Did you know? The Patriot Post is funded 100% by its readers. Help us stay front and center in the fight for Liberty and support the 2024 Year-End Campaign.

July 26, 2019

Boris Pledges Leadership on Brexit

But that doesn’t mean British politics aren’t even messier than America’s.

A conservative political candidate assumes the highest office in the country with minimal experience, an unpredictable personality, wild hair, and a promise to upend the status quo.

Thinking Donald Trump?

Actually, it’s Boris Johnson and he’s taking the reins of power as Britain’s new prime minister.

Like Donald Trump, Boris Johnson faced naysayers who thought his push to become Britain’s next prime minister was a publicity stunt. Like his American counterpart, he has plenty of critics who’ve already predicted his imminent failure. This includes the British media who aren’t bothering to give him a honeymoon period. They’ve already brandished him a clown and a con man. And, like Trump, Johnson enjoys a mandate from a significant block of British voters pinning all of their Brexit hopes on the former journalist and London mayor.

As for President Trump, he seems to enjoy the comparison to Johnson. Trump recently told The Daily Mail, “We have a really good man who’s going to be the prime minister of the UK now. … He’s tough and he’s smart. They call him Britain’s Trump.” The president added, “He’ll get it done. Boris is good. He’s going to do a good job.” Trump’s praise for Johnson stands in stark contrast to his biting criticism of outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May, who Trump blamed for failing to see Brexit through.

Perhaps the most important similarity between Johnson and Trump is that Johnson is coming into a divided government, and with a slim majority in Parliament making his bold vision an uncertainty.

Madeleine Kearns writes at National Review, “Winning the Tory-party leadership contest was the easy part. Johnson has inherited an almost fatally precarious parliamentary majority. Out of 639 voting MPs, the government needs 320 to secure a majority. There are currently 312 conservatives, plus ten MPs from the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) who are lending their support. In other words, the government has a working majority of just two MPs.”

But there’s another option for Johnson and Brexit supporters: call a quick election before October 31, the date Johnson says Britain will exit the European Union with or without concessions from the EU Parliament.

However, Kearns adds, “With the competition of the Brexit party and the revived Liberal Democrats, this could seriously backfire for a Johnson government. Yet some think it is in his best interests to call one sooner rather than later. If it’s going to happen, better for him to lead the way.” But leading the way is a tall order for Johnson. Nigel Farage, Brexit’s leader, reminded Brits on Twitter that “Theresa May promised us 108 times that she would deliver Brexit,” adding, “Can we trust him to deliver?”

Were Johnson to call the election, his best bet might be to set up a showdown between those who favor Brexit and the pro-Remain faction. Victoria Friedman at Breitbart suggests that “such an electoral pact would be where the two parties would agree to not field candidates in certain constituencies to prevent splitting the vote and allowing either the Tories or Brexit Party to defeating a pro-Remain party like Labour or the Liberal Democrats.”

But Brexit isn’t Johnson’s only challenge. He’s also inheriting some other problems left unsolved by his predecessor. The Wall Street Journal editorial board reminds us, “To the extent he can stimulate stronger economic growth he can better position the U.K. to weather whatever Brexit fallout comes. A modest tax reform for individuals and a proposal to reduce the stamp duty on property transactions both point in the right direction. He needs to act quickly.”

There’s no doubt that Johnson’s plate will be full, but will voters really care all that much about tax reform if Brexit fails again?

Aubrey Allegretti notes at Sky News, “For those who fear his time in office will be defined by Brexit, Mr. Johnson sought to reassure — talking up pledges like increasing the number of police on the streets, a new plan for social care, schools and the environment.”

Maybe. But Boris Johnson’s tenure as prime minister will ultimately be judged on Brexit, much as Donald Trump’s legacy will be forever be attached to the yet-to-be-constructed wall on the southern border.

On October 31, we’ll find out if Johnson is the real deal.

Who We Are

The Patriot Post is a highly acclaimed weekday digest of news analysis, policy and opinion written from the heartland — as opposed to the MSM’s ubiquitous Beltway echo chambers — for grassroots leaders nationwide. More

What We Offer

On the Web

We provide solid conservative perspective on the most important issues, including analysis, opinion columns, headline summaries, memes, cartoons and much more.

Via Email

Choose our full-length Digest or our quick-reading Snapshot for a summary of important news. We also offer Cartoons & Memes on Monday and Alexander’s column on Wednesday.

Our Mission

The Patriot Post is steadfast in our mission to extend the endowment of Liberty to the next generation by advocating for individual rights and responsibilities, supporting the restoration of constitutional limits on government and the judiciary, and promoting free enterprise, national defense and traditional American values. We are a rock-solid conservative touchstone for the expanding ranks of grassroots Americans Patriots from all walks of life. Our mission and operation budgets are not financed by any political or special interest groups, and to protect our editorial integrity, we accept no advertising. We are sustained solely by you. Please support The Patriot Fund today!


The Patriot Post and Patriot Foundation Trust, in keeping with our Military Mission of Service to our uniformed service members and veterans, are proud to support and promote the National Medal of Honor Heritage Center, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, both the Honoring the Sacrifice and Warrior Freedom Service Dogs aiding wounded veterans, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, the National Veterans Entrepreneurship Program, the Folds of Honor outreach, and Officer Christian Fellowship, the Air University Foundation, and Naval War College Foundation, and the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation. "Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one's life for his friends." (John 15:13)

★ PUBLIUS ★

“Our cause is noble; it is the cause of mankind!” —George Washington

Please join us in prayer for our nation — that righteous leaders would rise and prevail and we would be united as Americans. Pray also for the protection of our Military Patriots, Veterans, First Responders, and their families. Please lift up your Patriot team and our mission to support and defend our Republic's Founding Principle of Liberty, that the fires of freedom would be ignited in the hearts and minds of our countrymen.

The Patriot Post is protected speech, as enumerated in the First Amendment and enforced by the Second Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America, in accordance with the endowed and unalienable Rights of All Mankind.

Copyright © 2024 The Patriot Post. All Rights Reserved.

The Patriot Post does not support Internet Explorer. We recommend installing the latest version of Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, or Google Chrome.