Tory MEPs laugh about playing Brexit games, then delete the evidence

It’s only been a couple of weeks since a Tory MEP seemed to compare the EU’s social democrats to Nazis. But Tory MEPs have managed to embarrass their party yet again.

This time, they’ve used their strong political judgement and posted a picture of themselves having a laugh while playing a Brexit negotiation board game. Because Brexit, which affects everybody’s lives, is clearly just a game.

Siri, show us the perfect metaphor for Tories playing with people’s lives

The image was posted from the Conservative MEPs’ official Twitter account. But they quickly deleted the evidence, as the link originally included in Labour MEP Richard Corbett’s tweet has now vanished:

For them, #Brexit is just a game. A game with people’s livelihoods, futures, health and more. But, hell, let’s just have fun with it….. https://t.co/hCQN9Vnf8T

— Richard Corbett (@RichardGCorbett) November 7, 2018

But Corbett, an anti-Brexit campaigner, retrieved the evidence:

My previous tweet commented on a #Conservative tweet which they hastily deleted. Too bad I found a copy (thanks, Oleg): pic.twitter.com/Ci7oCCMv2i

— Richard Corbett (@RichardGCorbett) November 7, 2018

And long after the tweet was deleted by the Conservatives’ official account, Tory MEP John Flack remained defiant:

The only game in town ….. BREXIT The board game. A few minutes light relief from the hard work in Brussels today. pic.twitter.com/SjCFQXMhiv

— John Flack (fmr. MEP) (@JohnFlack2019) November 6, 2018

Pun pile-on

Whether gambling on a referendum, or playing chicken throughout negotiations, the Tories have treated Brexit like a game from the start.

Unsurprisingly, Twitter was on hand to provide a masterclass in board-game-related Brexit puns:

Or Cluedo without a clue.

— Andy Williams Jedi/TimeLord🔶 🇪🇺 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 (@cheltandy) November 7, 2018

Yes, the board game does actually exist

The game in question is available to buy online, for £66 no less:

And dare we say the gameplay description accurately describes the Tories’ current Brexit negotiation performance:

Will you save the country, or unleash political and economic carnage? …

You’ll be… shocked by the duplicity of your colleagues sneakily pursuing their own separate strategic goals

The description of how to succeed at the game explains where the Tories are going wrong:

Working out the Brexit deal requires patience, cunning, and forward thinking.

And if this recent admission by Brexit secretary Dominic Raab is anything to go by, “forward thinking” is definitely lacking:

Reassuring that the Brexit secretary “never knew” Britain was reliant on goods passing between Dover and Calais because our country is an island. Oh well, he knows now, better late than never pic.twitter.com/OhxG7jNOgv

— Matt Zarb-Cousin (@mattzarb) November 8, 2018

Games aren’t so fun when it’s real people’s lives at stake

But others are struggling to see the funny side:

Well,I suppose if you are going to damage (& risk wrecking) your economy and that of Ireland,risk peace,close businesses,throw thousands of people out of jobs & deprive future generations of Brits & Europeans of rights of travel & residence,then why not make a joke of it? #Brexit

— Gavin Barrett (@ProfGBarrett) November 7, 2018

Labour MEP Seb Dance added:

The Tories’ negotiation strategy in one picture.

Piss about (in the middle of the afternoon judging by the daylight) rolling the dice on people’s livelihoods and prospects.

Ooh what fun. See whose town is decimated by factory closures; pick a card to deport your neighbours. pic.twitter.com/W12uLJq8J2

— Seb Dance (@SebDance) November 7, 2018

No self-awareness

This latest incident again demonstrates a staggering lack of self-awareness and political judgement by Conservative politicians. While they laugh, Brexit warnings are coming in thick and fast: from health, to economic standards of living, to the potential demolition of workers’ rights in a post-Brexit, Tory deregulation fantasy land.

What Tories seem to regard as a game could, in fact, be torture.