And so, managing to emulate Margaret Thatcher in delivering a tearful finale, Theresa May bowed to the inevitable and agreed to resign as Prime Minister, and leader of the Tory Party. In doing so, she has signalled not only her own exit, but also the inevitable leadership contest, which will be played out over the Summer, and which will eat up even more of that six-month Article 50 extension granted by the EU.
It has been glaringly obvious for some time, as Zelo Street regulars will know, that the favoured replacement of our free and fearless press is London’s formerly very occasional Mayor Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson. There is a straightforward reason for this: the Murdoch mafiosi wants to turn TalkRADIO into a UK version of Fox News Channel (fair and balanced my arse) and therefore needs to have broadcast impartiality rules rewritten.
As happened in the past over their battles with print unions, others in the Fourth Estate will be quietly supporting Don Rupioni and his chosen politicians, knowing that a change in the broadcast impartiality rules may open the door for other market entrants, other newspaper groups who are right now staring a future of declining circulation and revenue in the face and wondering if there might be some other, more profitable, alternative on offer.
It is why, as I pointed out previously, the Cosa Rupra is backing Bozza. The unfortunate incidents in his past, some of which have not yet come to light but are known to the Murdoch mafiosi, are no longer a handicap to achieving high office when they can be used as leverage against their subject. Once in Number 10, Bozza will do as he’s told, on pain of what is in the legendary Murdoch safe being made public.
But this is forgetting one thing - the one thing that ultimately did for Theresa May, and which also did for Mrs T., “Shagger” Major, William ‘Ague, and Young Dave. The issue of Europe, and its current manifestation - Brexit. Whoever becomes Tory leader will still be confronted by a House of Commons whose arithmetic has so far stopped the Withdrawal Agreement passing, and indeed any other way forward on the issue.
None of the candidates to become Tory leader - Bozza, Dominic Raab, Michael “Oiky” Gove, Jeremy Hunt (the former Culture Secretary), Sajid Javid, Matt Hancock, Rory Stewart, Andrea Leadsom, Esther McVey (God, no), Penny Mordaunt - has the proverbial snowball in hell’s chance of changing the Commons arithmetic. Some, whisper it quietly, might just make matters worse. Which means this leadership contest is pointless.
Bozza cannot, will not, “deliver Brexit” with the current House of Commons. The action of the Murdoch press is therefore self-serving and cares not a jot about the wider electorate - as usual. There is only one way out of the mess, and that, to no surprise at all, is what the press does not want to happen - a General Election. Because a General Election would bring a strong chance of a majority Labour Government.
That would mean no bending of the broadcast impartiality rules. Worse for the press, it would mean Leveson Part 2, and probably Section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act. And it would mean the press having no leverage on a UK Government for the first time in living memory. It would scare the living daylights out of them.
That’s why the press wants to talk up a pointless leadership contest. Priorities, priorities.
Enjoy your visit to Zelo Street? You can help this truly independent blog carry on talking truth to power, while retaining its sense of humour, by adding to its Just Giving page at
It would take a heart of stone not to roar with laughter at the sight of May's self pitying tears. God knows she's had it coming.
ReplyDeleteA cold, vile, corrupt, hypocritical woman who fully reflected the moral degeneracy of the party policies she fronted. Good riddance to her and her hedge fund spiv husband.
Not that her successor will make much difference, except to make matters even worse.
An election to change our minds on the governing Party?
ReplyDeleteBut we only just had one and that was after the Brexit referendum. The electorate changing their minds! Whatever next!
Some politicians will have to make up their minds. Again.
Divisions will remain. The Mercer's and Putin will be happy.
What's not to like! Chaos reigns supreme!
Check out Matthew Parris' article in the Spectator on why he thinks Johnson as PM will eventually lead to Revoking Article 50.
ReplyDeleteIt's a theory, and well written.
https://www.spectator.co.uk/2019/05/only-boris-can-bury-brexit/
By the way Tim, stop with the Bojo pr Bozza or any other comic references to Johnson, it makes a dangerous man seem cuddly.
There's a glaring error here, Tim. Here it is.
ReplyDelete"Bozza cannot, will not, “deliver Brexit” with the current House of Commons. "
Of course he can. And it's dead easy and plays to his strengths.
All he has to do is nothing. If he does nothing, we crash out of the EU on 31st October without a deal and there's nothing anyone can do about it.
The HoC says it won't allow it, but it's done nothing to actively prevent it. Leaving with no deal is the default position and Johnson knows that.
I believe Boris will get bored in No10, having to do all those boring things like compromise, diplomacy, not shooting ur mouth off every two minutes.
ReplyDeleteThere is not a snowball's chance in hell that there will be a Labour majority =if a general election is held. Be very careful what you wish for.
ReplyDelete