Boris Johnson's populist playbook implodes

[Eugene]

Source: Washington Post

Boris Johnson’s populist playbook implodes

By Jennifer Rubin
Opinion writer
September 3 at 2:00 PM

The right-wing populist canard rests on a premise that works only if the populists never get elected. You know how it goes: Politics is corrupt, the populist “alone” can fix it and those who oppose him are enemies of the state who thwart his ability to fix things. The kicker of course is that right-wing populists, being snake oil salesmen and anti-government nihilists, don’t know how to fix much of anything, and after all the huffing and puffing, the public gets the idea the populist cult leader is an incompetent charlatan. And here I’m not talking about President Trump, or rather only about Trump.

The Post reports that Prime Minister Boris Johnson, under public assault for his scheme to suspend Parliament to push through a no-deal Brexit, has now lost his majority:

In Parliament, Johnson was heckled and catcalled from almost the moment he stood to speak. He noted that Tuesday was the 80th anniversary of Britain’s entrance into World War II and said “This country still stands then as now for democracy for the rule of law.” He was met with jeering laughter.

He insisted that Britain was making progress in talks with European Union leaders about an orderly Brexit, which drew more mocking laughter.

Aided by repeated demands for “Order” by House Speaker John Bercow, Johnson said his opponents’ proposal to delay Brexit by another three months after Oct. 31 would “Force us to beg for yet another pointless delay.”

As Johnson was speaking, Conservative member of Parliament Phillip Lee dramatically crossed the isle to join the opposition, depriving Johnson of his majority.

It is widely suspected that Johnson has no real plan to avoid Brexit, thinks crashing out of the European Union won’t be so bad and, in any case, there will be others to blame. He’s tried the anti-democratic approach and gotten whacked on the snout.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/09/03/boriss-populist-playbook-implodes/

[dem4decades]

1. looks as if the British care more about their country than Republicans do theirs.

[erronis]

3. Excellent point. Of course repuglicons only care about money

no matter where it comes from. Bribes, blackmail, unreported under-the-table transactions, lobbyist cash.

Let's not leave out payments from their real masters - the rUSSRians.

[First Speaker]

4. I like to believe that there is some barrier that the Tories just won't cross...

...that their history, traditions, basic decency, just won't permit them to become the simple gangsters the GOP has become. Maybe I'm naïve--our British friends would know. But Britain is the land of "it's just not done". The GOP would "do" anything--and has...

[gordianot]

2. As I remember from history Churchill did much the same with Chamberlain appeasement of Hitler.

Putin must be disappointed.

[lagomorph777]

5. Boris will lose his paycheck if he can no longer serve Putin.