1)The inevitable consequences of Johnson
Yes, it's important to recognise the failures and sheer incompetence of this government, however it was inevitable. The events of the past 3 years were always going to end in disaster
2) This is not a #Brexit issue, all sides are disgusted and righty so, but the roots are in the kind of cabinet Brexit needed, namely:
a) A willingness to lie, shamelessly
b) An ability to say anything at all to win
c) blind loyalty to Johnson & Cummings
3) Fundamentally it always was impossible to deliver a Brexit, any Brexit, that satisifed the ERG, the public & the EU. Anything presented as an actual detailed Brexit would be shredded by at least 2 of the 3 groups
4) We saw this with Steve Baker's comments - they only voted for the EU WA because they were lied to, they were told they could change it later. Charlatans upset because they were cheated out of the opportunity to cheat others
5) So the only possible answer was to have a cabinet who would be prepared to lie, and cheat, and deceive everyone and anyone until some form of Brexit was over the line.
6) Of course to those at the top the actual Brexit itself didn't really matter (hence the need for blind loyalty). Johnson is not interested in Brexit itself as a goal but only in what a Brexit of any kind gets him, a win, more personal power
7) But what did matter is that this cabinet would have to exercise doublethink like no other, presenting one party line on Brexit and then a different party line *as if it had always been the party line* a day later
8) we saw this with Johnson shamelessly saying there would be no Irish sea border, no checks or anything whilst clearly there would be. We saw ministers say that No deal was simultaneously no big deal for us and also the apocalypse for the EU
9) This willingness to say anything, however contradictory, however outrageous, if you were told to by Cummings was a fundamental entry qualification for Cabinet. You didn't get in if you wouldn't do this
10) And so now we have COVID-19 & Cummings looking after his own skin (because he also has no interest in Brexit in itself but also, which many Tories don't seem to realise, no interest in the Tory party itself, they are both just means to an end)
11) And the cabinet have nowhere to go - they have no inherent integrity, no belief systems, no moral compass. Only the ability to do what they are told, to go out and express the party line. And they've done that
12) And of course they've been found desperately wanting - they've humiliated themselves, the government & the country. Far worse they have put us all further at risk - the elites have been revealed, lock down is broken, authority is lost
13) but really, what did we expect? Did anyone really think you could have a Brexit delivering government AND an honest and capable one? Did anyone really think anything built on a foundation of dishonesty would amount to anything?
14)The best possible qualifications to get a Brexit over the line are the worst possible qualifications for a Government at a time of crisis, the former emphasises clever messaging, bait & switch, dishonesty as a government tool, scenting what's popular
15) Actual government at times like these needs honesty, authority, practical actions rather than focus group led slogans - a willingness to be unpopular for the greater good. Johnson? Seriously?
16) And Cummings, the "master" of manipulation, of telling people what they want to hear, avoiding details & actually taking a position at all costs-could you really think of anyone worse to lead the country (which is what he's doing) at a time like this?
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