Bozo Broke Britain

Margaret Thatcher’s abandonment of the post-war Keynesian consensus began the process; John Major did not seriously dissent from that journey. To his shame, nor did Tony Blair. Then came Cameron and Osborne, a double act whose regard for their own abilities was unmatched by reality, and who were foolish enough to offer a referendum on EU membership.

So the widening of inequality, and steady decline of the UK, continued through the interregnum of Theresa May. But Britain was not yet broken as it is today: the distinction for that final coup de grace can be laid at the door of one individual - London’s formerly very occasional Mayor, and then alleged Prime Minister, the now-disgraced Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson.

Bozo, had spaffed money up the wall as if it were going out of fashion during his time as London Mayor - vanity buses, vanity cable car, vanity water cannon that never entered service, vanity study for a Thames estuary airport that was never going to happen, the questionable London Stadium deal, and giving up the Government subsidy to Transport for London - are down to him.

There was also the vanity garden bridge, which Bozo’s successor Sadiq Khan had to put out of its misery before it swallowed up even more public funds. Khan has also had to deal with the fallout of Bozo’s “deal” with Osborne ending TfL’s subsidy, thereby worsening the body’s finances. George’s revenge for being sneered at by Old Etonians for “only going to St Paul’s”.

You think I overstate the case for saying It Was Bozo Wot Broke Britain? Let’s consider the charge sheet, which also features the right-leaning part of our free and fearless press, whose conduct has demonstrated a propensity to lying, smearing, bullying, gaslighting, and a dearth of the most basic decency in their shameless investment in The Adoration Of The Bozo.

Jim Pickard of the FT has a summary of Tory shame, much of which is down to Bozo. “[Chris] Pincher [made a whip despite previous known misconduct] … Tractorgate [Neil Parish watching porn in the Commons. He resigned as an MP and the Tories lost the subsequent by-election] … Owen Paterson [desperate attempts to rewrite Parliamentary standards failed and the Tories lost the subsequent by-election] … Greensill Capital”. There is more.

“Partygate [Bozo and Rishi Sunak both bang to rights and fined; press lied about it to cover for them] … Mustique [how was Bozo’s holiday paid for? The explanation was unconvincing] … the £800,000 loan [featuring Richard Sharp, now chair of the BBC]”. And more. A lot more.

Taking a congenital liar at his word ...

“Wallpapergate [obscenely expensive redecoration of the Downing Street flat] … Lebedev peerage [son of a former KGB officer] … [David] Warburton [misconduct allegations, still sitting as MP for Somerton and Frome, Lib Dems looking on] … secret hampers [£27,000 worth of organic food] … the £150k treehouse [planned by Bozo for son Wilf at Chequers, but didn’t happen]”. Could there be yet more?

There certainly could. “[Nadhim] Zahawi tax [OK this is post-Bozo, but the culture of Getting Away With It had been established under him] … [Gavin] Williamson bullying [arise Sir Stupid Boy] … Imran Ahmad Khan [a 2019 intake MP forced out following sexual misconduct, Tories lost the subsequent by-election]”. And yes, Pickard was not finished yet.

“[Dominic] Raab bullying [still pending] … [Priti] Patel bullying [bang to rights but she remained in post] … Illegal prorogation [aka Lying To The Queen]”. To this roll of shame can be added breaking of the Ministerial Code by Suella Braverman, whom Sunak reappointed to the cabinet.

... beats bothering with actual journalism

Michael Crick also recalled Bozo’s resignation peerage list, which bordered on the farcical, the election expenses fines, and that Covid PPE VIP lane via which billions was expended; the latest example of this is Tory peer Michelle Mone. Then there is the “Oven Ready” Brexit deal that wasn’t, along with the Northern Ireland protocol that sold out Unionists.

So how much of this can be seen today in that part of the press that backed Bozo to the hilt? And the answer is none. Nil. Nix. Nada. Zero. Zilch. Zip. Not a sausage. Bugger all. But the Murdoch Sun and the Daily Mail want us to know that Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin threatened to assassinate brave Bozo. Which is most likely another flat-out lie.

As well as probably being a breach of the Official Secrets Act. There you have it: Broken Britain has Bozo’s paw-prints all over it, aided and abetted by the least principled part of the Fourth Estate. But he walks away Scot Free to work the upmarket speech giving circuit while the country he claimed to serve has to find a way back from the mess.

For Bozo, laws are for the little people. And actions have no consequences.

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 becoming a Patron on Patreon at

https://www.patreon.com/Timfenton