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Profs and Pints DC presents: “The Boris Johnson Hangover,” a look at the painful politics of post-Brexit Britain and how the party might be over for its leader, with Garret Martin, senior professorial lecturer at American University and the Co-Director of its Transatlantic Policy Center.
In late 2019, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson scored a resounding victory in the general election, securing a comfortable majority for his Conservative Party. Yet, a little over two years later, Johnson is fighting to save his political life as a result of ‘Partygate,” a scandal triggered by revelations that Johnson had repeatedly flouted the UK’s rules by hosting large parties at a time when drastic social-distancing regulations were in place.
Boris’s bad behavior isn’t the only source of Britain’s next-day regrets. Brexit, the issue that propelled him to power, has itself been shown to cause splitting headaches.
Come learn about the wild events that got Britain into this mess, and the cleanup and reckoning it now faces, from Dr. Garret Martin, an expert on British politics and transatlantic relations frequently interviewed by media outlets such as CNN, NPR, Voice of America, and the BBC.
In examining Boris Johnson’s political vulnerability and how and why he may be removed from power in the coming months, Dr. Martin will place Johnson’s current troubles in the context of UK politics during and since the 2016 vote to leave the European Union.
He’ll describe how Brexit has dramatically redrawn the lines of UK politics, leaving a deep divide between those who wanted to remain in the EU and those who wanted to leave. It also has threatened the future integrity of the United Kingdom. Scotland’s overwhelming vote to stay in the EU has led to a renewed push toward Scottish independence. In Northern Ireland, on the other hand, the Brexit deal has weakened peace and stability, raising the possibility of Irish unification.
Because it was Brexit that Boris Johnson rode into power in the first place, his ouster could have far more significant consequences for UK politics than has been the case with other prime ministers’ departures. Come gather in a pub as the Brits and get the full picture. If you end up in the midst of a national scandal for it it’s on you. (Advance tickets: $12. Doors: $15, or $13 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. Talk starts 30 minutes later. Please allow yourself time to place any orders and get seated and settled in. Bring proof of vaccination and a mask, as both may be required in response to local infection rates. The Bier Baron will be requiring event attendees to purchase a minimum of two items, which can be food or beverages, including soft drinks.)
Image: A Boris Johnson impersonator mocks him at a 2017 rally opposing Brexit. Photo by ilovetheeu / Wikimedia Commons.
