We're not certain what's being served in place of tea in the UK these days. First, the UK's nativist right-wing splinter group the United Kingdom Independence Party and like-minded Conservatives win a vote for the UK to leave the European Union (the Brexit vote), cheered on by a majority of the Conservative Party. Then the Brexit-opposing Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron resigns, replaced by Conservative "Brexit means Brexit" Theresa May, who then appoints the clownish former London Mayor and Trump doppelgänger Boris Johnson as, of all things, the Foreign Secretary. Johnson is known for his antics and extreme language, most recently comparing the objectives of the EU to those of Hitler and describing President Obama as "part Kenyan," and his appointment has badly startled leaders throughout Europe, to say the least, and the world generally.
One of the first challenges for the UK with Johnson leading the foreign ministry (besides maintaining credibility) will be to get in synch with Europe as far as the timing of Brexit. EU nations want a speedy but orderly departure by the UK, while the jittery Brits (perhaps having buyer's remorse after the post-vote UK economy stumbled badly) want to give it more time. Nonetheless, appointing someone like the openly racist, sexist Johnson as foreign secretary may signal to world capitals that the UK isn't that serious about foreign engagements, or, in the case of Brexit, disengagements.
UPDATE: He's also got that buffoonish quality so closely associated with Rump:
(photo: Heeeerre's Boris!)
No comments:
Post a Comment