Following our return from an eight-day holiday in France, I have been seeking to understand events back in the UK whilst we were away. What follows is my best attempt at understanding what has happened.

1. A 96 year-old woman, despite failing health, is obliged to entertain both the former and current Prime Ministers on the same day. Meeting the former was to accept his resignation for serious misconduct and major personality defects. Meeting the latter was to agree to her request to be his successor, despite receiving the (voting) support of only 31.8% of her MP colleagues and 0.12% of the UK population.
2. Three days later, the 96 year-old woman, held in much affection by a majority of the people, dies.
3. Widespread messages of condolence to her family members are expressed by people and organisations in all walks of life, as is customary – and natural – in such cases.
4. All UK press media (with the exception of the Financial Times and, partially, The Guardian) adopt full North Korean style reporting. The BBC, to its shame, does the same.
5. Thousands, possibly millions, act in a way which suggests they have taken leave of their senses.
6. Said media organisations report all this as if it is normal behaviour.
7. Business continues uninterrupted in the financial sector in the City of London. Food banks, cycle ranks and myriads of businesses close “as a sign of respect”. My favourite example is the suspension of the dispensing of condoms from machines in Weatherspoon pubs. Presumably abstention from sex – or unwanted pregnancies – are also “a sign of respect”.
8. Railway companies, already cancelling large numbers of services owing to staff shortages, announce extra trains to enable many to travel to see the coffin of the aforementioned woman. Some of these train services will run in the early hours of the morning.
9. The funeral for the deceased is announced for 11 days after her death.
10. Government declares a bank holiday for that date, with the short notice leading to cancellation of urgent medical appointments and numerous other planned activities, including planned funerals for “ordinary” people.
11. Immediately following her death, her 73 year-old son stages a successful, but illegal, coup. See: https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2022/09/13/the-uk-is-very-clearly-in-breach-of-the-un-declaration-on-human-rights/ for reasons for illegality. No formal challenges or protests have been received from other parts of the establishment.
12. Son conducts a tour of his new fiefdom in an attempt to turn the sympathy for his mother’s death to his advantage as a consolidation of his assumed power and status.
13. Because of his new status and a deal struck by his mother in 1993 with the John Major government, son saves at least £200 million in inheritance tax. Nevertheless, the UK taxpayer picks up the tab for the undisclosed, but presumably huge, cost of mum’s funeral.
14. Republicans and other dissenters are denied airtime on the BBC and are persecuted and in some cases arrested for showing dissent. Opposition MPs are sent gagging orders by Labour HQ.
15. Meanwhile, parliament remains suspended for a further 10 days, despite the multitude of crises facing the country.
16. Once again, the British media seems to think this is all OK. Foreign media take a more critical tone.

So, all in all, our return to our home country feels oppressive. I’m sure I’m not the only one to feel this way.