If you come for the King, you best not miss.
And boy, did they try. Lawfare, smears, three assassination attempts. But Donald Trump is the 47th US President. And he really means business.
I'm sitting at the hotel bar writing this. Fox News is rolling on the continuing inauguration events while some patrons sit chatting in MAGA hats and others are dressed in black tie attire ahead of one of the many, many balls and parties that take over Washington DC for a week. Having attended numerous such functions, I can attest to how lavish they are. Live 7 piece ensembles, opera singers, rivers of champagne, lobster claws mountained on ice, ice sculptures, custom cocktails and a sea of celebrity faces. What was so staggering is how many Brits I saw. Some events felt more like famous Brexity Westminster pub The Marquis of Granby on billionaire boosters.
The Reform lot. Liz Truss, Suella and Priti. Kate Hoey, Laurence Fox, Douglas Murray…But not a single Labour Minister.
But that got me thinking. To people like us (and I am crudely assuming you are of my politics if you are subscribed to this stack) this is seismic. We know it's going to come to our shores, and frankly, we can't wait.
Hence the great and the good of UK Right Wingery flocked across the pond to get a slice of the action.
Nigel Farage flew over on the private jet of one of Reform's donors with another money man and set up shop in an enormous townhouse in Georgetown, from where booze fueled courtship no doubt took place to fill the party coffers with dollars. And I am sure he will succeed. I called in to say hi and had a gin that he had mixed so bloody strong I temporarily became a Damien Hirst installation and then later fell asleep at the X party that night (tragically missing Elon in my drunken stupor). I have a very unflattering photo of me passed out in a glamorous red dress with a double chin which is the best warning I've ever seen for over consumption.
I'm over here on business, with a small team seeking investment for an exciting project I can't yet disclose. Bur you'll love it. Everywhere I went, our American friends would proffer comfort with genuine concern about the state of their cousins’ country. People in jail for social media, rape gangs, bankrupt economy and a massive Commie in charge. They were literally pulling out the check books in consolation. How can we save Britain?
But it's not only the genuine horror of Elon Musk at the state of Britain (who is, I can confirm, being briefed on British politics by someone who will remain nameless). It's every single freedom loving Republican. But how can they help? Oh, they ask how we can get Starmer out (which, sadly, I don't think we can) but what can they actually do?
Well, this is where it gets interesting. Elon will doubtless continue to expose our feckless, hypocritical, useless Government, and I have no doubt Trump won't mince his words of disapproval over certain things, especially cosying up to Brussels and Beijing. Tariffs may well be threatened, but those in the know think this will be more a device rather than a strategy actually imposed.
But the areas where we will really feel pressure are those where we are about to seriously diverge.
Trump has had enough of the UN. The WEF, the WHO, the many acronymed unaccountable supranational pseudo governments that have global socialism at their heart. America's disobedience and dismissal of these organisations could well harm them quite significantly, or force them to change. And as America strides out independently with its own agenda, we will have to ask ourselves if we are going to go with them. I somewhat suspect we may.
Net Zero is pretty much dead with Drill Baby Drill. We can continue to self flagellate at the altar of Greta, but whatever we do is not going to change a thing with America going after the black gold, which could have a very helpful impact on lowering wholesale energy prices. The American car market can continue to produce vehicles with combustion engines, so one imagines other auto manufacturers will want to do the same. If we don't let them, they will simply up and leave the UK.
The entire concept of Woke is going to be ruthlessly hunted down and persecuted in America. Which, as the provenance of the entire stupid neo-religion will hopefully start to put paid to that everywhere. Notice how Tech Bros Zuck and Bezos were at The King's side, along with Elon. With social media being the main distributor of the woke mind virus, and the sudden Damascene conversion of Meta's Mark, expect to begin seeing that ludicrous and poisonous ideology finally met with the public opprobrium it always deserved. Our spineless politicians will doubtless follow suit.
And finally, borders. Just a minute after Trump took the oath, Biden's migrant app was taken offline and troops lined the Mexican border. Gravel-voiced hard man Tom Homan, Trump's border bulldog, is apparently already filling the first flights for his mass deportations of illegals. When it is clear borders can be voraciously defended, voter intolerance in Britain at the soft approach to this critical issue will reach a further tipping point. As the polls begin to see Labour slide even further back, and with the political cover to inspire other Western nations to do the same, Labour's hand may be forced.
And while we wait for the reverberations of the restoration of political pragmatism, optimism and the resurgence of Western power to emanate across the pond, as the American eagle soars and the economy rallies, Brits will want the same.
And we all know who ‘Britain Trump’ is.
Vive La Révolution!
Also, it's worth telling you, because you are my people, that I will return to politics. It has always been my intention. I'm thinking MP for The Forest Of Dean and Culture Minister. Thoughts? 😉
I would love to see you back in politics. You have a voice and a critical mind, as well as common sense. Excellent qualities for a Reform candidate.
Excellent summary Alex, even though we have this heavy weight around our necks with this Labour government, Trump and Reform bring us hope for the future. You’ll make an excellent MP, good luck with your journey.