# Prime Minister Boris Johnson tries to lead the UK but has resigned on July 7, 2022 **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 30, 2019, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prime-minister-boris-johnson-tries-to-lead-the-uk-but-has-resigned-on-july-7-2022/837872 "2019-07-30T14:24:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 26
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prime-minister-boris-johnson-tries-to-lead-the-uk-but-has-resigned-on-july-7-2022/837872/502 "2019-09-25T13:01:52Z")
[Attorney General Geoffrey Cox wasn’t holding back today](https://apnews.com/172e6d59ff044078865eef0e86679873): > [@](#): > > British Attorney General Geoffrey Cox accused Parliament on Wednesday of being a “disgrace” as lawmakers returned for the first day of work since a bombshell court decision deemed Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s suspension of Parliament to be illegal. > > Cox’s baritone voice boomed across the House of Commons as he defended the advice he gave Johnson backing the suspension. He aggressively took the offensive, accusing what he called a “dead Parliament” of being “too cowardly” to vote for no-confidence motion in Johnson’s government, which would trigger an early election. > > “This Parliament should have the courage to face the electorate, but it won’t, because so many of them are really all about preventing us leaving the European Union,” he told lawmakers. “But the time is coming. The time is coming, Mr. Speaker, when even these turkeys won’t be able to prevent Christmas.” 😕 What? “These turkeys won’t be able to prevent Christmas”? Brexit is like Christmas? Is there some pop culture reference at play here that I’m missing? Is it a South Park reference? Or is there some particular British expression or story about a turkey trying to prevent Christmas? And again: Brexit is like Christmas? With gifts for everyone and a warm family hearth and a sumptuous feast? Is that what he’s saying? ---
**Author:** ![DCTrekkie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dctrekkie/32/18862_2.png) [@DCTrekkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCTrekkie)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prime-minister-boris-johnson-tries-to-lead-the-uk-but-has-resigned-on-july-7-2022/837872/503 "2019-09-25T13:08:06Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > [Attorney General Geoffrey Cox wasn’t holding back today](https://apnews.com/172e6d59ff044078865eef0e86679873):😕 > > What? “These turkeys won’t be able to prevent Christmas”? Brexit is like Christmas? Is there some pop culture reference at play here that I’m missing? Is it a South Park reference? Or is there some particular British expression or story about a turkey trying to prevent Christmas? > > And again: Brexit is like Christmas? With gifts for everyone and a warm family hearth and a sumptuous feast? Is that what he’s saying? It’s a reference to the phrase “…like turkeys voting for Christmas”, implying that turkeys are stupid enough to vote for an event that will lead to their own death (Turkey being the traditional Christmas meal in many countries). The parallels to Brexit are obvious. He seems to be saying though that, having voted for it, it’s now too late for the turkeys to save themselves. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prime-minister-boris-johnson-tries-to-lead-the-uk-but-has-resigned-on-july-7-2022/837872/504 "2019-09-25T13:10:47Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > What? “These turkeys won’t be able to prevent Christmas”? Brexit is like Christmas? Is there some pop culture reference at play here that I’m missing? Is it a South Park reference? Or is there some particular British expression or story about a turkey trying to prevent Christmas? There’s a British idiom “Turkeys voting for Christmas” ie doing somethings against ones own self-interest. Cox is just mangling that - his performance became a bit unhinged towards the end, to be honest. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prime-minister-boris-johnson-tries-to-lead-the-uk-but-has-resigned-on-july-7-2022/837872/505 "2019-09-25T13:14:40Z")
Thank you both for the clarification. I understood the gist, of course, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard the phrase “like turkeys voting for Christmas” before. So: Brexit is like Christmas? ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prime-minister-boris-johnson-tries-to-lead-the-uk-but-has-resigned-on-july-7-2022/837872/506 "2019-09-25T13:16:08Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > So: Brexit is like Christmas? Well, it’s something a lot of people are looking forward to for some reason, something that we’ll do without really knowing why, will cost a lot of money, and is causing a lot of unnecessary arguments. ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prime-minister-boris-johnson-tries-to-lead-the-uk-but-has-resigned-on-july-7-2022/837872/507 "2019-09-25T13:29:07Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > [Attorney General Geoffrey Cox wasn’t holding back today](https://apnews.com/172e6d59ff044078865eef0e86679873):😕 > > What? “These turkeys won’t be able to prevent Christmas”? Brexit is like Christmas? Is there some pop culture reference at play here that I’m missing? Is it a South Park reference? Or is there some particular British expression or story about a turkey trying to prevent Christmas? > > And again: Brexit is like Christmas? With gifts for everyone and a warm family hearth and a sumptuous feast? Is that what he’s saying? I’ve always had the impression this was an American idiom, but it turns out that it’s British, and it was [first used](https://wordhistories.net/2019/01/11/turkeys-voting-christmas/) in a British political context. [Turkeys voting for Christmas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkeys_voting_for_Christmas) The American equivalent is ‘Turkeys voting for Thanksgiving’. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prime-minister-boris-johnson-tries-to-lead-the-uk-but-has-resigned-on-july-7-2022/837872/508 "2019-09-25T13:36:38Z")
The American version is “a chicken voting for Colonel Sanders”, if you’re interested. ---
**Author:** ![Wrenching\_Spanners](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecb155/32.png) [@Wrenching\_Spanners](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wrenching_Spanners)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prime-minister-boris-johnson-tries-to-lead-the-uk-but-has-resigned-on-july-7-2022/837872/509 "2019-09-25T13:48:34Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Thank you both for the clarification. I understood the gist, of course, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard the phrase “like turkeys voting for Christmas” before. > > So: Brexit is like Christmas? Cox was referring to a proposed general election. Labour, Liberal Democrats, the Scottish National Party, and the Greens (not sure about Plaid Cymru) have all called for a general election. However, they’ve also voted against it using the “need to prevent a No-Deal Brexit” as a shield. The reality is that 1) the non-Conservatives would almost surely need to form a coalition government to get a majority, and no-one’s figured out yet how that will work; 2) Labour is in such disarray that they don’t know if they support Brexit or not, want a referendum but aren’t sure what the referendum will be for, and are in a civil war over whether to be a hard-left or centre-left party; and 3) they’re really worried that a combination of traditional Conservative voters and pro-Brexit supporters might actually achieve a majority in Parliament in a general election. Cox is basically making fun of the hypocrisy of the parties calling for a general election while trying to avoid it, and taking the opportunity to call them turkeys. It’s not the greatest oratorical use of the simile, but it works well enough for taking a shot at an opponent. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prime-minister-boris-johnson-tries-to-lead-the-uk-but-has-resigned-on-july-7-2022/837872/510 "2019-09-25T13:52:44Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > So: Brexit is like Christmas? For those who believe in it (and especially a no-deal Brexit), it certainly involves hoping for some magical overnight surprise treat. For unicorns, read reindeer. ---
**Author:** ![DCTrekkie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dctrekkie/32/18862_2.png) [@DCTrekkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCTrekkie)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prime-minister-boris-johnson-tries-to-lead-the-uk-but-has-resigned-on-july-7-2022/837872/511 "2019-09-25T13:53:24Z")
> [@GreenWyvern](#): > > I’ve always had the impression this was an American idiom, but it turns out that it’s British, and it was [first used](https://wordhistories.net/2019/01/11/turkeys-voting-christmas/) in a British political context. > > [Turkeys voting for Christmas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkeys_voting_for_Christmas) > > The American equivalent is ‘Turkeys voting for Thanksgiving’. Ha. They even mention Brexit as an example. > [@Wikipedia](#): > > A prominent anecdotal example was displayed in the UK in 2016, whereby areas which were net beneficiaries of EU subsidies voted by a majority to leave the EU and then campaigned to preserve their EU funding afterwards: for example, Cornwall. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prime-minister-boris-johnson-tries-to-lead-the-uk-but-has-resigned-on-july-7-2022/837872/512 "2019-09-25T14:07:29Z")
> [@Isamu](#): > > "Are we doomed to a cold and hard future where a computer says ‘yes’ or ‘no’?” > > Computer says no. Well, I’d listen to the computer, then. I’m sure it knows best. ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prime-minister-boris-johnson-tries-to-lead-the-uk-but-has-resigned-on-july-7-2022/837872/513 "2019-09-25T14:50:32Z")
> [@PatrickLondon](#): > > For those who believe in it (and especially a no-deal Brexit), it certainly involves hoping for some magical overnight surprise treat. For unicorns, read reindeer. Don’t forget that Oct 31 is Halloween. Perhaps Johnson will wait in a pumpkin patch for the Great Pumpkin to rise up at midnight and deliver Brexit to all true believers. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prime-minister-boris-johnson-tries-to-lead-the-uk-but-has-resigned-on-july-7-2022/837872/514 "2019-09-25T16:15:07Z")
Here’s a little taste of what Parliament has been like today (not an ideal format - a video embedded in a tweet, but at least it isn’t geo-restricted). It’s been a bit feisty. > And this is before Johnson has even entered the chamber. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prime-minister-boris-johnson-tries-to-lead-the-uk-but-has-resigned-on-july-7-2022/837872/515 "2019-09-25T17:15:15Z")
The usual yells of “Rubbish!” and “Resign!” just aren’t going to cut the mustard anymore, are they? ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prime-minister-boris-johnson-tries-to-lead-the-uk-but-has-resigned-on-july-7-2022/837872/516 "2019-09-25T17:19:00Z")
The transport secretary, Grant Shapps, has just made a statement about the collapse of Thomas Cook. The previous transport secretary, ‘Failing’ Greyling, was widely regarded as the most useless person ever to hold that post. Nevertheless, Shapps decided to take a leaf out his book… literally! He took one of Greyling’s speeches, and [used it](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/sep/25/grants-shapps-lifts-sections-of-speech-from-chris-grayling) verbatim, except for making necessary changes in names and figures. > [@](#): > > “With your permission, I would like to make a statement about the steps the government have been taking to support those affected by the collapse of [DEL]Monarch Airlines[/DEL] Thomas Cook, in particular the [DEL]110,000[/DEL] 150,000 passengers left abroad without a flight back to the UK and the almost [DEL]2,000[/DEL] 9,000 people who have lost their jobs.” Yes, it’s an idiocracy. :smack: It was a generic speech that meant absolutely nothing, so I suppose he thought it didn’t matter, and nobody would notice. Naturally, as transport secretary, he couldn’t really care a stuff about Thomas Cook. He only needed to say some soothing words. ---
**Author:** ![kevlaw](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kevlaw/32/2281_2.png) [@kevlaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kevlaw)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prime-minister-boris-johnson-tries-to-lead-the-uk-but-has-resigned-on-july-7-2022/837872/517 "2019-09-25T17:22:08Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Or is there some particular British expression or story about a turkey trying to prevent Christmas? There is a saying “Like turkeys voting for Christmas”. English families traditionally have turkey for Christmas. That is, Christmas is a particularly bad time for turkeys. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prime-minister-boris-johnson-tries-to-lead-the-uk-but-has-resigned-on-july-7-2022/837872/518 "2019-09-25T17:24:31Z")
Johnson is expected to say tonight that he will allow a vote of no confidence if a motion is put forward by any party. Note that if Jeremy Corbyn does it, as he’s Leader of the Opposition, then parliamentary time is made automatically, but that doesn’t apply to the smaller parties unless the government makes time available. So, I wonder if the SNP will fancy it? (Source: every single UK political correspondent) ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prime-minister-boris-johnson-tries-to-lead-the-uk-but-has-resigned-on-july-7-2022/837872/519 "2019-09-25T17:25:39Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > The usual yells of “Rubbish!” and “Resign!” just aren’t going to cut the mustard anymore, are they? I’m just waiting for someone to grab the Mace and start swinging it around. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prime-minister-boris-johnson-tries-to-lead-the-uk-but-has-resigned-on-july-7-2022/837872/520 "2019-09-25T18:38:54Z")
Well, everyone would be relatively safe due to the lack of Kevin Vickers. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prime-minister-boris-johnson-tries-to-lead-the-uk-but-has-resigned-on-july-7-2022/837872/521 "2019-09-25T18:50:43Z")
[Jeremy Corbyn speaks thus](https://apnews.com/ed2369a31a924db9a7505bab2cab6b30): > [@](#): > > Britain’s main opposition leader has rejected Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s taunting demand for a no-confidence vote in the government, saying he won’t support a new election unless a no-deal Brexit is ruled out. > > Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn says Johnson should secure a delay to Britain’s EU exit — scheduled for Oct. 31 — and “then let’s have an election.” > > And he called for Johnson to resign over his illegal suspension of Parliament. > > He said Johnson “should have done the honorable thing and resigned” after the Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that the prime minister’s attempt to shut down Parliament for five weeks was unlawful. Johnson says he won’t quit. > > Johnson accuses his opponents of being scared of the verdict of the public for refusing to back an election. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prime-minister-boris-johnson-tries-to-lead-the-uk-but-has-resigned-on-july-7-2022/837872.md?page=25) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prime-minister-boris-johnson-tries-to-lead-the-uk-but-has-resigned-on-july-7-2022/837872.md?page=27)