The fall of Boris Johnson (BJ) as Prime Minister of Great Britain, after repeated scandals and lies, it resembles that of Trump losing the elections against Biden, in which finally the populisms they conclude in a resounding landslide that leaves behind a stream of damage to their towns. Far from the range of statesmen that both countries have generated in their history, they end up as what they really were: circus clowns.
BJ’s life, like his personality, was marked by controversies: born American (Manhattan-NY) and under the Catholic faith, he managed to become the Premier of Great Britain, in a country jealous of his English patriotism and his Anglican religion.
Twice fired, once for making up false stories in the newspaper The Timesand the other by Michael Howard Conservative vice-president, for dishonesty, when he was arts minister in the “shadow cabinet”, he skillfully developed a career that took him from member of the House of Commons, mayor of London, Foreign Secretary with Theresa MayLeader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister in 2019. He arrived after a general election in December 2019, in which he won 43.6% of the vote (nearly 14 million), compared to 32.1% (10.2 million) for Labor Jeremy Corbyn , one of the Conservative Party’s biggest victories since 1979.
Despite that popular support, bad decisions and scandals, they will be the memory of his misrule. The engineering of the “hard Brexit” generated a great shortage of food products in many British supermarkets and a labor deficit in the area of freight transport, among other effects.
Managing the coronavirus pandemic (as well as Trump), was another big flop. The United Kingdom is one of the countries with the highest mortality from Covid-19. In the midst of that catastrophe, the Eaton and Oxford graduate shone for breaking the confinement rules that he himself had promoted, with the Partygate in Downing Street. In May and June 2020, he relaxed social distancing rules with parties that included his birthday. The discontent of the population for the deception of a private conduct opposed to the public behavior required, to which was added the sexual scandal of Chris Pincher appointed by BJ conservative deputy chief, who lied when saying that he was unaware of the accusations about the deputy’s conduct , grew to the extent that 56% called for his resignation at the beginning of 2022.
The invasion of russia it meant a brief respite for Ukraine, supporting Zelensky in the country that largely rejects Putin. Far from forgiving him, the British did not forget the binge drinking or the scandalous remodeling of the apartment where he lived at a time when the country is going through a recessionary stage with inflation.
On July 20, BJ said goodbye to the British Parliament with a speech full of arrogance that concluded in the House of Commons with a pantomime phrase: “Hasta la vista, baby”. Hopefully any of the now finalists who reach the position: Liz Truss o Rishi Sunak restore respectability and prestige to an institution that has known great statesmen like Disraeli, Gladstone or Churchill, and not circus figures.
The shameful end of the BJ contrasted with the death during those days of David Trimble, former Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and Nobel Peace Prize winner for his work of reconciliation between Protestants and Catholics in that country, which put an end to 30 years of violence and death, with the Good Friday Agreement, signed in 1998, a brilliant example of conflict resolution. Goodbye, Boris.
Teacher/researcher at UNAM
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