A few short years ago a number of regular contributors on Quora weighed in with their opinions on the potential for the UK to descend into dictatorship. The very fact that the question was even being asked was a disquieting indication of the instability of the chaotic Tory Government that was only clinging to power reliant on the fixed term Parliament act and the sheer arrogance and lack of awareness of their pathetically incompetent leader. The commentators expounded on a set of what they believed were radical fault lines that would be strongly resisted both in Parliament and by the British public. Given the widely recognized weaknesses in our electoral system that have remained in place for well over a decade and the increasing impotence of our Electoral Commission in protecting us from industrial scale fraud it was hardly surprising that it just took the stolen votes of the Covert 2019 Rigged Election to unlock the potential for a catastrophic fall into the abyss that will seal our fate if we fail to overturn the corrupt result.
In May 2018 contributor Gabriel Bell wrote, “In theory, anything could happen. But the problem is the PM is just one voice out of 650 MPs. They have no special powers to pass laws on their own, no special powers to declare state of emergencies and no special powers to seize power on their own.” As stated before Johnson was able to establish a stranglehold on power; he ruthlessly removed well respected non compliant MPs. Bell thought, “Everything done has to be done by the will of Parliament – or at the very least by the will of The Commons. And while the government of the day might be a bunch of closet fascists, they are generally not a bunch of actual fascists.” Sadly, this trusting assumption has been comprehensively debunked by the events of the past few months. Johnson and his Tory cabal under the command of a warped extremist the eugenicist Dominic Cummings, are every bit as dangerous to the survival of the ordinary British people being selectively culled by Covid 19 as any fascist uprising in history.
Bell is not alone in her supreme confidence in the integrity and enduring fairness of British democracy, which is why we are in such dire peril right now. She contends that, “Even back in Thatcher’s day and Blair’s day when they had a majority so big they could literally do anything unchallenged there was no hint of anything like this. Britain is a lot closer to a true democracy – where all voices in government are equal – than other countries claim to be. And because of that it is far harder – through legislative means – for anyone person to claim power and screw over the rest.” The key to gaining the ability to “screw over the rest” was accomplished by stealth using the weapons grade PsyOps of Cummings the master puppeteer controlling our narcissistic PM. The problem now is getting the public to recognize the sickening reality of this deception and demand the immediate removal of Cummings following his sworn testimony to Parliament or face jail; plus a comprehensive Investigation into the Covert 2019 Rigged Election.
In late 2017 James Bailey wrote, “The main problem for a PM with autocratic ambitions would be the press. The press effectively controls public opinion. If the PM wanted to become a dictator, then they would have to undermine and control the papers. They would do this with a combination of fake news and attacks on journalists. First, by churning out fake news on social media about members of the opposition, judges, etc, they can influence public opinion, as we have seen with Brexit and Trump. With this shift away from mainstream media, there is an opportunity for fake news to flourish, and affect many people’s views.” Shall we say mission accomplished? Bailey really believed the above set of circumstances presented an impossible barricade; so there was no need for concern. In reality the staunchly right-wing self-serving elitist press were Johnson’s strongest ally and he even warped the once publically trusted BBC by coapting them into a compliant Tory mouthpiece. It is sad to reflect on how gullible we all were.
In early 2017 Clair Jordan had written, “It would be difficult for a PM to do so unless they could persuade the electorate to support them. Without that, the electorate would press their MPs to hold a vote of ‘No confidence’ in the government, and if it passed there would be a new election. If the sitting government refused to abide by that and call an election, that would open a can of worms because the armed forces and the police” Jordan asserts that they, “…owe their allegiance not to the government but directly to the monarch, who is commander in chief. If a government were to set itself against the will of the people and the law to such an extent, it would have great difficulty getting the army to obey it.” Our police are becoming steadily militarized following the US model and both the UK armed forces and our police are being prepared to control protests that will be ‘reclassified’ as riots. We cannot give in to repression, stop our protests and resistance, but it’s vital we delegitimize Tory propaganda to oust this corrupt Government.
In mid 2017 Michael Tyson confidently wrote, “If any prime minister tried that in UK they would be removed instantly. As we live in a democracy not a dictatorship. If she tried there would be demonstrations and country would grind to a halt. So don’t think anyone would be foolish enough to try anything like that.” Later that year, just as blissfully unaware of the very real danger of dictatorship, in December of 2017 Jonathan Frankel wrote that, “Theresa May is a terrible example though, she has close enough no power. Hypothetically the best chance at a dictatorship would have been either under Maggie Thatcher or Tony Blair and it didn’t happen then.” Just because two thoroughly despicable war-mongering past PMs did not attempt to establish a dictatorship does not mean that it isn’t possible here in England right now. In March of 2019, Tom Cotter reminded us of the reality of British history by writing, “Most defiantly we did it once before any other country Oliver Cromwell won the English civil war and we became a dictatorship.”
The disturbing picture that evolves after reviewing these Quora comments is one of believing that the hypothetical potential for our dissent into dictatorship was remote and that we would heed the warning signs and resist. A barrage of pervasive propaganda persuaded the public that the Covert 2019 Rigged Election result was legitimate. We were expected to do the honourable thing and compliantly accept that the loathsome character Boris Johnson, who we had amply demonstrated our distain for with public displays of disgust, had miraculously been voted our PM. The ominous ghost of Christmas past morphed into the nightmare of Christmas present as we contemplated the devastating consequences of what we were persuaded was a legitimate result. If we continue to be duped by the illogical and incomprehensible Tory ‘landslide victory’ our fate is sealed; that remote risk of dictatorship will become the reality of our future for decades to come.
In a Byline Times Article entitled, “’A Hard Rain’ Johnson, Gove and Cummings Drive Britain Towards Elective Dictatorship,” they elaborate on exactly what I have been warning of since the disastrous result of the Covert 2019 Rigged Election. They say that, “Britain is changing from a parliamentary democracy towards an elective dictatorship faster than people realise after Boris Johnson’s election victory.” They still classify the result as a Tory victory which I remain unable to accept. They state that, “The announcement that Sir Mark Sedwill, the Cabinet Secretary and National Security Advisor, has quit is the most high profile indicator of a revolution that will be sweeping through Whitehall, Parliament and the courts over the next four years if Johnson, Michael Gove and Dominic Cummings get their way.” This dangerous regression is not entirely beyond our control, but it requires our immediate attention and a robust challenge from the left, we must demand day in, day out that Dominic Cummings has to go.
If Cummings is allowed to remain in post he will continue his clean sweep to remove trusted and established civil servants at a critical time when our country is in the midst of the Covid 19 Pandemic crisis. No competent leader would ever decide to risk such a potentially catastrophic disruption by putting new Government functionaries into key roles; during a national crisis familiarity within a strong team, experience and reliability are essential. But then Johnson is ‘no competent leader;’ in fact he is no leader at all as he is totally controlled by his unelected Chief Advisor. Byline say, “Sir Mark will have to be replaced, under Civil Service Commission rules, by another permanent or former permanent secretary – but the new National Security Advisor, David Frost, is currently leading the Brexit negotiations with the EU and is a committed Brexiteer and darling of the Vote Leave movement. Last week, the Prime Minister’s controversial chief advisor Cummings was reported to have warned that a ‘hard rain’ would soon fall on the Civil Service.”
What is not gaining enough attention in the media is that the appointment of Frost at a time when he is supposedly dedicated to negotiating our all important deal with the EU. This is a powerful indication that Johnson, or rather his puppeteer Cummings, has no intention of doing any type of deal with the EU and we are heading for crash-out Brexit. Most of us strongly suspected that anyway, but this is confirmation. The chaos and financial carnage of crash-out Brexit can be neatly obscured within the anticipated economic recession caused by Covid 19. The shambolic mismanagement of the Covid crisis by the Tory Government has not only cost us more in lives lost, but will also guarantee a much harsher economic impact than anywhere else in Europe; we cannot afford to double that recession plummet with the avoidable self-harm of crash-out Brexit. The British public must wake up to this very real threat to the survival of those who, as always, will be hit the hardest: the working poor, vulnerable and disabled.
Byline Times has chosen to remind us of the new crew our ultimate commander in chief wants to bring onboard, writing, “What has not been noticed is that the vast majority of new Whitehall appointments are now going to business and data experts – part of Cummings’ revolution to bring in ‘disrupters’ and, in his words, ‘weirdos and misfits’ into the heart of Whitehall.” While innovative minds might pass as positive disruptors, the attempted early appointment of a hard core eugenicist was a taste of exactly what the Cummings preferred category of ‘weirdos and misfits’ might include. Byline report that, “The search for a new permanent secretary for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) already involves a New York recruitment agency, Russell Reynolds, which states on its website: ‘The organisations that don’t disrupt themselves are the ones that will be disrupted’.” This might not sound so worrying if it were not for the underlying priorities of this warped Tory Government controlled by Cummings.
Byline inform us that, “Now, BEIS is recruiting a new head of behavioural change, data and insight with the aim of using data to revolutionise its communications strategy. A BEIS spokesman said that this will be beneficial: “Our recent Coronavirus campaign activity successfully reached some of the UK’s most disadvantaged groups…” but how might Cummings try to manipulate and control those vulnerable sectors of our society knowing that according to his own observations, “Tories don’t care about poor people!” Further they tell us that, “The Department for Work and Pensions is recruiting 16 business analysts to organise its ‘products’ – benefits and pensions – and nine new software engineers. The current 11 vacancies at the Cabinet Office are mainly data-orientated, with plans for new databases to be created for people with disabilities and black and ethnic minorities, including a new position to run a national location software system.” The long-term enslavement of the poor is destined to follow the Covid cull.
Byline Times report that, “In a speech at the weekend, the Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove – and Vote Leave ally of both Johnson and Cummings – backed the chief advisor’s agenda, praising Cummings’ new £800 million advanced research projects agency which will allow scientists unlimited cash to follow their latest ‘crazy’ ideas. He also attacked the establishment and said that ‘the whole culture of Government, and the wider world of political commentary, is hostile to risk, adventure, experimentation and novelty’. He then laid out the Government’s programme…” The Gove – Cummings team have form here; we only need to look at the massive damage caused to our education system following a crazy transformation that saw qualified veteran Teachers leaving the profession in droves and the harmful impact that loss has had on the children whose lives are still blighted by the unnecessary disruption it caused. We really cannot contend with such massive disruption as we are trying to recover from a crisis.
Byline continue by saying that, “All of this is being accompanied by post-Brexit legislation that is allowing a power grab by ministers at the expense of Parliament and democratic accountability. What was a parliamentary democracy which pooled some of its sovereignty as a member of the European Union is being turned into an executive democracy, in which ministers are taking power for themselves and bypassing Parliament.” They go on to describe the “Henry VIII Powers and the War of Independence,” saying that “Far from ‘taking back control’ of our laws, Parliament – the elected legislature at the heart of our representative democracy – is being demoted. Its main role in passing laws is being undermined by ministers ruling by decree. A report by the House of Lords Constitution Committee has forensically examined every piece of Brexit legislation and discovered extraordinary changes on the way in the next year.” If the public were better informed about the implications of these changes they would be seriously alarmed.
The so called ‘Henry VIII Powers’ might sound quaint and historically British, but in reality they are a repugnant blueprint for full authoritarian dictatorship. Byline explain that, “The Government is using what are commonly known as Henry VIII powers – or statutory instruments – to give it authoritarian powers. These include powers to create new criminal offences, impose unlimited fines on people, overrule in some cases legislation in the Scottish Parliament, and 150 new powers to changes duties and taxes on business and individuals. Even with something as mundane as the granting a road traffic goods licences, ministers have not bothered to even specify to Parliament how they will use the powers.” So in May 2018 when Bell confidently wrote, “…the problem is the PM is just one voice out of 650 MPs. They have no special powers to pass laws on their own, no special powers to declare state of emergencies and no special powers to seize power on their own,” this could not have been more wrong!
They say that the devil’s in the details, but your MP will not be getting a look in before critical changes are written into UK law. The Byline Times explain the extent of Parliamentary exclusion from vital scrutiny saying that, “At most, Parliament will get 90 minutes to debate each change and, in some cases, it will only be able to debate the change after it is already law. In his speech, Gove also took aim at two other powerful bodies that provide accountability: the National Audit Office and select committees. He blamed them for the failure of Whitehall to be bold: ‘Far too often, innovation in Government is treated as though it were a mischief rather than a model. The default mechanism of the NAO, PAC [Public Accounts Committee], other select committees and various commentators is that any departure from the status quo must be assumed to be more downside than upside’.” Expect to see these bodies neutered; Tories just don’t do Accountability. I would say that right now stability is far more important than turning the world upside-down!
Boris Johnson’s pledges on page 48 of the Tory Manifesto gave ample warning of the impending attacks on our Judiciary, but we paid no heed. Byline Times elucidate, “The position of the courts is also alarming. Ministers have taken powers under the EU Withdrawal Act to specify what retained EU law they should follow – not just at the Supreme Court, the final court of appeal in the UK, but also in the lower courts and at tribunals. Ministers have not published how this will be implemented, despite demands from MPs and peers to do so. Given that case law arguments are a key part of any trial, the peers rightly fear that is going to lead to chaos in the courts, with numerous appeals against judgments. Combined with this, the fact that ministers want to reform the judicial review procedure and – if Gove is right – assess the efficiency of judges handling cases, this is a power grab designed to reduce the independence of the judiciary.” We knew this was coming, but will we continue to passively acquiesce?
In conclusion Byline spell out the consequences of all these changes saying, “By the time of the next scheduled General Election in 2024, if Cummings and Gove have their way, Britain will have a smaller, more authoritarian Government. The judiciary will be less independent and Parliament will not have to meet as frequently – because many changes to law will be made by ministers without the need for primary legislation.” Although what is described here is essentially dictatorship or its modern day equivalent, what we politely call ‘Elective Dictatorship’ Byline do not examine the distinct possibility that this Tory power grab will have moved to the inevitable next stage of Dictatorship: removing elections. If a Comprehensive Investigation of the Covert 2019 Rigged Election had not managed to remove Johnson and his Tory cabal from office by 2024, then they might chose to cling to power by repeating the sham election trick. Ending this disastrous charade is an urgent priority as dictators stay in power for decades with no more free and fair elections! DO NOT MOVE ON!