Boris Johnson News
Stories of the week 21 April
The news this week was dominated by Extinction Rebellion and global protests about the political and economic terrible lack of action and commitment to tackle climate change and potential human extinction. Initially in London, the relationship between police and well-mannered, non-violent protesters was peaceful, even jovial sometimes. However, the Conservative Government whilst falsely claiming to be listening to the protestors ordered the police to get tough with people and move them on.
The Press were deeply divided over Extinction Rebellion. As you would expect, the Conservative, Brexit-backing, more right wing newspapers dismissed protestors as ‘middle-class Marxists’. Whatever side you’re on, it is impossible to dismiss the drive and commitment of these protestors trying to save us from ourselves. One teacher has lost their career through volunteering to be arrested. More ‘rebellions’ are planned.
It was revealed this week that the cost of No Deal planning has topped £4bn in a Brexit scenario nobody except hard-line Brexiters want. But huge sums of money was not the only cost of No Deal. Thousands of the UK’s rarest orchids were bulldozed to make potential truck parks in Kent.
In another huge blow for Brexiters, Nancy Pelosi confirmed in Dublin that there was no chance of a US-UK trade deal if the seamless Northern Irish border was threatened by the UK leaving the EU. Pelosi reminded the world that US politicians were instrumental in bringing about the Good Friday Agreement and were unwilling to compromise.
Labour MP and Remainer, David Lammy, accused Jacob Rees-Mogg, Boris Johnson and the rest of the ERG of being like Nazis. The recent spread of right wing doctrine by ERG members would seem to support Lammy’s view that even this Nazi comparison is not strong enough.
Ahead of the Euro elections, Facebook countered the threat of right wing groups by banning far-right groups including the BNP, EDL and Britain First.
More shocking news this week on austerity and inequality.
In dramatic and emotional scenes that touched the world, an immense fire engulfed Notre Dame. The cathedral was reportedly only thirty minutes away from total collapse. A human chain passed historic objects and relics from hand-to-hand to save them from the fire. A rescue fund was launched with billions of euros promised which in turn created its own set of problems internally in France.
It has been a little while since Donald Trump has been in the news but here he was again this week. In a nutshell, the Mueller report was published this week and did not clear Trump from obstructing justice. A growing movement for impeachment is threatening the President’s future.
Stories of the week 7 March 2019
This week it seems there was only one major theme with a thousand subplots – Brexit.
In rapidly growing concerns about the rise of white right-wing terrorism, pro-Brexiters left suspicious devices to disrupt the rail network. Just what Brexit needs, delays to transport to add to the threat of lengthy customs checks.
Theresa May was accused by Tories of reaping disaster on the party for doing what should have been started nearly three years ago, and opening cross-party talks with Jeremy Corbyn. After three days, Labour says nothing has changed as May refuses to budge whilst there are other reports that Corbyn and May are trying to make any agreement water-tight against a future Brexiter Tory leader, say, for example, someone like Boris Johnson.
It’s official, Conservative divisions throughout the Brexit negotiations have made the UK a source of ridicule and pity for the rest of the world.
The Press also point out Gove’s and Johnson’s connection to the illegal Leave referendum campaign and wonder why such illegality and fraud is going without further review and action. It seems Brexiters have cheated their way to victory but nobody is willing to take action.
The Press ask ‘is Brexit over’ as a Labour leave constituency votes in a Remain Labour MP. MP’s have taken back control with a series of indicative votes as Conservative peers try to filibuster their way through preventing No Deal being taken off the table.
The Cabinet is split. The Conservative Party is divided but one way or another, like it or not, Article 50 is going to be extended. The question is for how long. Europe want either no extension or a long one whilst the Tories want a short extension to try and get through their deal.
The option of a 2nd referendum grows closer every day. New polls suggest the majority of the public want to have another say. Pressure is piling onto Jeremy Corbyn from Labour MPs to have another vote. Pressure is piling onto Theresa May from Conservative MPs to do the exact opposite and not give the people the final say.
In more dire No Deal Brexit warnings, Brexit has directly cost £66bn to date which doesn’t take into account the £900 billion that has already left the country. The mighty UK Services Sector has shrunk for the first time since the Brexit vote and more than 10,000 riot police are put on standby for No Deal civil turmoil.
Stories of the week 17 February 2019
The future takes control as thousands of UK school children stage a climate strike against the climate crisis facing us all. Following recent reports from the UN and the Met Office on emissions and global heating, there has been a growing Extinction Rebellion around the world. Theresa May slammed kids for protecting their future while adults looked the other way. Many more climate strikes are planned as part of the continuing global Extinction Rebellion.
In more distressing and alarming environmental news, insect numbers are collapsing at a staggering rate, triggering fears for the ‘collapse of nature itself’.
This week Brexit finally sank to the bottom of the glass when Theresa May’s chief negotiator was overheard revealing May’s negotiating strategy in a bar. It’s great to know our country’s future is being sorted out down the pub.
Europe remains totally bemused and confused over the UK’s approach to Brexit and the fact that Theresa May only seems to be negotiating with the Conservative Party. The Dutch Prime Minister highlighted the fact that the UK is fast retreating from the world stage and will be an insignificant force on its own.
The constant Tory party in-fighting has now turned into a total war. Hard line Brexiteers have accused of giving Brussels the perfect excuse not to renegotiate. Rees-Mogg, Johnson and the ERG have been told to leave the Conservative Party and join UKIP by the other Tory MP’s as the civil war continues and the Tories move closer to a final split. Guy Verhofstadt joined the condemnation claiming Brexiteers could end up on the guillotine like the leaders of the French Revolution for not representing true national interests.
Even worse was to come for May and the Conservatives. At least a dozen ministers and many more Conservative MP’s are set to resign if there is No Deal. At the same time, a ‘purple momentum’ is rising where UKIP members join Conservative associations to deselect moderate Tory MPs.
This week saw strong reactions against the west in the region.
In more condemnation of the UK, UK arms sales to Saudi Arabia are killing women and children in Yemen as people there kill themselves rather than face the pain of starving to death.
Stories of the week 25 November
Brexit took a number of major turns this week and even sprinted down some unexpected alleys as the process comes to a decisive phase.
Hugely alarming reports in the news this week of the Army being put on the streets to protect supermarkets and petrol stations in the event of a No-Deal Brexit.
In an attempt to avoid the No-Deal scenario, Theresa May was accused of ‘cronyism’ after handing a knighthood to a Brexit-backing MP and pouring money into Northern Ireland to appease the DUP and buy her deal through Parliament.
David Davis was ridiculed for not understanding EU negotiations whilst Boris Johnson was paid £47,254 fir an hour’s work in his own Brexit dividend.
The Government also tried to stop the European Court of Justice deciding if Article 50 could be reversed but failed in a victory for democracy.
Moves for Scottish independence increased this week as the country rejected the proposed Brexit deal. In a move that would break up the UK, Scotland received support from Spain to join the EU as an independent country.
In more Brexit drama, Spain reacted furiously to the UK’s stance on Gibraltar, threatening to veto May’s deal.
There were major and extraordinary stories in the Press this week on Austerity.
In the continuing row over the UN Report into Poverty in the UK, the Government not only remained in denial over the whole issue but unbelievably a Government Minister actually suggested that poor families could take in a lodger to beat Universal Credit.
In more disturbing reports on Government austerity that can’t be denied, private police walk wealthy people home in London while vigilantes patrol the streets of Hartlepool because the town has become lawless from police cuts.
A couple of big environmental news threads this week.
In the UK, Extinction Rebellion – the movement leading the fight to protect humanity from extinction, continued their ‘swarm protests’ angering Nigel Farage, making Lord Tebbit drive at a protester and Jim Davidson say ‘don’t they like it warmer’. A job well done then.
In more shocking news for the Government, two children under 18 are stabbed every day in the UK – a rise of 80% in three years as Police Cuts bite.
Inequality was highlighted again this week with news that the poorest are dying 10 years earlier than the wealthy in the UK.
The terrible Khashoggi story continued this week. As France joined Germany in sanctioning Saudi Arabia, Trump changed his stance completely and contradicted his own earlier statements.
In exciting scientific news, a plane without any moving parts actually flew. The press called it the ‘Star Trek’ flight.
Stories of the week 7 October
In surprising domestic Brexit news this week it seems Theresa May has her own problems with Northern Ireland. DUP leader, Arlene Foster, seemed ready to bring down May’s government although she could work with Boris Johnson if he was Prime Minister.
In not so surprising domestic Brexit news, the full implications and impact of Brexit were revealed in terms of employment. Unskilled males will be hit hardest with up to a million set to lose their jobs. A large percentage of this demographic supported Leave.
Jean-Claude Juncker once again has spoken out on the divisiveness of the UK Press and regretted that David Cameron had not allowed the EU to campaign during the referendum.
Theresa May came on stage at the Conservative Party Conference to the song ‘Dancing Queen’ after her dance performance on a recent trip to Africa. A European source later claimed Abba called Brexit a disaster.
This week’s Conservative Party Conference witnessed divisions in the party come right out into the open. Boris Johnson made an impassioned appeal to party members for his vision of Brexit whilst Theresa May made an appeal focussed on unity and the promise to end austerity. The Press really did look at this from a wide range of viewpoints. Take a look and see how they reacted to Boris Johnson’s leadership bid and May’s end to austerity.
Against the background of a teaching crisis, particularly in London, the Government have been accused of trying to disguise funding cuts to education with misleading figures whilst at the same time issuing misleading statements on the amount they actually do spend.
Whether it’s Brexit or online Social Media trolls, sympathy and compassion are on the decline as sadly most Britons think empathy is on the wane.
Two fantastic stories from our Science section this week – insect soldiers and Dracula.
Scientists fear that the US plan to genetically modify crops through using insects could also be used to turn them into bioweapons. The aim is to create drought-resistant crops but the impact of weaponised insects could easily result in food security issues on a global scale.
In another amazing story, vampires may have discovered the elixir of youth or as the headline asks, ‘did Dracula have the bite idea?’ It seems Americans are paying thousands for infusions of young blood. Top scientists believe it could work.
Thousands of flat-earthers around the world, or should that be across the world, have joined an exclusive dating app.
Stories of the week 16 September
Bank of England chief, Mark Carney, joined in with the various government warnings on a No Deal Brexit. After alerting the public to the facts that a No Deal Brexit would be as bad as the 2008 financial crisis with rapidly rising interest rates and unemployment along with rapidly falling house prices. Carney was, of course, accused of spreading doom and gloom by Brexiters.
In more Brexit financial news, New York replaced London as the world’s top financial centre as uncertainty over Brexit continues.
After his burqa row, Boris Johnson continued with his inflammatory language commenting on Theresa May’s ‘Chequers Plan’. Johnson decided to liken it to the Prime Minister putting ‘a suicide vest’ on the UK economy.
In more Boris Johnson news, the Government has been accused of ‘a power grab’ through changing constituency boundaries. These proposed changes will reduce the number of MPs. It will also reduce the majority of many Conservative MPs and puts both Boris Johnson’s and Jeremy Corbyn’s seats at risk.
The Home Office warned of an ever-growing terror threat from the far right. For the first time there were more white people arrested on terrorism charges than any other ethnicity.
Mark Carney was back with more disturbing news. The Bank of England are considering the possibility that with the new industrial revolution and AI, people may never be able to retire in the future.
This week Austerity stories demonstrated how cuts are having a real impact on everyday lives.
The Home Office admitted it had no idea how budget cuts were affecting the Police even though the Police were also preparing for civil unrest in the case of a No Deal Brexit. Proof of the effect of cuts wasn’t long in coming. London’s Met Police dropped tens of thousands of cases.
The NHS financial crisis has long been in the news but this week it emerged that the NHS is selling its land at an increasing rate.
A report also revealed some incredible inequality in the UK. People in wealthier areas enjoy 19 more years of good health than people in the poorest areas.
There have been many gruesome stories in the Syrian conflict. Idlib appeared to be potentially one of the worst with the UN predicting a humanitarian crisis if Assad’s Idlib offensive continued. Despite talk of attacks and counter attacks amongst the super powers, the threat of chemical weapons and the potential for one of the worst atrocities of the war, a ceasefire was established.
Two great stories this week really stood out.
After freak blizzards in Africa, there was snow on the Savannah and a US state didn’t like the idea of rising sea levels so passed a law against it.
