Hopefully you’ve all caught the face swap memes of Boris Johnson and Donald Trump and have found it equal parts hilarious and shocking how similar their hair is. However, the similarities between the two leaders run a little bit deeper than a case of bad hair. This might be funny if they weren’t the leaders of two of the most powerful nations. So, read on to see what the similarities are and what the implications are for the UK going forward.
Now, while we could go into the extra-marital affairs, endless public gaffes and episodes of what frankly amount to racism, let’s focus on the policy similarities.
Get Them Out!
Both leaders have built their campaigns around populist, nationalist ideals. In the US, the bedrock of Trump’s campaign was his promise to build a wall along the border with Mexico and to take a harder line on illegal Mexican immigrants entering the US. In typical jingoist fashion, Trump said that Mexicans were "bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists."
In the UK, Johnson was catapulted into the spotlight over his support for Brexit. Aiding then PM David Cameron, Johnson loudly proclaimed that leaving the EU would help secure the UK’s borders as well as take back control of the country’s economic and legal direction. Indeed, a large part of Johnson’s campaign for Brexit was based on his theory that Turkey joining the EU would allow Syrian refugees “back-door entry” into the UK.
Oops, Did I Offend You?
Trump has become famous for casually offensive speech and has shown none of the political correctness that one would expect from the leader of the most powerful nation in the world. Much of Trump’s language is deeply jingoistic and is aimed at rousing support among his mainly white, working class base of supporters by maligning minorities and those deemed the enemy.
In the UK, Johnson has become well known for a similar style of casual speech in which he often offends minorities while attempting to appeal to his base which also happens to be predominantly white. Jonson came under heavy criticism over comments made in a newspaper column in 2017 in which he said that women wearing burqas looked like bank robbers or mailboxes.
Ah, The Good Old Days...
Indeed, this focus on outlining “otherness” as a threat has been a central part of Trump’s campaign. The president has regularly lamented the deterioration of modern life and vowed to take the US back to the “good old days”. Trump is quite vague about what these “old days” consisted of but it seems to be something to do with Detroit dominating the auto industry and people still saying “Merry Christmas”. In a little bit of darker insight into what Trump means, commenting on a protester at one of his rallies, Trump said “See, in the good old days this didn’t use to happen, because they used to treat them very rough… We’ve become very weak.”
In the UK, Johnson too is well known for harking back to the days gone by. As a leader who often speaks in Latin and historical allegories, it is not surprising that Johnson too laments the loss of the “good old days”. Indeed, much of the Brexit campaign has been built around restoring and preserving Britishness. Johnson said in a 2016 speech "I think Winston Churchill was absolutely right when he said that the empires of the future would be empires of the mind. In expressing our values abroad, I believe that global Britain is a soft power superpower."
What does This Mean For The UK?
The startling similarities between the two leaders is ultimately a little bit depressing. At a time when the UK is leaving the EU on the premise of maintaining independence and sovereignty, Johnson’s endless sucking up to Trump comes across as hypocritical at best.
Trump appeared very happy at Johnson’s appointment as PM noted of Johnson and has frequently commented fondly on him saying "He's a different kind of guy, but they say I'm a different kind of guy, too,". Indeed, just yesterday Trump said that the two nations were working closely to deliver a post-Brexit trade deal and progress is "moving along rapidly". Trump also said he is “very much aligned” with Johnson. The fear is, that Johnson will become Trump’s lacky and allow Trump to abuse the “special relationship” which exists between the UK and the US. This could ultimately see the UK moving closer towards the level of privatisation seen in the US, with the NHS being the main concern.
Please note that this material is provided for informational purposes only and should not be considered as investment advice. Trading in the financial markets is very risky. These are the opinions of our Analyst, and Tickmill remains impartial.
Disclaimer: The material provided is for information purposes only and should not be considered as investment advice. The views, information, or opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not to the author’s employer, organization, committee or other group or individual or company.
Past performance is not indicative of future results.
High Risk Warning: CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 75% and 75% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with Tickmill UK Ltd and Tickmill Europe Ltd respectively. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Futures and Options: Trading futures and options on margin carries a high degree of risk and may result in losses exceeding your initial investment. These products are not suitable for all investors. Ensure you fully understand the risks and take appropriate care to manage your risk.
With 10 years of experience as a private trader and professional market analyst under his belt, James has carved out an impressive industry reputation. Able to both dissect and explain the key fundamental developments in the market, he communicates their importance and relevance in a succinct and straight forward manner.