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Jun 10 14 tweets 6 min read Twitter logo Read on Twitter
#THREAD

A great article on Boris Johnson's resignation, by German journalist @annettedittert - who since 2008 has worked in London as senior correspondent & bureau chief for ARD German TV, & in 2019 was awarded "political journalist of the year" for her reporting on #Brexit.
'The party is over.'

Johnson's departure is a victory for democracy over Britain's declining political culture. And it shows that even a prime minister must not lie to parliament.

A commentary by Annette Dittert.

Johnson's political career ends as it began: with brazen lies. Image
In his farewell statement, which is more like the heated tantrum of a five-year-old than that of a former PM, Johnson explained his departure as the result of a "witch hunt" called for by anti-Brexit, pro-Europeans & other members of the "establishment". None of this is true. Image
He is solely to blame for his case. The parliamentary committee of inquiry, which after months of deliberations has now clearly come to the conclusion that Johnson lied to parliament, consists of a majority of Tories, the chairman, Bernard Jenkin, is even an arch-Brexiteer. Image
And even if Johnson leaves open a possible return to politics in his statement, the truth is different. Even if he'll definitely continue to haunt behind the political stage and occasionally set fire to one or the other backdrop - the party's over for him. And that's good. Image
The so-called Privileges Committee, the parliamentary investigative committee whose report is expected to be published in the next few days, has restored one of the essential principles of parliamentary democracy, that the parliament must not be lied to, even by its PM. Image
The exact text is not yet known, but it is clear from Johnson's statement that the report does not let him get off as a minor case. The consequence of such a finding would have been a ten-day expulsion from the House of Commons, followed by a by-election, which he may have lost. Image
Johnson's resignation is nothing more than a last-ditch effort to make the headlines again.

At least in Great Britain he should succeed in the next few days. But that shouldn't detract from what the Privileges Committee has achieved here: Image
a victory for democracy over Britain's increasingly deteriorating political culture. Even a prime minister is not allowed to lie to parliament, so the factual truth remains a valuable asset and the crucial foundation for holding politicians accountable in a democracy. Image
The extraordinarily strong position of the executive in the British parliamentary system has often been criticized in the past, & rightly so. A PM with a clear majority can do more or less whatever he wants on the island - if necessary, even disregard basic rules of parliament. Image
Johnson repeatedly took this to the extreme during his time as prime minister, the most extreme case being the illegal suspension of parliament in the middle of the legislative period in 2019 because Johnson did not like its attitude critical of Brexit. Image
But there are checks & balances in the British system. Weeks after overturning Parliament, the Supreme Court reinstated it in autumn 2019. The current decision of the Parliamentary Inquiry Committee is a similarly important event for British political culture in this respect. Image
It is not surprising that in his statement Johnson angrily insulted this committee as ridiculous and denounced it as an undemocratic "kangaroo court". Image
He leaves the political arena exactly as he came: with a lot of noise and full of contempt for the democratic institutions of Great Britain, which he used for a while but just couldn't completely destroy. Image

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More from @docrussjackson

Jun 10
A paywalled article in competitor Rupert Murdoch's Times suggests The Telegraph newspapers could be worth as little as £450 million, considerably less than their price tag the last time they were sold, amid stalled subscriber growth & revenues still below pre-pandemic levels. Image
The Daily and Sunday Telegraph newspapers and The Spectator magazine were sold to the Barclay brothers, Sir David and Sir Frederick, in 2004 for £665 million after a bidding war involving publishers and private equity firms.
wwwBUK, the Bermuda-based parent company that controls Telegraph Media Group, has been put into receivership by its lender Lloyds after a long dispute with the Barclay family over repayments on a £1 billion loan came to a head. AlixPartners has been appointed as receiver.
Read 14 tweets
Jun 10
#THREAD

Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson was born on 19 June 1964 in New York City, to 23-year-old Stanley Johnson, & 22-year-old Charlotte Fawcett.

They returned to the UK in September 1964, in February 1966 they relocated to Washington, DC, returning to the UK in 1969. ImageImage
At Stanley's remote family home in Exmoor, Johnson gained his first experiences of fox hunting. His father was regularly absent, leaving Johnson to be raised largely by his mother, assisted by au pairs. As a child, Johnson was quiet, studious, & deaf.
He and his siblings were encouraged to engage in intellectual activities from a young age, with high achievement being greatly valued; Johnson's earliest recorded ambition was to be "world king".

Having no friends other than their siblings, the children became very close.
Read 76 tweets
Jun 10
A short #THREAD about lies & liars.

"The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to such a pass that he cannot distinguish the truth within him." ~ Fyodor Dostoevsky

"Excuses are always mixed with lies." ~ Arabian Proverb ImageImage
"You may tell the greatest lies and wear a brilliant disguise, but you can’t escape the eyes of the one who sees right through you." ~ Tom Robbins

"He who lies for you will lie about you." ~ Arabian Proverb ImageImageImage
"Never try to destroy someone else’s life with a lie when yours can be destroyed with the truth." ~ Author Unknown

"Never argue with someone who believes their own lies." ~ Unknown ImageImageImage
Read 5 tweets
Jun 10
Morning @BorisJohnson 👋. Grow the fuck up, & for once in your life put the country you pretend to love before yourself & take some personal responsibility, you spoilt, pathetic, whiny, selfish, greedy, infantile, reckless, narcissistic, lying, cheating, bigoted perpetual victim. ImageImage
By 2019, EVERY TORY MP, member, & donor, & every single right-wing newspaper editor, #TuftonSt think tank, Brextremist, & Tory voter knew EXACTLY what the serial cheat & pathological liar with his infantile clown act was like - but STILL supported him. 🤬

Read 5 tweets
Jun 9
#THREAD

For 30 years, grotesque Brextremist billionaire Tory donor Crispin Odey has reigned over London’s hedge fund scene. He was briefly married to Murdoch's eldest daughter. 13 women have accused him of harassment, abuse & fostering a toxic workplace.

ft.com/content/e5d143…
Odey Asset Management, his firm, was once one of Europe’s largest hedge fund companies and Odey, the man, a character from a bygone era of finance. An imposing figure at over 6ft tall, he cultivated an image as an unapologetically posh gentleman rebel.
He used his wealth & influence to boost the Conservative party, back Brexit & cultivate a friendship with Boris Johnson.

Although Odey’s assets under management have fallen from their $13.3bn peak, he's maintained his reputation as one of London’s last hedge fund mavericks. Image
Read 163 tweets
Jun 8
#THREAD

In case you missed this Telegraph review of Roger Waters performing in Birmingham, UK, on 31st May, which followed his shows in Frankfurt (28th May) & Berlin (17th & 18th May) - the US State Dept denounced the Berlin shows as "deeply offensive to Jewish people". Image
Roger Waters opened his British tour with an emotional 10 minute rant about his mistreatment in Germany, how good it was to be back in Britain but how upset he was about a recent “hatchet job” in the “fucking Telegraph”...
and how this paper (and “the Times of London” in fairness) had come to his Birmingham Arena concert just to “rip my balls off.”
Read 17 tweets

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