.

Not a single candidate has spoken out against the appalling, and likely illegal Rwanda deportation plan, or dared to speak on the subject of immigration or human rights. As for the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, it seems our next PM aims to continue with Johnson’s plan to break international law. So much for ‘global’ Britain.

We can only assume that the omission of comment on the important matters of the day is deliberate. After all, a U-turn on a policy that they voted for and vocally supported might need more explanation than any of them can muster.

The reality of the modern Tory party is that all the candidates for leader seem to endorse the racist Rwanda policy, austerity, tax cuts favouring the rich, the removal of our human rights, breaching the Northern Ireland protocol and breaking international law. Heaven, help us

— Richard Murphy (@RichardJMurphy) July 11, 2022

The gloves are off

The Conservative Party has long had a reputation as the ‘nasty party’. Theresa May acknowledged this in 2010 when she said:

With so many candidates fighting for the keys to Number 10, perhaps it was inevitable that the fight for the top job was going to get dirty. Or perhaps, I should say, dirtier.

Where the policies are largely interchangeable, the private lives of the candidates are not. Cue allegations of tax avoidance, financial irregularities, sex scandals or whatever dirt they can unearth about each other. We might have expected the media to be doing the digging into the candidates’ background, but it seems the candidates themselves are the ones with the biggest spades and the strongest motivation.

Conservatives living up to their name as the nasty party

Salacious rumours about sex lives, affairs, tax avoidance as gloves come off in Tory leadership race

Campaign teams spreading rumours of affairs, private lives, threats to release personal finances https://t.co/bl7LOTdkqn

— BremainInSpain (@BremainInSpain) July 11, 2022

Beggars can’t be choosers

The next prime minister, like the last two, will be decided first by Tory MPs, then when we are down to the final two, the party membership. The candidates may demonstrate some diversity – their policies excepted – but the membership does not. So, once again, the view of a group of largely older, white men will choose the next leader of the country. Those suffering the worst thanks to Tory party policies, will have no say in the future PM or the direction he/she takes the country in.

We never expected prospective candidates to come out in favour of a softer Brexit, an increase in taxes, or an improvement in public spending. Heaven forbid! Wrong party, wrong membership. However, what would be refreshing would be a willingness to speak out against right-wing extremism, international law-breaking, and a complete lack of compassion for the less fortunate. But they won’t. They will continue with Johnson’s toxic, damaging legacy, and damn the consequences. The new leader, whoever it may be, will continue down the same nationalistic path that has already cost the party three leaders.

The next prime minister is not looking to clear up the mess Johnson leaves behind. They are, just like Johnson before them, only interested in furthering their own careers, no matter the cost. By caring only about the votes of a small, unrepresentative audience, they are distancing themselves from the wider voting public. It will cost them the next election.

Meanwhile, as the talentless, egocentric candidates squabble like kids in a playground, another very important question remains unanswered. Who, if anyone, is actually governing the country right now? Please don’t tell me it’s Boris Johnson!

The Tory leadership contest is like a group of arsonists who burnt your house down, telling you how they’d redecorate it for you

— Tim Burgess (@Tim_Burgess) July 10, 2022