No.73 - Crash the Economy to Save the Nation. Phoney Language, Phoney War, Phoney Boris.

Dear James,

On Wednesday morning the Scottish Court of Session found Boris’s shut down of parliament to be unlawful, citing “clandestine” behaviour with “the purpose of stymying parliament”, to quote one of the judges. That same afternoon the government was forced to reveal the Yellowhammer files which confirmed the chaos that would follow a no deal Brexit. ‘Project Fear’ has been revealed as ‘Project Truth’. I can imagine poor old Boris, holed up in Downing Street with his head in his hands as Mr Cummings berates him. ‘Keep your nerve man!', ‘Believe in yourself.’ And ‘It’s always darkest before the dawn!’ 

And meanwhile Kwasi Kwarteng, your Business Minister, said that ‘it is fact that many people believe judges are biased about Brexit’, only to be slapped down later by your Housing Minister. I am surprised that the Daily Mail didn’t double down on last year’s ‘Enemies of the People ‘ headline but that day they focussed on a cancer treatment scare instead. Even Boris’s natural supporters are embarrassed!

Your administration is in chaos James, living from mouth to mouth in its attempts to survive the tsunami of damage already being done to our economy and social fabric. Yesterday, poor old Boris’s only relief came when he went on to his i-pad to answer questions in 14 minutes of ‘cross-examination’ in his ‘People’s PMQ’s’ on Facebook Live. Pure Dominic Cummings. Scrutiny of self by self!  Talking to his own belly button for fear of real questions from the real media. How long can this charade go on?

On the radio yesterday I heard, Ben Wallace, your own new boss, trying to calm troubled waters. Here was the old Tory charm and confidence, telling the children that everything would be alright in his capable hands. The key word was ‘mitigation’. ‘The government is working hard to mitigate the issues raised by Yellowhammer’. As his PPS were you part of the pre-session rehearsal? ‘Mitigate, mitigate, mitigate’. The word itself sounds so soothing, so unthreatening and so professional. Why aren't, ‘avoid, ‘avert’ ‘evade’ the key words of your policy - as in ‘avoid serious damage to our economy’? I think it’s because beneath your Westminster euphemistic chutzpah I detect that you are all feeling a bit queezy. The blond bombshell that you all thought was the answer to the Tory dream is proving rapidly to be a dud. He always was bluster and bounce and now the bounce has gone out of him like wind from a burst balloon and his bluster becomes more empty with each utterance. He can just about muster enough of the old self-belief when surrounded by crooning subjects, but when facing adults it all goes to pot. No wonder Dominic doesn’t want the poor guy exposed to real interrogation!  

Your present ‘government‘ must be the first in history to promote a fall in the standard of living created by a crisis of its own making. We have no close enemies as a nation, only enemies to the national interest within your own party. In your best case scenario we will come out with a deal which has been shown over and over again to leave our country poorer for many years to come. In your second best case scenario we will crash out of Europe with all the calamitous outcomes foreseen by Yellowhammer.  In previous times, the government was there to defend us against us such events. Yours is actually promoting them. A minority of old school Little Englanders who live in a dream world of returning to ancient glories runs our country on the basis of minus 43 votes.  And you James are a part of this shambles.  You have bought into these misguided policies hook, line and sinker. What a disappointment you are to so many of your constituents.

The referendum result is now three and half years old. Since then, everyone has learned so much more about Europe, our own democracy and about you, the Tory Party. The nation’s narrative context has changed. So what are you scared of James? if you are so confident that you are doing the right thing you have no reason to fear asking the people again on the most important issue our country has faced since the Second World War. It’s what grown ups and really confident governments with integrity would do! 

Why not yours? 

Kind regards, 

A Concerned Constituent