Age of Madness - prosecuting Boris and other tales from the Brexit front

Those whom the gods wish to destroy they first make mad.

So it is with, it seems, almost everything about our ongoing debate about leaving the EU. This madness appears to have spread throughout the land, a plague of conspiracy theory, offence, insult and obsession. Formerly cheery folk are become monomaniacal advocates of Remain or Brexit, prepared to cast friendships, work and community into the pit rather than admit they might just be over-egging the whole thing just a tad.

Over on the leave side there's a host of people casting those who think otherwise as traitors, quislings and paid lackeys of foreign billionaires. The attempt to find a way through the tangled mass of Brexit options is variously described as a betrayal or a sell out and any deal not conforming to the unwritten gospel of One True Brexit serves only to make us a vassal state, a colony trapped forever in the evil EU web. Some are even ready to countenance staying in the EU if the arrangements of our leaving do not meet the requirements of that One True Brexit.

Not to be outdone, indeed to maintain their lead in spittle-flecked, swivel-eyed lunacy, the Remain Ultras have found a new stupidity - they're going to sue Boris Johnson because the words on the side of a bus might not have been entirely accurate. And people - folk with good jobs and money to spare - have given these numpties the cash to take this action:

On Saturday 17th November, Boris Johnson MP was notified of private prosecutor Marcus J Ball’s intention to bring a private prosecution case against him. The case is in accordance with section 6(1) of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985, for the alleged offence of misconduct in public office.

Mr Ball has instructed Bankside Commercial to bring on his behalf, the private prosecution against Mr Johnson MP.

Bankside Commercial has retained the services of three barristers from Church Court Chambers: Mr Lewis Power QC, Colin Witcher and Anthony Eskander.

The alleged offence of misconduct in public office arises from statements made and or endorsed by Boris Johnson MP in his capacity as an MP and Mayor of London prior to and following the EU Referendum concerning the cost of EU Membership. Mr Ball alleges that the claim that the UK ‘sends £350 million a week to the EU’ was knowingly false.

Also, that Mr Johnson made or endorsed these statements with the intention of persuading the British Public to vote Leave in the EU Referendum.

Over £100,000 has been raised to conduct this deranged plan with more than 3000 people contributing. The lead numpty, Marcus Ball, says that they'll need half a million quid. To achieve what exactly? Apparently the contested claim about how much goes to the EU (and if you hark back to the referendum campaign, you'll recall it was contested - vigorously) represents "misconduct in public office" because Boris knew it was wrong. How on earth a person, regardless of their day job, conducting a political campaign can be described as acting "in public office" defeats me but more importantly, even if these idiots win their case, there's no chance of this changing what the outcome or direction of the Brexit process (an increasing occult enterprise).

When this is set alongside Lord Adonis accusing the FT of selling out to Japanese corporate interests and The Observer's ever weirder conspiracy theories about "dark money" and "secret webs", it's clear that people have taken almost complete leave of their senses. Add in a different bunch who are now saying that the Prime Minister's (slightly sub-optimal) attempt to craft something from the fog of Brexit is BRINO - "Brexit in Name Only" - and proves it's a Remainer conspiracy to keep us trapped forever in the EU's web. We truly are in a time of madness - "quos Deus vult perdere, prius dementat"


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