If you believe the chatter from Westminster the outcome of the ballot of the 160,00 Conservative members will mean that the UK will be led by Boris Johnson from Wednesday (tomorrow). So brace yourselves for what could be a stormy few days as Theressa May hands over the reigns to someone who optimises the “Marmite syndrome” you either love him or hate him. Boris is, without doubt, the most divisive PM since Margret Thatcher, and he will have his hands full trying to repair the fractured party, which may no longer have a majority if as is threatened a number of Tory MPs jump ship.
Boris Johnson likely PM and staunch BREXITEER
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His first job will be to sort out his Cabinet, which will look a whole lot different after the firings and resignations have finished, which will give him a nice array of enemies on the backbenches, and of course he can’t reward everyone who has supported him so a few more noses will be put out of joint. The healing of the party wounds is a big enough task in its self, however, add to this the looming BREXIT deadline and the Iran crisis which has highlighted the damage years of austerity has done to our Navy. If this was not enough then there is the treat of a break up of the Union with Scotland likely to push for another independence vote if BREXIT goes wrong and the United Ireland voices growing.
Sadly despite the years of Austerity and deficit-cutting the true picture shows that the UK’s National Debt is still rising exponentially and the Office of National Statistics (ONS) figures for the fiscal year ended March 2019 shows Gross Government debt standing at £1,821.3 Billion a rise of £57.5 Bn from the previous financial year and up a whopping £606.8 Bn since 2010-11!
With low-interest rates and a growing economy, this is manageable sitting at 85.2% of Gross Domestic Product (but still up from 75.6% in 2010-2011), however with the prospect of a no-deal Brexit looming large and the increased risk of a shooting match breaking out in the Gulf the economy could take a big hit.
Boris has a somewhat chequered past however if he becomes PM as it likely then he deserves a chance, however, if he continues with his past bumbling and shambolic ways it could be a cold winter in 2020 and the end of his government. He may look back on today as the day he grasped the poison chalice & who knows maybe Jeremy Hunt will step in to pick up the pieces.
Maybe Losing The Leadership Vote will prove a blessing in disguise
Editorial credit: lev radin / Shutterstock.com
