It was a muted gathering near Hampton Palace. The water had been carefully filtered, to remove sewage. Half the people in attendance wore white even though it was October, in a tacit nod to climate change. No surprises. But many a raised pinkie and arched eyebrow suggested an undertow of anticipation. After-all, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom was about to unveil his vision.
The rest, of course, is history. To great acclaim, Prime Minister Sunak announced his vision of England, not as a nation of shopkeepers but of brand managers stuck in traffic.
Did I write, “What a vision!” I might well have, and perhaps added and exclamation point or two!
In retrospect we can all say that with this speech Sunak proudly took his place amongst the greats, including Margaret Thatcher, who supported fiscal probity and individual initiative; John Major, who supported some thing or another, but was decent enough; Tony Blair who prioritized the NHS … And don’t get me started on Disraeli and Gladstone!
Post Tony Blair, the Tory vision has been more “Common Sensical” , some would say laser-focused on brand managers and hobbled public transit. This was Boris Johnson’s vision; this is a vision Sunak has proudly run with.
So far, this a nothing story, right? Or at least nothing when compared with Liss Truss’s block-buster term in office.
But perhaps not!
Work done by The Apocalypse Review’s unpaid intern suggests that Sunak’s rehash of Boris Johnson’s vision has caused a major behind-the-scenes disruption in the Conservative Party.
The criticisms are legion:
“I voted Tory ’cause a’ that North Korea thing”, opines UKIP supporter Andrew Blinders, who was won over by Sunak’s pledge to making the UK the North Korea of Capitalism.
“Me too, an’ also because of his commitment to keepin‘ gravity stable”, adds Belinda Pawn, a self-styled “Tory environmentalist”.
Faux environmentalists aside, it is the so-called North-Korea thing that is making the situation particularly gnarly for Sunak. Because every one of us more or less remembers his last great policy announcement, made at some derby attended by aristocrats with oddly styled hats, at which he promised to “Blast his way into world markets” by making England, Scotland, Wales and the lunatic bits of Ireland*,”The North Korea of Capitalism”.
Where did that promise go?
Is it really gone, or out of modesty are Tories hiding this policy tour-de-force, hoping to spring it on the electorate the next time the UK goes to the polls?
This is a developing story …
*My people come from one of the “lunatic bits of Ireland!” – and Scotland and Ukraine – so please don’t be offended by my language.
