- The Sun never sets on the Empire, so read the caption defining the power, heft, traction, reach, and impact of the Great British Empire of yore. The famous historical phrase was used to describe the sheer vastness of the British Empire, spanning territories around the globe. It was literally always daytime somewhere within the empire’s borders. As centuries passed by, and with other countries gaining prominence courtesy of the altered equations vis-à-vis power structures, the British Empire’s presence and hold gradually reduced. Undeniably, the country is still considered one of the most developed in the world’s pecking order. However, the pomp, gaiety, and immense presence enjoyed by the country lost its erstwhile sheen quite dramatically over the decades.
PC: PTC News
- It all started with Britain’s decade-old decision to ‘take control back’ and exit the European Union. Unfortunately, the country is defined by how often it replaces its prime ministers of late. Set to welcome a seventh PM in a decade, Britain has become a legit member of the revolving-door club, where govts change more often than curtains. Looked in a context, Meloni’s govt is Italy’s 68th since WWII. But with Keir Starmer resigning, she will now be seeing off her third British PM. Ironically, the latest resignation comes almost exactly 10 years to the day since the Brexit referendum, which was supposed to end Britain’s instability and restore it to its former glory. The Leave campaign’s slogan, remember, was “Take Back Control”. Irony at its best, you see.
PC: Sky News
- Intriguingly, the only thing the country’s really taken control over since then is how frequently it changes PMs. The one comfort is that Starmer’s 717 days aren’t crappier than Liz Truss’s 49. Meanwhile, for most Britons, the 2020s are managing to be even worse than the 2010s. At least then, there was some optimism that Brexit would rescue everybody. That hope’s good, though. One poll finds that 57% of Britons believe the UK was wrong to vote to leave the EU, another that only 11% think this made their daily life better. The continuous churn of PMs reflects a wider nihilism, that the country’s fundamentally broken, NHS waiting lists will keep getting longer, and everyday problems will keep getting worse. Another discarded PM can mean a fresh start, a reset.
PC: BBC
- Andy Burnham, the PM-in-waiting, is promising “change”. But so did Starmer. That’s how he got Labour into govt with a thumping majority. After the country had worked its way through five Conservative PMs – David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Truss, and Rishi Sunak. But he blew up a lot of that political capital by embracing the Epstein-tainted Mandelson. What is strange to outsiders today is how Burnham and Starmer don’t look all that different. They appear to be adjacent versions of the same factory setting: middle-aged Labour men, lawyerly, managerial. Except one got polished at Cambridge, and the other at Oxford. Likely, Burnham will strain against Trump and Nigel Farage as Starmer did. Nothing much will change, though, for the UK.
