IS BORIS JOHNSON FIT TO BE THE UK'S NEXT PRIME MINISTER?
7 ways you can dispute Boris Johnson's election as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
By Amie Tyrer
If you are wondering why it feels like you are living in an incredibly realistic episode of Black Mirror, it’s because you pretty much are…
This week on the 23rd of July 2019, it was announced that Boris Johnson will be the 77th Prime Minster of the United Kingdom. The people of the UK can now reach out and join hands with those across the pond in the USA, as we will both be ruled by middle aged, white, cis-gendered men who have proved themselves time and time again to be racist, fascist, bigoted, homophobic misogynists... What JOY!
It was revealed this Tuesday morning that blundering BoJo won 66.4% of votes to Jeremy Hunt’s 33.6% in the Conservative leadership election. The decision to elect BoJo as Prime Minister was made by the 159,000 Tory Party members, has opposed to a collective decision by the general public of the UK. Due to May’s recent resignation and with no plans for a General Election any time soon, the common practice is for the members of the party in power to make this decision for us. This seems decidedly unfair as the Tory Party members make up just 0.14% of the population and have been found to be ‘entirely unrepresentative’ based on ethnicity, wealth and gender.
Let’s dig a little deeper… from our online research, we have found that 70% of the Tory Party are male, compared to just 49% of the general UK population and 97% are white British compared to 81% of the public. Tim Bale states: ‘In the UK some 15% of people come from ethnic minority backgrounds whereas only 3% of those in the Tory Party do’. Ask yourselves is it fair that the fate of our country and our future is in the hands of a man that thinks we should bring back colonialism, compares homosexuality to bestiality, refers to women in Burkas as ‘robbers’ and ‘letterboxes’, amongst other senile views? On top of all this BJ is chummy with the devil himself, Donald Trump and has plans to strengthen this relationship in the months to come.
If you are finding yourself feeling overwhelmed and frustrated by the recent political activity in the UK, here are a few things you can do to stand up and fight!
Educate yourself on Boris' plans for our future
As Nelson Mandela once said ‘Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world’. It might be a painful afternoon of research but grab yourself an iced coffee (and maybe a valium), sit in the sun and educate yourself on all things Boris.
- Start off with a shallow dive into BJ’s political history here
- You can read up on his views on key policies here and here
- Want to know more about Boris' bland, vague and frightening no-deal Brexit plan? You can find more here
- Questioning how he will deliver this in just 98 days? Hit up this link, here.
- You can read panel answers on Brexit and the EU here
I know this is probably the last way you'd like to be spending your warm summer evenings but remember, knowledge is power.
Protest, Protest, Protest!
Here at The Release we are in favour of a good protest. The recent Extinction Rebellion protests are a prime example of how civil disobedience and peaceful protesting can effectively raise awareness to an issue, increase discussion and debates and cultivate political change.
Yesterday the Women’s Strike Assembly held the first of many protests to oppose Boris's position as PM. Thousands of people gathered at London's Russell Square to protest against his ascension and the Tory government. The protests, titled FCK GOVT, FCK BORIS, were attended by a number of organisations that stand up to prejudice, including Black Lives Matter UK, Docs Not Cops, gal-dem, Sisters Uncut, and Lesbians and Gays Support The Migrants, to name a few.
There will be a public meeting in Parliament Square today on the 25 July 2019 led by Jeremy Corbyn, John McDonnell, Laura Pidcock and Dawn Butler in Parliament Square. Labour members and supporters plan to unite and to tell the new Prime Minister that this crisis cannot go on. If you feel that Tory incompetence has led to a 'deeply divided country', and are opposed to a government led by a man decided by just 159,000 people in the United Kingdom then head to Parliament Square today at 18:00 GMT.
A second protest is reportedly being planned by Women's Aid for 20 September 2019, we will post more information on this on our Instagram page nearer the time, so keep your eyes peeled!
Write to your local MP
Writing to your local MP to express that you are frustrated, worried or concerned about the recent election of BJ as Prime Minister, is a highly effective way to make your voice and your opinions heard within government.
Your local MP can act as a messenger to convey the thoughts and feelings of the area they represent. If enough of us express our disappointment, our sentiments will penetrate government and rattle the House of Commons, which may induce political change.
Get involved with anti-Brexit campaigns like OFOC
Earlier this month we spoke to Lara Spirit from Our Future Our Choice, a young persons campaign group that is fighting against the Brexit movement and fighting for a second referendum. If you are against Boris’s catastrophic no deal Brexit, like, follow and share their pages and join the movement!
Use your voice
Sometimes we can take the freedom that having technology at our finger tips for granted. It may not seem like a lot but using your Instagram, Twitter and Facebook pages to show your opposition is an extremely effective way of generating important discussions and spreading the message about issues that you stand against.
Share articles, write tweets, post stories with news updates – social media gives us the opportunity to be so empowered these days – use it!
Support organisations that fight for what Boris Johnson won't
Throughout the years Boris has made it clear that he has little respect for women, racial minorities and queer people. To fight back against this bigotry you can support organisations that stand up for what he won’t.
Organisations such as, Stonewall, MindOut, Help Refugees UK, No White Saviours, Docs not Cops and Women’s Aid are all carrying out integral work for minority groups in the UK and beyond.
You can support them by donating, attending meeting groups and spreading their message on your social media accounts.
Support alternative Political Parties
If you stand against old BJ and the Tory government then put your energy into supporting alternative political parties.
You can find their manifesto's here and if you are still unsure where you stand, you can take this quiz to find out more!
As scary as this time may be, and as easy as it may be to feel debilitated by the enormity of the situation, we encourage you to not sit back but to fight back. We did not vote for Boris to be our Prime Minister and I hope we can do enough to see change.
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