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Politics
Kate Plummer
Mar 16, 2022
Tory MP reveals he stood in human excrement during Brexit lorry trip
Independent
MPs have called the planned so-called 'Festival of Brexit' a waste of money and no-one is surprised.
In a report, a cross party-culture media and sport select committee criticised the government's handling of the £120 million project – which is officially called"Unboxed: Creativity in the UK", been planned since 2018, and is set to take place this year.
They said it took ages to sort out a name and that they thought its purpose was "vague". They said it was "ripe for misinterpretation" in the press and by the public and called the desire to cater for everyone "a recipe for failure".
Tory MP Julian Knight, who chairs the culture select committee, said: “Despite the UK having a strong reputation on the world stage as a leading host of sporting and cultural events, there is no golden thread linking them all together. Unless the government urgently addresses this lack of strategy and vision, it will continue to risk squandering the benefits such occasions can bring, while wasting the hard-earned money of taxpayers."
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"The Unboxed festival acts as a prime illustration of an event with aims that have been vague from the start. That it took three years to come up with a rather nebulous name, which will mean little to the few that are even aware of its existence, does not bode well for its chances of delivering a true lasting legacy.
"How this questionable example of planning is playing out should act as wake-up call for the government. Such a muddled approach is a sure-fire recipe for failure and we have no confidence that it can meet its ambitious targets for engagement or deliver a return on the substantial investment from the public coffers.”
After the news broke, people rolled their eyes as one:
So it turns out the \u00a3120m Festival of Brexit, renamed 'Unboxed' is actually 'Unhinged' and is an ill conceived and poorly executed colossal waste of money, just like the #BrexitDisaster it is supposed to celebrate. Now who the fuck could have predicted that? #BrexitShambleshttps://twitter.com/LBC/status/1503887221346250759\u00a0\u2026— Andrew Parnall - Brexit can't/won't work, ever! (@Andrew Parnall - Brexit can't/won't work, ever!) 1647418813
Festival of Brexit ? They must be joking. There is nothing to celebrate in Brexit Britain. We have done untold damage to our economy, our culture, our unity as a Kingdom and our international reputation. We have become a divided nation - bitter, trivial and uber-nationalist. 1/2— Paddy Briggs. European\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfasocial/economic liberal (@Paddy Briggs. European\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfasocial/economic liberal) 1647416002
How have I only just heard about this \u2018Festival of Brexit\u2019 that cost \u00a3120 million of tax payers money?!? Surely this is just a terrible joke #Brexit the gift that keeps on giving— tweetspassionatelyintothevoid (@tweetspassionatelyintothevoid) 1647413100
The \u2018festival of Brexit\u2019 accurately reflecting Brexit.https://twitter.com/lbc/status/1503887221346250759\u00a0\u2026— Chris Ballingall \ud83c\udff4\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc62\udb40\udc73\udb40\udc63\udb40\udc74\udb40\udc7f\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 \ud83d\udc89\ud83d\ude37 (@Chris Ballingall \ud83c\udff4\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc62\udb40\udc73\udb40\udc63\udb40\udc74\udb40\udc7f\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 \ud83d\udc89\ud83d\ude37) 1647403356
Sounds entirely in keeping with the Brexit theme.https://twitter.com/lbc/status/1503887221346250759\u00a0\u2026— Damon (@Damon) 1647424091
It is very apt that the Festival of Brexit has turned out to be a huge failure and a waste of taxpayer's money\n\nWho would have thunk it?https://twitter.com/LBC/status/1503887221346250759\u00a0\u2026— Louis \ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7 \ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa \u3013\u3013 \ud83d\udc99 Defend the right to vote (@Louis \ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7 \ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa \u3013\u3013 \ud83d\udc99 Defend the right to vote) 1647395004
The Festival of Brexit isn\u2019t still alive is it? It\u2019ll be a wake!https://twitter.com/13sarahmurphy/status/1503999317153128452\u00a0\u2026— REJOIN AND REFORM (@REJOIN AND REFORM) 1647417311
\u00a3120 million of our money flushed down the toilet of the Festival of Brexit, so ashamed of its own origins that every attempt has been made to disassociate it from that moniker.\n\nNow called Unboxed, but it's still the same hot mess as everything else Brexit touches.https://twitter.com/bloomberguk/status/1503884437276303365\u00a0\u2026— Edwin Hayward \ud83e\udd84 \ud83d\udde1 (@Edwin Hayward \ud83e\udd84 \ud83d\udde1) 1647389405
"Boris Johnson\u2019s \u2018Festival of Brexit\u2019 is a Recipe for Failure."\n\nJust like Brexit itself a failure. It the festival happens I fancy attending it wearing an EU outfit to annoy all the Brexit hams going there \n\nhttps://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-03-16/boris-johnson-s-festival-of-brexit-is-a-recipe-for-failure-mps-say\u00a0\u2026— \ud83c\udff3\u200d\ud83c\udf08 Frank \ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@\ud83c\udff3\u200d\ud83c\udf08 Frank \ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1647412109
Alexa, show me the very definition of irony.https://twitter.com/joncstone/status/1504004025632579587\u00a0\u2026— \u14aaISA (@\u14aaISA) 1647424117
Well, yes.https://twitter.com/joncstone/status/1504004025632579587\u00a0\u2026— Enid Shelmerdine \ud83d\udfe8\ud83d\udfe5 (@Enid Shelmerdine \ud83d\udfe8\ud83d\udfe5) 1647421150
Just confirmed the opening act for the Festival Of Brexit.pic.twitter.com/ieEMjDauUV— Parody Boris Johnson (@Parody Boris Johnson) 1647421171
\u00a3120 million of our money on this moronic Festival of Brexit that no one wants?! Someone hold my hair back while I scream— Ar | \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Ar | \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1647422485
A scale model of the solar system, a decommissioned North Sea oil platform and a pop-up forest, along with poetry, computer coding and music events are just some of the things we can expect from the festival.
There will even be a celebration of the British weather from the Newsubstance Collective.
Thanks, government. It's not like there's anything else happening in the world that could use some extra cash...
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