Lazarus Johnson

2nd October 2019 Jonathon Davies Conservatives, European Union, Labour, Politics 0
Jonathon Davies, Going Postal
Boris wants you, Julian Tysoe CC BY 2.0

“When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.” John 11:43-44

What a difference a couple of days makes. Tuesday 24th September. Boris was meant to be finished. He had lost in the Supreme Court. His advice to the Queen had been unlawful. His prorogation of Parliament ruled to have been used as an attempt to stop MPs from scrutinising his actions. His government was in tatters. He still had no Brexit deal. The Speaker was recalling Parliament the very next day, Boris Johnson would be dragged before them, humiliated, to be savaged by the baying mob. Jeremy Corbyn had all but pencilled in his appointment with the Queen to form the next government. He would be forced to resign.

I knew this because the media told me it was so, covering this story 24/7. Everyone interviewed agreed he had to go. The hatemonger was doomed. Some on this very blog, yes I know it’s hard to believe, but some on this very blog gave in to despair. Brexit was cancelled. It was over now. The Remoaners had delivered the coup de grace, Article 50 would be revoked. I poked my head above the parapet in the comments section, that no one reads, to say this wasn’t so and that the prorogation judgement was fairly meaningless, only to have it bitten off. I was met with howls of derision. Yet, by Thursday all the media were talking about was that Boris said “humbug.” Many a comment on the blog featured the words “Surrender Act.” Quite a turnaround. How did this occur?

First up in the morning session on Wednesday 25th was Geoffrey Cox, the Attorney General. Previously thought to be a lukewarm leaver at best, he had up until now not really impressed. Hopes were not high among the Brexit faithful as he stepped up to the dispatch box. Well, he must have had his Weetabix on Wednesday morn as he appeared to be suddenly transformed. He started off slowly by setting out his statement after the Supreme Court ruling. He easily rebuffed every challenge and clearly explained that he, like most lawyers, goes in to cases believing they are in the right and putting forward the best case they can. He had good reason to be confident, as a number of previous courts, including the High Court of England, had backed the Government’s view. He went on to say that it was fine to disagree with the verdict, but the verdict had to be followed. Cue shrieks of outrage from the opposition benches.

As time went on, Cox grew more confident. He has a big booming voice, and a lawyer’s court room swagger and presentation skills. All were put to good use. He then went on to subtly troll the Remoaners, saying effectively that now the Supreme Courts and other courts could interfere, there would be consequences in future, many unintended. The genie is out of the bottle now, for good or ill, and he hinted that the results would be the responsibility of the Remoaner MPs and others who brought the case, on their heads be it. Many probably hadn’t thought that deeply. Short-termism is rife in our political classes and the establishment. Immediate gain and safeguarding of position is the order of the day. I have written before on the potential long-term effects of ignoring the referendum and alienating people from the ballot box. The message clearly irked some. Having conducted a successful defence, Cox then went on the attack.

Cox accused them of being a dead Parliament, of having no legitimacy and being afraid of giving the people a say via an election. He called opposition MPs a disgrace for trying to stop Brexit and thwart the will of the 17.4 million people who voted to leave. The triggering was immense, the Commons in uproar. MPs were in some cases red faced, blood pressure shooting up, shouting and screaming at him. Obviously, the rhetoric hit home. It wasn’t a good look for the Remainers. they like to frame themselves as the “adults in the room” on Brexit. Here they looked almost deranged, shouting and bawling, their emotions completely out of control. But more was yet to come.

Boris appeared, neither broken nor bowed. He gave a robust defence of himself and the case. Corbyn as per usual failed to land a blow. I can’t even remember what he said it was that poor. MPs had already worked themselves up into a lather from earlier when Boris went for the rhetorical jackpot.

Boris started calling the Benn bill, which was designed to block a no deal exit on 31st October and extend to January, the surrender bill or the surrender act. Suffice to say, this got something of a reaction. To borrow a phrase from Corporal Jones in Dad’ Army, “They don’t like it up ’em!” This clearly struck too close to home for some. The triggering reached new heights of delirium across the Commons. Complaints were made about alleged “inflammatory language.”

The ghost of Jo Cox was invoked by the Remainers, in an effort to stifle any criticism and to try and silence Boris. “Our dear departed friend.” Apparently, calling it the surrender act would cause the waves of far-right terror attacks that Remoaners keep promising are just about to be unleashed by Brexit, but never seem to materialise. Boris replied that concerns about language were humbug. Cue more shrieks of outrage. Boris doubled down by saying that the best way to honour Jo’s memory would be to get Brexit done. Absolute pandemonium. Remoaners were now suffering meltdowns across the House, once again unable to keep their emotions in check. Even the arch-Remoaner, Bercow, usually so one-sided, had to keep restraining them and calling for order and for the Prime Minister to be heard. They wanted Boris meek and cowed. This wasn’t it. It had all gone horribly wrong. Anyone who has read Vox Day’s political theories on SJWs knows that this is the “point and shriek” phase. Boris correctly didn’t back down.

The row rumbled on into the next day. Media outlets queued up to spit venom and declare their outrage. Boris was once again “Literally Hitler,” briefly taking that crown from Trump (at least for the day). Boris and others, Mogg included, refused to back down and explained that there was nothing wrong with robust language and debate. Even Bercow had to declare that nothing disorderly had been said.

I’ve said before, the more truth in the rhetoric, the more effective it is and the more it stings those it is targeted at. That’s why “surrender bill” triggers the Remoaners so much. They know it’s true and they have no answer. Hence invoking the ghost of Jo Cox to try and silence the criticism. Remoaners and the left want to control the debate and have long wanted to appoint themselves the gatekeepers of what is and is not acceptable speech. It always reminds me of Orwell’s 1984, with Winston asking someone working on the Newspeak dictionary how it is progressing. They reply that they have removed more words than ever before.

It’s all in order to control how people express themselves and to remove dissent. In truth, Boris hasn’t made any calls for violence. Neither did he bring up Jo Cox, the Remoaners did that themselves. Every time the debate gets too fiery for them, they cry foul. However, it no longer seems to be working. Many people on all sides are fed up with politically correct culture, and being told what they can and cannot say, for risk of “offending” someone. Many will be glad Boris didn’t give in. It will only increase his support, as will the Remoaners trying to make him a Brexit martyr, with attempts to remove him from office and replace him with the unelected Corbyn. Boris’ political career should have been over. Instead they brought it back to life.

(P.S. This piece is subject to the usual caveat that fast moving political events may render it void and make the author look like a total muppet. Featured image from Julian Tysoe on Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons Licence.)
 

© Jonathon Davies 2019
 

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