They say a week is a long time in politics. However true that may be, the time during which the world came to a standstill owing to Covid-19 – rightly or wrongly – felt like a lot longer. Not, however, for the now ex British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Who seemed to have no bother rocking on while the rest of us were made to feel like monks.
Now, I am not making myself out to be saint material here, but, at the time, I couldn’t understand what the fuss about the parties in Downing Street. Possibly because the inclination was that those in attendance would have all been operating in the same bubble.
Though even if that had been the case, his detractors would still have used it as a stick with which to beat the Conservative MP. It alone would or at least should not have been enough to bring about his political doom.
Unfortunately for himself, mind you, it was only the tip of a very large iceberg in terms of the arsenal of ammunition he had equipped his opponents with by way of berating him.
The ongoing Brexit shambles having the dubious honour of being atop any such colation. Mind you, it’s only one of several reasons why Johnson’s abdication should be of huge concern to Ireland.
While it seems to have escaped the radars of at least some, it’s worth recalling that Boris was, in fact, originally anti-Brexit until it was discovered that he who is an even bigger buffoon – if that’s actually possible – Nigel Farrage, was making significant political ground with his highly (un)originally titled Brexit Party. But then, Bojo always strikes as the sort of character who would go whatever way the wind was blowing if it suited him.
Such trigger-happy erratic tendencies are not good in positions of leadership. For the individuals themselves, for those whom they are meant to be leading or for those with whom they have to interact in business. Especially when that business is politics.
See the Tories shambolic By-Election performances of late and his fumbling of the political football that is Brexit as Exhibits A and B. Juggling worse than a lad in a circus using flame throwers and terrified of where they might land. Worryingly from an Irish perspective, that’s exactly where we come in.
It is not being fanciful to suggest that Ireland is at higher risk from the Brexit debacle than almost if not literally every other country in the world. At this juncture it will be openly admitted that not a clue is had about the Northern Ireland Protocol and the ins and outs thereof. However, anything that puts the peace on the island of Ireland under even a scintilla of strain must be avoided like the plague.
One area where there is a decent level of knowledge and experience is farming and agri business. No sector of the Irish economy is at bigger risk than the above. To just take beef farming as one example, so much of winter finishing operations depend on export markets for their produce.
Whether that be for higher end steak cuts or finished beef that goes that goes for manufacturing. In other words, to be minced or made into burgers by McDonald’s. Who source a large percentage of their beef from the Irish market.
However, it is not only the beef sector who would be effected by a bad Brexit. And indeed are already being so. The dairy sector could and would be open to serious upheaval were anything to happen to the long-held, advantageous position products such as Kerrygold butter and infant formula command on global markets.
To that end, while it was deeply concerning to hear An Taoiseach Micheal Martin acknowledge that relations between ourselves and the nearest neighbours had become strained, for one thing, it wasn’t a major shock. And for another, I would have no doubt it can be moved forward again.
Mind you, as Mr Johnson swam against the tide trying to keep himself and his Cabinet afloat, one couldn’t but see the parralells with the dying embers of Brian Cowen’s Government. Scrambling the pieces around the chess board but in reality all it was doing was attempting to put square pegs into round holes.
The comparisons don’t end there either. Both come across as honourable, decent men, very able politicians who gave of their best but were just not cut out for leadership roles.
From an entertainment perspective, with Donald Trump and Johnson both out of the picture – for now at least in the case of the former – it will be a lot more boring. On nearly every other scale of metrics, though, things can only get better. Provided the Tories don’t elect somebody like that clown Jacob Rees-Mogg!