
This week the Tories struggled with Brexit and roundly failed to answer the big questions at PMQs.
With parliament back in session, the government has said and done a number of bizarre and awful things...
1. Matt Hancock defended "homophobe and misogynist" Tony Abbott in embarrassing interview.
The Tories have confirmed former Australian PM Tony Abbott as a UK trade envoy.
From the get-go, the idea drew criticism, including from Keir Starmer, because of Abbott's history of problematic comments. Abbott was a vocal opponent of same-sex marriage while in office and was famously deemed a "misogynist" by Julia Gillard in 2012.
When confronted with these claims on Sky News, Hancock replied "well... he's also an expert in trade".
The toe-curling interview quickly went viral.
On top of everything else, he’s also not an expert on trade. https://t.co/2lYIjMHk45— Armando Iannucci (@Armando Iannucci) 1599135489
2. Boris Johnson tried to defend the government's A-Level results fiasco with a reheated South Park joke.
At the first Prime Minister's Questions since parliament's summer recess, Johnson had some serious questions to answer about the confusion surrounding his exams U-turn.
But rather than doing so, he instead dubbed Keir Starmer "Captain Hindsight", a joke already stolen from South Park, for the second time.
Starmer hit back by accusing Johnson of "governing in hindsight".
Keir Starmer - The problem is the Prime Minister is governing in hindsight, that's why he's making so many mistakes… https://t.co/KEo5KS0ZQl— Haggis_UK 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 (@Haggis_UK 🇬🇧 🇪🇺) 1599045466
3. A Tory backbencher asked "the worst question ever" at PMQs.
Johnson might have faced a PMQs grilling from Starmer, but the questions he faced from his own party were somewhat easier, to say the least.
Tory MP James Davies asked the prime minister if he would join him in commending ITV for choosing to film I'm a Celebrity in Gwyrch Castle, north Wales.
This is it, this is the worst question ever asked at #PMQs https://t.co/as7n6fhCUw— Toby Earle (@Toby Earle) 1599046614
While the decision may indeed be exciting for local residents, Gwyrch Castle isn't even in Davies's constituency.
Johnson didn't exactly struggle to answer that one.
A pandemic that's lead to tens of thousands of deaths, imminent chaotic no-deal Brexit, climate breakdown, mass une… https://t.co/YuGorMoqlU— John 🌳💚🌏🕊️🏳️🌈🇪🇺🐈 (@John 🌳💚🌏🕊️🏳️🌈🇪🇺🐈) 1599049428
4. Boris Johnson threatened the UK with a no-deal Brexit... again.
So much for having an "oven ready" deal.
Johnson was forced to admit this week that brokering an exit agreement with the EU is proving "very difficult" – and as such, crashing out on 1 January remains a possibility.
On top of that, leaked government documents suggest that preparing the UK's borders for trade ahead of Brexit is "proving unmanageable".
With negotiations remaining fraught, perhaps simply 'getting Brexit done' won't be so easy after all.