It’s Freedom Week! Restrictions have lifted, pubs can open at full capacity, and calls of ‘Let’s get this party started’ are no longer illegal.
And there are plenty of parties planned. In journalistic and right-wing circles alone, these coming days see events held by Policy Exchange (Wednesday), the Institute of Economic Affairs (also Wednesday), the Centre for Policy Studies (Tuesday), the Spectator (Thursday), and unHerd (next week).
Aside from the popularity-contest of hosting parties on the same night (think tanks, it’s a Mean Girls world), there’s the obvious problem of some absent significant guests: both Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak are self-isolating. One assumes there isn’t a new government pilot scheme that allows you to end your isolation early for a glass of white wine and small talk.
Given the back-to-back dates of these events – and their presumably similar guest-lists – is it too far-fetched to imagine that this is a Bond-villain-esque plan to decimate the government? All it would take is one positive test, and suddenly right-wing politicians, commentators, and advisors would all be the latest causualities of the pingdemic. Cough, cough … the perfect setting for a coup.
One organisation said they weren’t sure they’d like to comment on the party, whilst another insisted that it would be compliant with all rules – a somewhat meaningless statement given that the event is happening post 19th July.Garden parties, drinks receptions, and guest speakers have never been so high-stakes.
