That’s not just a comment on the weather but also the announcement by Rishi Sunak that he’s called a general election for the 4th July. We’ve had a thoroughly miserable day here in the Pennines. The rain has been unceasing. There’s been a real deluge here that makes summer feel even further away. I’ve spent most of my time glued to a computer screen as I’ve been busy editing all the pictures I’ve taken the past few days in order to clear the decks and get them out to clients and/or on my Zenfolio website as I’ve a packed calendar over the next few weeks.

Whilst doing so I’ve kept one eye on the rain outside and the other on political news and the speculation that Sunak was going to announce an election. We’ve been here before as this isn’t the first time we’ve heard Sunak was going to make an announcement only for it to prove to be a damp squib. This time it was true. Finally! In typical Sunak fashion it was all rather farcical. Not only was it wet here, it was chucking it down in London too! So, what did Sunak do? Plonked his podium outside number 10 and make his announcement in the pouring rain, which led to him looking an even bigger drip than usual. To add to the farce, Steve Bray, the indefatigable pro EU campaigner had got wind of what was happening and played D-ream’s ‘Things Can Only Get Better’ at such a volume he competed with the weather as to who could drown Sunak out more! Those with long memories will remember this tune as Tony Blair’s Labour anthem in the run up to their 1997 election landslide victory! You can view his speech here on the BBC website. Here’s a screenshot.

It really was classic ‘head boy’ Sunak. He knows best, everything’s going to plan and we just have to forget the past 14 years of the Tories running the UK into the ground and trust him. Only no-one in their right mind does. No-one with any critical faculties falls for it, including many of his MPs, who’re jumping ship to find other jobs before all’s lost. It was blather. Here was the one announcement people actually wanted to hear him make and it turned it into a metaphor for his whole time in office and provided social media with a rich seam of memes. Hardly the kick-off to an election campaign you’d plan, but someone did. Someone thought him going out without an umbrella to stand in the pouring rain in front of an equally wet and miserable press pack was a good idea, which tells you everything you need to know about who Sunak’s surrounded himself with. Can you imagine what he’s going to be like at the hustings? How many more disasters there’ll be? Sunak is incapable of relating to ordinary people in any meaningful way, but then – he’s never mixed with ordinary people. His whole life’s been one of privilege and entitlement. He makes Teresa May (famously nicknamed ‘The Maybot’) seem almost personable.

We now have 43 days of electioneering before we see the light at the end of the Tory tunnel. The Tories are so far behind in the polls they’ll need a miracle to save them. But don’t think that doesn’t mean they won’t put up a fight. I fully expect them to run a very dirty campaign. I’m also slightly concerned that people will think the result is such a foregone conclusion that they don’t bother voting. Please, don’t make that mistake. We’ve been here before and apathy helped foist Brexit on us.

Let’s not waste this opportunity to get rid of the Tories kakistocracy – and not just for one term either. With tactical voting they could be reduced to less than 100 in number. Such a crushing defeat is likely to lead to the party splitting, with the real swivel-eyed loons taking them even further to the right (and the wilderness) but with the possibility of a new centre-right part emerging from the ashes, which would be a good thing for democracy. I’ll be watching how things unfold with interest…

UPDATE.

I was right about the farce continuing. This evening Sky News was thrown out of the PMs election announcement to the party faithful! Oops! And it’s only day one…

Social media has been quick to rip the pee out of Sunak. Here’s two of my favourites from Twitter.

Meanwhile, ‘Cold War Steve’ came up with this gem…

I’ve a small favour to ask…
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