# 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:** 46
**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:** [June 29, 2021, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prime-minister-boris-johnson-tries-to-lead-the-uk-but-has-resigned-on-july-7-2022/837872/902 "2021-06-29T16:54:10Z")
Semaphore ---
**Author:** ![TheGunIsMightierThanThePen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thegunismightierthanthepen/32/2981_2.png) [@TheGunIsMightierThanThePen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheGunIsMightierThanThePen)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2021, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prime-minister-boris-johnson-tries-to-lead-the-uk-but-has-resigned-on-july-7-2022/837872/903 "2021-06-29T16:58:06Z")
Snail mail _à la_ FDR. ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2021, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prime-minister-boris-johnson-tries-to-lead-the-uk-but-has-resigned-on-july-7-2022/837872/904 "2021-06-29T17:23:56Z")
Smoke signals (“was it good for you”)? ---
**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:** [June 30, 2021, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prime-minister-boris-johnson-tries-to-lead-the-uk-but-has-resigned-on-july-7-2022/837872/905 "2021-06-30T22:17:26Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Precisely how does one have a properly socially-distanced affair? [![](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/41/6a/b9/416ab9813bf3df46ebd332602609029e.jpg) ](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/41/6a/b9/416ab9813bf3df46ebd332602609029e.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2021, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prime-minister-boris-johnson-tries-to-lead-the-uk-but-has-resigned-on-july-7-2022/837872/906 "2021-07-06T02:36:41Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Precisely how does one have a properly socially-distanced affair? You don’t, if you want to see each other in person. A senior civil servant was very publicly fired for the same offence last year. I’m sure lots of ordinary people were doing the same, but it is a little different if you’re the one literally in charge of telling everyone to stay home. Still, most people wouldn’t really care that much, especially since it seems to be a serious relationship (they’ve both now left their partners and moved in together). But yeah, the main issue really is that he’s been funnelling money to his GF, and actually being properly corrupt, and, worse, getting caught. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2021, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prime-minister-boris-johnson-tries-to-lead-the-uk-but-has-resigned-on-july-7-2022/837872/907 "2021-07-06T08:23:48Z")
The Wurst PM ever and Angela Merkel discuss sausages. Boris blithely offers up this analogy: > [@](#): > > Imagine if bratwurst could not be moved from Dortmund to Dusseldorf because of the jurisdiction of an international court – you’d think it was absolutely extraordinary. Yes, just imagine if Germany was divided into two countries with heavy restrictions on movement of people and goods across the boundary. Who could possibly envision such a thing? ---
**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:** [July 7, 2021, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prime-minister-boris-johnson-tries-to-lead-the-uk-but-has-resigned-on-july-7-2022/837872/908 "2021-07-07T14:16:26Z")
Clearly he’s no historian - although the unpleasantness of 1961-89 wasn’t “because of the jurisdiction of an international court.” > [@SciFiSam](#): > > …But yeah, the main issue really is that he’s been funnelling money to his GF, and actually being properly corrupt… At least he’s not _im_properly corrupt. ---
**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:** [July 18, 2021, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prime-minister-boris-johnson-tries-to-lead-the-uk-but-has-resigned-on-july-7-2022/837872/909 "2021-07-18T14:02:28Z")
The latest idiocy on COVID: > **[Boris Johnson is taking another huge gamble by lifting lockdowns in England....](https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/18/uk/boris-johnson-covid-gamble-freedom-day-intl-gbr-cmd/index.html)** > > On Monday, Boris Johnson placed English citizens at the center of an experiment that will give some indication of how well a highly populated country with surging cases of Covid-19 copes when lockdown restrictions are lifted. ---
**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:** [July 18, 2021, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prime-minister-boris-johnson-tries-to-lead-the-uk-but-has-resigned-on-july-7-2022/837872/910 "2021-07-18T15:02:51Z")
Another case of something you’d think was far fetched if you saw it in a satirical TV series. Johnson’s government concluded a Very Important Trade Deal last year with Ukraine. It was signed by Boris Johnson – the only trade deal considered to be of sufficient strategic importance to be signed by Johnson personally. It was “lauded as a key example of Britain’s post-Brexit trade and foreign policies”. But… the text was copy-and-pasted from another agreement… and apparently nobody actually read it. It seems it has a lot of clauses that they really don’t want. 🤣   > **[UK forced to reopen sensitive Ukraine trade pact after errors in text](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/uk-ukraine-brexit-trade-security-pact-b1884518.html)** > > Exclusive: Sections of the largely copied and pasted agreement tie Britain to EU rules > One of the same government officials said this was a deal that “no one wanted to get wrong” – particularly as it was subject to especially close scrutiny by the European Union, they added. > > Separately, an EU official told _The Independent_ they had noted that the agreement bound the UK to rules in some areas they had not expected it to. ---
**Author:** ![its\_the\_daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bb73d2/32.png) [@its\_the\_daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/its_the_daddy)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2021, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prime-minister-boris-johnson-tries-to-lead-the-uk-but-has-resigned-on-july-7-2022/837872/911 "2021-07-18T15:20:09Z")
…and by a marvellous coincidence, Boris and Chancellor Javid (who has Covid) have to self-isolate fror two weeks. On ‘Freedom Day’! > **[Covid-19: PM and chancellor self-isolate after rapid U-turn](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57879730)** > > It comes after anger over "VIP testing" allowing them to work following Sajid Javid's positive test. They tried to claim exceptional treatment,but the Press and the Opposition wouldn’t let them. You couldn’t write it in fiction! ---
**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:** [July 18, 2021, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prime-minister-boris-johnson-tries-to-lead-the-uk-but-has-resigned-on-july-7-2022/837872/912 "2021-07-18T17:57:12Z")
And I’ve just seen on the evening news that he’s been trying to pretend they only [flirted with the idea of using the daily testing trial instead of self-isolating, but decided they should stick to the same rules as everyone else](https://news.sky.com/story/pm-and-sunak-not-isolating-despite-being-pinged-after-javids-positive-covid-test-12358198) - even though [No. 10 formally announced it](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57877373) and sent the duty Cabinet minister into the TV news programmes this morning to defend it. But by teatime BJ was pulling the rug out from under him and making him look like [even more of an idiot than he already did.](https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/cabinet-minister-robert-jenrick-breaks-21844275) BJ can’t even lie effectively - he thinks he can go on getting away with winging it. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2021, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prime-minister-boris-johnson-tries-to-lead-the-uk-but-has-resigned-on-july-7-2022/837872/913 "2021-07-19T09:58:52Z")
> [@PatrickLondon](#): > > BJ can’t even lie effectively - he thinks he can go on getting away with winging it. And why not? He _is_ getting away with it, pretty much. ---
**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:** [July 19, 2021, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prime-minister-boris-johnson-tries-to-lead-the-uk-but-has-resigned-on-july-7-2022/837872/914 "2021-07-19T10:47:01Z")
He is the PM, right? ---
**Author:** ![Stanislaus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stanislaus/32/3391_2.png) [@Stanislaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stanislaus)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2021, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prime-minister-boris-johnson-tries-to-lead-the-uk-but-has-resigned-on-july-7-2022/837872/915 "2021-07-19T11:04:34Z")
> **[Voting Intention: Con 44%, Lab 31% (15-16 July) | YouGov](https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articles-reports/2021/07/19/voting-intention-con-44-lab-31-15-16-july)** > > Latest YouGov Westminster voting intention figures This survey was done pre-the weekend’s farcical “pilot scheme” rules-dodging, but still: it is difficult to know just what Johnson/the Tories have to do to fall behind Labour. They are right to have every confidence that they can get away with any old shit. ---
**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:** [July 31, 2021, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prime-minister-boris-johnson-tries-to-lead-the-uk-but-has-resigned-on-july-7-2022/837872/916 "2021-07-31T01:54:04Z")
Today, Prime Minster Johnson waged an epic battle in front of Prince Charles: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/zz-wHo57hlo/maxresdefault.jpg "Boris Johnson's umbrella struggle makes Prince Charles laugh") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zz-wHo57hlo) ---
**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:** [July 31, 2021, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prime-minister-boris-johnson-tries-to-lead-the-uk-but-has-resigned-on-july-7-2022/837872/917 "2021-07-31T06:50:10Z")
Johnson’s profession is being a clown and entertainer. Prime-ministering is a hobby. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2021, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prime-minister-boris-johnson-tries-to-lead-the-uk-but-has-resigned-on-july-7-2022/837872/918 "2021-07-31T20:06:42Z")
Dang, in that photo he looks disturbingly like Trump. ---
**Author:** ![paulmarkj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9e8a1a/32.png) [@paulmarkj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paulmarkj)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2021, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prime-minister-boris-johnson-tries-to-lead-the-uk-but-has-resigned-on-july-7-2022/837872/919 "2021-08-01T17:39:17Z")
> [Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)[Guest](https://boards.straightdope.com/g/Registered) > > [Jul 19](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prime-minister-boris-johnson-tries-to-lead-the-uk/837872/913) > > > [@PatrickLondon](#): > > > > BJ can’t even lie effectively - he thinks he can go on getting away with winging it. > > And why not? He _is_ getting away with it, pretty much. Very true. They all lied about how great the fishing deal was, which gave their supporters something to shout about. Now, if you point out the lie, the supporters say ‘too late now, it’s all done’. In other words, the supporters don’t care if he lies. They, like he, just need t hold onto something. Tomorrow will be anoter day and another battle. ---
**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 12, 2021, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prime-minister-boris-johnson-tries-to-lead-the-uk-but-has-resigned-on-july-7-2022/837872/920 "2021-09-12T16:57:22Z")
More on that front: > **[The hard reality of Brexit is hitting Britain. It's costing everyone but...](https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/12/business/brexit-reality-bites-in-britain-intl-gbr-cmd/index.html)** > > From one end of the supply chain to the other, the UK's food producers have endured a summer of trouble. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2021, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prime-minister-boris-johnson-tries-to-lead-the-uk-but-has-resigned-on-july-7-2022/837872/921 "2021-09-13T11:30:13Z")
We are assured that the shortage of lorry drivers has _nothing whatsoever_ to do with Brexit. But the Government is on the case: [they will be streamlining the HGV test](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-takes-further-action-to-tackle-hgv-driver-shortage), including getting rid of the pesky > [@](#): > > ‘reversing exercise’ element – and for vehicles with trailers, the ‘uncoupling and recoupling’ exercise because it’s not like HGV drivers will ever need to back up to a loading bay, and uncoupling a trailer is a completely safe and simple thing anyone can do. I know - they do say they’ll be getting third-parties to do that testing, which I’m sure will be just as effective and corruption-free as the [COVID testing has been](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/aug/15/lost-samples-and-late-results-the-tory-donor-his-son-and-their-travel-test-firms). Everything is fine, folks. Just fine. [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=45) [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=47)