For the first time in the 15 times that Her Majesty the Queen has invited a member of the House of Commons to form a government in her name, the actual ceremony of accepting the resignation of the incumbent PM and the prospective new PM “kissing hands” was not at Buckingham Palace but rather Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire in Scotland.
This was due in part to the Queen’s comfort reported as “mobility problems” but even so, she still looks remarkably healthy for someone who is 96 years old! God save the Queen!
Boris Johnson, the previous inmate at Her Majesty’s Prison No 10, led off the ceremonies with a final speech in front of No 10 Downing Street that was quite a bit like the ones he’s delivered over the past couple years of his premiership: delusional at best as far as his achievements, tinged with malice, and characteristically of a privileged elitist who read the classics at Eton College gave a not-so-veiled warning by way of comparing himself to the Roman dictator Cincinnatus who returned for a second term as dictator after a period spent behind his plough on his farm.
He then jetted off to Aberdeen with his successor in a second private jet following him to offer his resignation to Her Majesty which was reportedly accepted “gratefully”.
I think it safe to safe to say that many more people were also thankful that the tumultuous and bombastic reign of Boris was finally drawn to an end.
Exit newly paroled Boris along with Carrie in her exceptionally bright pink dress and bring on the new inmate Liz Truss who “won” the mail-in poll of the Conservative Party members over Rishi Sunak but by a decidedly closer margin than was reckoned indicating the deep split in the party.
Upon being shown into the presence of the Sovereign, Her Majesty formally invites Liz as the MP who commands the confidence of the majority of the House of Commons to form a government in the Queen’s name which is accepted and symbolised by a kissing gesture to the hand (but no actual kiss even before the COVID pandemic).
The actual transfer of power doesn’t typically take terribly long and before we knew it, Boris and Liz were on their way back to RAF Northolt located in the west of London near South Ruislip and Uxbridge.
South Ruislip and Uxbridge would also just happen to be Boris Johnson’s constituency which it seems shocking that none of the media seems to have picked up upon!
After a round-trip flight of about 1,000 miles, the more harrowing journey of the motorcade in to Downing Street in central London begins with a helicopter shadowing the five Range Rovers and police escort along the Thames until crossing at Westminster Bridge and then taking Victoria Embankment to get round to Downing Street.
One can only imagine the congestion charges that convoy racked up along the way! Especially given how circuitous the route was when the normal trip to RAF Northolt is 15 miles and pretty direct not even requiring crossing the river at the bridge. But the route was extended so that the storm that drenched the audience awaiting her could pass and she could make her first speech.
And what an inspiring speech…it wasn’t.
Oh, there were the usual platitudes of congratulating her predecessor for his largely illusory achievements and encouraging the British people to ride out the storm of rampant inflation and industrial strife and all that twaddle.
What was more interesting is what she didn’t say which was how she was planning on paying for the massive state aid package that is supposedly going to cap the imminent energy bills to consumers at 2,500 pounds sterling. Or how she was planning on saving the National Health Service (NHS).
Long on ideas and bravado, rather short on the details.
Just like her predecessor only decidedly less bluster.
Larry, the Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office, couldn’t be bothered to emerge from whatever hidey-hole he’d found to pay any mind to his fourth Prime Minister since his appointment to the post.
It’s rather a telling sign that when the coverage of the motorcade and Larry’s absence is far more compelling than what was actually in the speech that things are not going well in the United Kingdom.
In fact, they’re going very badly and now she’s signed up for the ultimate example of a job that is far better to be wanted than actually had.
Not only is she going to have to try to clean up Boris’ prodigious mess that he’s left behind, she’s going to have to do it with a deeply divided Tory party full of backbenchers who seem just as likely to put her to the sword when she’s outlived her usefulness and in the face of massive headwinds in the form of the ongoing headaches from Brexit going very badly, industrial unrest / strife / strikes, inflation going through the roof with a recession very likely, and the ongoing effects of Putin’s military aggression in Ukraine.
Best of luck, Liz! You’re for darned sure going to need as much as you can get!
In spite of all that, she seemed to have a happy smile for the cameras before turning on her heel and marching through that famous black door in Downing Street to begin assembling her Cabinet which is already looking like it’s going to be quite diverse.
That’s if you discount the fact that there will likely be only one survivor of the group that backed Boris before his position became untenable and then threw their lot in with Rishi Sunak.
So she’s going to take on all of those problems with a Cabinet that completely locks out the other half of the Tory Party that now doesn’t even have to pretend to be loyal to her or if they do vote with her, it’s only because they hate Sir Keir Starmer and the Labour Party even more than her.
We’ll see how long that smile lasts!
This is going to end in tears for her…guaranteed.
After all, Larry is one smart cat.
He knew full well he didn’t want to be around to be trussed to Liz’s mast!
He’s probably the smartest one in Number 10 Downing Street and will be likely contemplating what his fifth Prime Minister is like and how much fun he’ll have scratching the hell out of their furniture!