Thread by @steveparks

Boris Johnson has been Prime Minister for 3 years, but will be out on his ear in weeks.

Let's look back at his first speech from the lectern of never-ending-impending-doom in Downing Street.

#UKpolitics #Boris

It's important to hold political leaders to account by reviewing their promises later.
And it will be illuminating to see what he and his ministers (including the next Prime Minister) have chosen to actually do beyond the rhetoric.

Let's go...

Blah, blah, blah.

Nope.

Nope...

Yes 😢
Nope
Yes
Nope (even they now say it's a bad deal)
Nope
Blah blah

Nope
Nope
Nope (fullfact.org/health/nhs-mon… )
Haha, Nope
Eh?

Haha, nope
Nope, nope, nope, nope
Nope, nopeity, nope
Really nope 😭

Nope
Yes (a repeat of pledge earlier in speech though, so doesn't count)
Nope

Hmm, nope
Nope
Nope, nope

Blah, blah, bollocks, blah
Nope
Yes (but out of government's control, so doesn't count)

Nope
Nope
Nope
Nope
Nope

Blah blah blah

Yes
No, but early steps made
Hahahaha nope
Yes
Nope, backwards steps in fact
Nope

Nope, nope, nope, nope
Nope

Hahahahahahaha. Really nope. Couldn't even attend COBRA meetings in some of the worst crises, but could party like mad.

So, very little of what was promised was delivered. But a few things were.

Hang on though. There seems to be a pattern to the things that were delivered...

Boris Johnson has only delivered on three policy pledges made when he started as PM. The three are:

• Make the UK leave the EU

• Create Freeports
• Change tax rules to 'provide extra incentive to invest in capital and research' (give large companies tax breaks)

We know they love giving large companies tax breaks, so that's self-explanatory.

And Brexit was the government's entire raison d'être (if you'll forgive me some ironic French) and they said it was necessary for everything else they wanted to do.

Which leaves Freeports. Why was this particular policy one of only 3 original promises delivered. Why was it so important to them?

I've been looking into it in this other thread on Freeports/Charter Cities

https://twitter.com/steveparks/status/1558402070776107014?s=20&t=3HUE6hhlZVmM3xuMK7IxhQ

The essence is that Freeports will give large corporations sweeping control over key parts of the UK, with reduced reduced taxes and 'flexibility' around legal and regulatory controls, to the cost of locals and the nation.

In summary, Boris Johnson's report card gives him a very poor score at the end of his term. He promised so much, but delivered so little. And the thing he has delivered is very curious and concerning indeed. He failed the UK, but who did he deliver for?

gov.uk/government/spe…