Former prime minister admits in extract from forthcoming book that he discussed possible aquatic operation at height of pandemic

The AstraZeneca vaccine was, at the time, at the heart of a cross-Channel row over exports, and Johnson believed the EU was treating the UK “with malice”.

Johnson said that he “had commissioned some work on whether it might be technically feasible to launch an aquatic raid on a warehouse in Leiden, in the Netherlands, and to take that which was legally ours and which the UK desperately needed”.

The deputy chief of the defence staff, Lt Gen Doug Chalmers, told the prime minister the plan was “certainly feasible” and would involve using rigid inflatable boats to navigate Dutch canals.

“They would then rendezvous at the target; enter; secure the hostage goods, exfiltrate using an articulated lorry, and make their way to the Channel ports,” Johnson wrote.

However, Chalmers told Johnson it would be difficult to carry out the mission undetected, meaning the UK would “have to explain why we are effectively invading a longstanding Nato ally”.

Johnson concluded: “Of course, I knew he was right, and I secretly agreed with what they all thought, but did not want to say aloud: that the whole thing was nuts.”

  • ᴇᴍᴘᴇʀᴏʀ 帝OPMEnglish
    48•3 months ago

    Johnson concluded: “Of course, I knew he was right, and I secretly agreed with what they all thought, but did not want to say aloud: that the whole thing was nuts.”

    His first clue should have been that it was his idea.

    • @mosiacmango@lemm.ee
      28•3 months ago

      But notice how he pretends he secretly agreed it should not be done, even though he proposed it and then did not agree that it was the wrong action at the time, which makes him look severly bonkers, as it should.

      Hes just sane washing his own insane actions in his new book, recasting history to make excuses for his bad behavior.

      He goes into partygate excuses as well, when his staff were breaking lockdown rules his government set, and claims “ohh, I didn’t even have cake at my party. It didn’t even occur to me it was a party without cake.”

      Just complete bollocks.

  • @gasgiant@lemmy.ml
    25•3 months ago

    Wow more of the bojo “I would have got things done but the system stopped me” bollocks.

    Would easily have been the worst post WW2 prime minister but was beaten by the car crash that was Liz Truss

  • @scutiger@lemmy.world
    6•3 months ago

    Yes, yes, of course I think my idea was nuts. I just didn’t want to say so. Totally not lying about it right now.

  • @luciferofastora@lemmy.zip
    5•3 months ago

    Bruh, imagine being in the shoes of that Lt Gen and having BoJo tell you to figure out if you could invade the Netherlands. Imagine the restraint it takes to not yell at him right there and then, to carry out a feasibility study in accordance with your orders, then to find a way to present it to him as merely a bad idea instead of a bloody insane one from the outset.

    And then you get to worry that he might order its execution anyway and you’d have to start a political mess to avoid starting an international mess.