A series of hilariously unfortunate events happened in succession on Wednesday. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak decided to use the power of his particular Downing Street pulpit to announce the date for Britain’s general election: the 4th of July, America’s Independence Day, the day where Americans celebrate our freedom from Britain and the British crown every year. We usually eat hamburgers and little cupcakes with American flags. We set off fireworks and allow the kids to play with sparklers. There are parades. And across the pond, British peeps will hopefully be kicking out a lot of Tory wingnuts. A toast to the Fourth of July!
Massive sidenote: this reminds me of the British media’s freakout and subsequent Britsplaining of America’s Independence Day when Prince Harry was seen last year with his family at the 4th of July parade in Montecito. The Daily Mail editors had never heard of this quaint American tradition of “celebrating” independence from one’s former colonial master. The American media is going to have an absolute field day with this, especially if the election goes badly for the Tories.
What was also hilarious about PM Sunak’s big announcement was that he chose to stand outside Downing Street in the pouring rain while one of his neighbors (anti-Brexit campaigner Steve Bray) blared D:Ream’s “Things Can Only Get Better,” which largely drowned out Sunak’s message, like Sunak himself was at risk of drowning from trying to deliver a hacky political message in a monsoon. A funny thing about this particular song is that the Labour Party used it constantly during the 1997 campaign… which they won in a landslide.
Rishi Sunak stands in the pouring rain, babbling that Keir Starmer hasn’t got a plan.
Ten minutes later: Keir Starmer stands in a nice dry room, calmly explaining his plan. pic.twitter.com/aDTmaSd1xl— Nicholas Pegg (@NicholasPegg) May 22, 2024
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak makes a statement announcing a General Election on 4th July 2024 at Downing Street in London, England, UK on Wednesday 22 May, 2024.,Image: 875478594, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Please credit photographer and agency when publishing as Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon., Model Release: no, Credit line: Justin Ng / Avalon
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- London, UK. 22nd May 2024. Rishi Sunak, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, announces the date for the next general election to be the 4th of July 2024 with a speech from a lectern outside 10 Downing Street in London this afternoon,Image: 875486669, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Imageplotter / Avalon
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- London, UK. 22nd May 2024. Rishi Sunak, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, announces the date for the next general election to be the 4th of July 2024 with a speech from a lectern outside 10 Downing Street in London this afternoon,Image: 875486697, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Imageplotter / Avalon
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- London, UK. 22nd May 2024. Rishi Sunak, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, announces the date for the next general election to be the 4th of July 2024 with a speech from a lectern outside 10 Downing Street in London this afternoon,Image: 875486707, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Imageplotter / Avalon
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- London, UK. 22nd May 2024. Rishi Sunak, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, announces the date for the next general election to be the 4th of July 2024 with a speech from a lectern outside 10 Downing Street in London this afternoon,Image: 875486745, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Imageplotter / Avalon
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- London, UK. 22nd May 2024. Rishi Sunak, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, announces the date for the next general election to be the 4th of July 2024 with a speech from a lectern outside 10 Downing Street in London this afternoon,Image: 875486763, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Imageplotter / Avalon
