Steve Parks Profile picture
Aug 14, 2022 19 tweets 6 min read Read on X
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
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…

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More from @steveparks

Aug 13, 2022
Bizarrely, I’m writing a gentle comedy about fascism — including the ‘Charter Cities’ wet dream of the libertarian extremists, which has its roots in origins of fascism.
The topic of charter cities is getting attention now, so I’ll collect useful notes in this living thread…
The concept of a charter city is a place that is run by corporations, rather than by civic government. There's a dogmatic belief that they must have _total_ control to create the 'perfect' city, so they can ignore citizens, and override national laws and regulations...
The origins of this idea within the fascist world view go back to the Charter of Carnaro, set up by Gabriele D'Annunzio (credited by Mussolini as his inspiration for fascism). Read this page, it's a wild ride: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_R…
Read 53 tweets
Jul 23, 2022
On the French side of the border they have completely remodelled their ports and Eurostar terminal in readiness for Brexit. Big infrastructure work, expanding customs areas.
The French customs can only occupy as many extra new booths as the UK gov built, which is none
Ironically, on the French side, many of the UK customs booths often stand empty because the UK hasn’t recruited enough new border/customs staff for the new Brexit worlds. I’ve often seen only two or three booths open and long queues
It’s been a source of complete puzzlement to me why the UK gov didn’t invest heavily in all this stuff since 2016.
They were told by officials and experts they needed to. They were determined to press ahead with Brexit, and even no deal. So why didn’t they do any prep at all?
Read 7 tweets
Jul 22, 2022
Considering how low the membership numbers are of the Conservative party within the UK, it wouldn’t take many of these non-British ‘abroad’ members to have an effect on the result…
Here’s their promise to allow votes in the leadership election to non-uk voters…
And, gosh, who’s this at the top of their about us page?
(And is she cos-playing as the Queen this time?)
Read 6 tweets
Jul 21, 2022
The whole country is soon going to be as successful as P&O
“Bing bong. Network Rail would like to announce that due to a contract train driver being unfamiliar with the braking system, the 14:30 to the West Country will not now be stopping at Lands End.”
* credit for joke goes to an old episode of I’m Sorry I’ll Read That Again of which my dad had tapes and I learned every line. So that is a very very old joke
Read 11 tweets
May 1, 2022
Our small block of flats in London had another visit from local Conservative candidates. Most people are out, but those here explained why they wouldn’t vote Tory. The candidates then recorded a video in our front garden explaining how they’d heard first hand from residents…
…about the ‘problems with Labour’, how the Labour council wasn’t solving the problems with the NHS (??!!), and concerns about Keir Starmer! They heard nothing of the sort here.

The culture of lies has permeated the conservative party now, at all levels
Interestingly, their leaflets go very big on promising to oppose new housing developments that the Labour council are allowing.

Perhaps they need to have a chat with ministers from, erm, the Conservative party, who keep complaining about local councillors blocking developments
Read 12 tweets
Feb 22, 2022
Isn't it odd that UK ministers who:
- Came to power through Brexit, which was partly funded with Russian cash
- Lead a political party which has received £££m from Russians
- Have had personal donations from Russians

don't want to introduce meaningful sanctions against Russia?
Russia's strategy under Putin hasn't been the olde worlde of recruiting agents and spying, so much as just making it very very lucrative for people to do the things they already want to do (get power and influence) in a way that aligns with Putin's interests
And what Putin mainly wants them to do is just cause chaos in the West. He doesn't have to ask or cajole them to do that - they've been picked because of their ego and incompetence. They naturally cause chaos in everything they get near
Read 12 tweets

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