The pressure had mounted on Johnson to step down both internally within the party (with the resignations of multiple high-profile MPs) as well as from the broader public. Boris Johnson admitted; “In hindsight, it was the wrong thing to do. I apologise to everyone who’s been badly affected by it”.

Following reports of his resignation, the party leader of Labour Keir Starmer wrote; “It is good news for the country that Boris Johnson has resigned as Prime Minister. But it should have happened long ago. He was always unfit for office. He has been responsible for lies, scandal and fraud on an industrial scale. And all those who have been complicit should be utterly ashamed.”

However, as the news spread across the UK like the mishandled outbreak of a deadly virus, the music industry felt compelled to weigh in with its two cents on the matter. Check out the best examples in the posts below:

bye boris. good riddance.

— YUNGBLUD (@yungblud) July 7, 2022

very glad to see boris go now i’d like all the conservatives to go next — olly alexander (@alexander_olly) July 7, 2022

Yep https://t.co/GAgpbd183E

— Tim Burgess (@Tim_Burgess) July 7, 2022

Ironically, I don’t think there’ll be much of a leaving party — Tim Burgess (@Tim_Burgess) July 6, 2022

Celebrate, sure, but don’t underestimate the likelihood that we’ll be going from one evil fuck to an even more evil fuck.

— Rebecca Lucy Taylor (@SELFESTEEM___) July 7, 2022

WHATS THIS STATEMENT GUFF. FUCK RIGHT OFF. FUCK RIGHT OFF YOU USELESS PIG CUNT. — Sleaford Mods (@sleafordmods) July 7, 2022

I too have an opinion on the ousting of our primeminister Boris Johnson, but I am saving it for my memoirs. Hold tight!

— Yard Act (@YardActBand) July 7, 2022

off you fuck boris — easy life (@easylife) July 7, 2022

NoJo

— simone marie (@simonemarie4) July 7, 2022

Congratulations to the many MPs and cabinet ministers who finally noticed after decades of evidence that the guy they had enthusiastically backed was a terrible self-serving country-denigrating tool. Either way at least we have flushed the stool. — Shaun Keaveny (@shaunwkeaveny) July 7, 2022

In a way it would be inspirational if Liz Truss was to become Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Children could see how someone could ascend to the highest office in the country despite not being able to find their arse with both hands.

— Shaun Keaveny (@shaunwkeaveny) July 7, 2022

In his final address as PM outside Number 10 as onlookers hissed like a gang of street cats, Johnson said; “It is clearly now the will of the Parliamentary Conservative Party that there should be a new leader of that party and so a new Prime Minister. I’m immensely proud of the achievements of this government in getting Brexit done, to settling our relations with the continent… reclaiming the power for this country to make its own laws in Parliament. To [the] new leader… I say I will give you as much support as I can. And to you, the British public. I know that there will be many people who are relieved and perhaps quite a few who will also be disappointed. And I want you to know how sad I am to be giving up the best job in the world. But them’s the breaks.”

In fact, the prime minister has sworn to fix last December’s Brexit deal, which did not include visa-free travel for UK artists and their staff, along with more general Europe work permits. UK Music CEO Jamie Njoku-Goodwin bluntly asked Johnson why the creative sectors must go through the consequences of a no-deal Brexit, to which the PM replied: ‘I want to say how strongly I share the frustrations of the sector. This is a massively important part of the economy that contributes many of billions of pounds to the economy and jobs and to the general joy of the nation. It is hugely important and they are also a massive export industry. We must fix it.’

Hence, Johnson explained that meetings with UK’s European Union partners are being organised and that he was ‘passionate’ about restoring visa-free tours for performers. The Incorporated Society of Musicians’ Chief Executive Deborah Annetts stated: ‘The Prime Minister’s commitment to fixing the crisis for the creative industries is fantastic news for a sector facing a mountain of red tape and huge new costs to tour in Europe. It is extremely encouraging that the Prime Minister is working ‘flat out’ with individual EU member states to address issues with visas, work permits and moving goods.’

Musician Union General Secretary Horace Trubridge explained: ‘The MU is greatly encouraged by the PM’s response to questions from Julian Knight MP regarding the plight of musicians looking to tour in the EU post-Brexit. We are hoping that his words will enable Ministers to achieve a relaxation in the regulations that will enable frictionless touring for musicians sooner rather than later. After the misery of COVID which has brought about the cancellation of all live performance, musicians desperately need to feel that there is some light at the end of the tunnel and we welcome that the PM has signalled that a light might be shining from the EU side. Now that the PM has spoken, we will be looking to hold the Government to deliver on his promise.’

HAPPY NEU YEAR

today we resume shipping to Europe pic.twitter.com/FdlX2Z4uYk

— Banquet Records (@BanquetRecords) January 4, 2021

The record store spread the word that sales would continue through Twitter, tweeting ‘HAPPY NEU YEAR. Today we resume shipping to Europe.’ Alongside the tweet, the store released a graphic that read; “With clarity around orders to Europe, we can resume accepting orders to EU countries.” The announcement received a wave of support through social media, with many expressing their admiration, and support of the company’s ongoing efforts.

The fear over a no-deal Brexit was relieved on the 30^th of December, when the British government voted to accept Boris Johnson’s latest trade deal with the EU. However, Brexit has still caused a myriad of issues for touring artists and their crews, prompting many notable music industry figures to speak out, and demand security for these workers.

While the government have not put any measures to protect touring employees yet, they assured NME in a statement that they “…are working closely with the arts and culture sector to prepare for the end of the transition period and recognise the importance of touring for UK musicians.”

The song has already received praise from Black Mirror creator, Charlie Brooker, who said in October that the song was probably climbing the charts, especially hitting number 2 on the iTunes charts, because the music-buying public were responding to the UK government’s last-minute decision to scrap the proposed relaxation of coronavirus rules over the Christmas period and implement a new ‘Tier 4’ across London and the South East.

CLOSES MIDNIGHT TONIGHT!!!
DOWNLOAD ALL THE VERSIONS IF YOU CAN!!https://t.co/tUhHpbkSQ2
DOWNLOAD – STREAM – SHARE
Amazon – iTunes – Bandcamp#BorisJohnson #XmasNo1 #ChristmasNumber1 pic.twitter.com/rtMvrbadLL

— Kunt says ‘Download Now!’ (@kuntandthegang) December 24, 2020

The Official Charts Company have confirmed that as of the 22nd of December, the song is at Number Six and is the UK’s second most downloaded song of the week. The current Number One holder is LadBaby (YouTubers Mark and Roxanne Hoyle) with their song Don’t Stop Me Eatin’. If they keep their spot, this would be their third consecutive Christmas Number One. Mariah Carey‘s All I Want For Christmas is at Number Two in the latest update, while Wham!‘s Last Christmas is at Number Three.

Regardless of where the song places in the end, the song will not be played on BBC Radio 1 on Christmas day. During The Official Chart: First Look show on Sunday the 20th of December, presenter Katie Thistleton said that the song had “so many bad words in it, we can’t play it on daytime Radio 1.”

Boris Johnson Is A Fucking Cunt will certainly be Mike Gibbons’ most successful song to date. In 2010, his band Kunt And The Gang reached number 66 in the national charts at Christmas with another politically-themed single, Use My Arsehole as a Cunt (The Nick Clegg Story), while his 2011 single Fucksticks peaked at number 63.

Boris Johnson Is a Fucking Cunt is available on all streaming platforms, the UK Christmas Number One will be announced on Christmas Day.

The plan, called Operation Moonshot, depends on mass coronavirus testing, which, says the PM, would allow large gatherings to take place safely before a vaccine is distributed. This system would also give venue staff the authority to turn away individuals who show symptoms (such as a high temperature) or do not have a Freedom Pass at the door.

Johnson said that the city of Salford, near Manchester, will pilot the scheme, which could later be expanded across the country should its trial phase be successful. The announcement comes not long after several northern towns were placed under local lockdown due to rising coronavirus case numbers.

Hexmap showing the distribution of Covid-19 positive tests by specimen date in England by lower tier local authority.

Colour scale and figures in individual hexes show the total number of positive tests in a rolling 7 day period per 100,000 people.
https://t.co/uTnIVxgAzL pic.twitter.com/XrrrsHwSQG

— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) September 9, 2020

As mentioned, Operation Moonshot’s viability is dependent on increased testing. The government recently stated their new aim to boost testing capacity to 500,000 a day by late October, hoping that, in future, ‘millions’ of tests could be processed daily; each test with a turnaround time of just 20 minutes.

The PM says the Freedom Pass system would allow people to behave ‘more normally’, confident to attend events and large gatherings knowing that they will not infect or be infected by anyone there. Acknowledging the importance of an appropriate testing regime, Johnson said: ‘We think, we hope, we believe that new types of test which are simple, quick and scalable will become available’.

Operation Moonshot was deemed ‘ambitious’ by the PM, but he expects that the Salford trials will run smoothly and that the initiative can be rolled out ‘nationwide’ soon after. He added: ‘We’re hoping the ‘Moonshot’ approach will work and we will be able to deliver mass testing which will give people the Freedom Pass, the ‘laissez-passer’, the knowledge that they are not infectious and can hang out with other people who are not infectious in a pre-COVID way’. While the prospect of regaining some sense of normality and being able to safely attend live events is very appealing, many have criticised the PM’s plan. 

WATCH LIVE: #Coronavirus press conference (9 September 2020)

Speakers:

@BorisJohnson, Prime Minister
Prof Chris Whitty, @CMO_England
Sir Patrick Vallance, @uksciencechief https://t.co/sF9DExB6EB

— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) September 9, 2020

The project would require everyone hoping to attend an event, even the asymptomatic, to be tested for coronavirus. This is at odds with Health Secretary Matt Hancock’s recent statement that individuals without symptoms should not get tested, lest they add ‘undue strain’ to the ‘overloaded’ testing system. While Johnson hopes a more efficient process will soon be implemented to solve this problem, experts say such technology ‘does not, as yet, exist’.

Professor Chris Whitty, England’s Chief Medical Officer, said: ‘It is important that people who don’t have a clear clinical indication currently don’t [get tested] because we do still have constraints. Those constraints are not just going to magically disappear, and the demand on testing has increased’. The Prime Minister would like Operation Moonshot to be ‘widespread’ by spring 2021, but until rapid, large-scale testing procedures are developed, it is unlikely to come into effect.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned that in order for these measures to be allowed, fines will get harsher on those who break the rules with fines of up to £3,200 for people repeatedly refusing to wear a mask in places where masks are compulsory. Organisers of illegal raves of more than 30 people could also face a £10,000 penalty, the prime minister said.

From 15 August, we’re making changes to the lockdown restrictions in England.

Find out more here: https://t.co/V5ffEF4o5b pic.twitter.com/91wnDPIYgT

— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) August 14, 2020

Regarding the new rules, Boris Johnson has said; “At every stage I have said our plan to reopen society and the economy is conditional and that it relies on continued progress against the virus. Today, we are able to announce some further changes which will allow more people to return to work and the public to get back to more of the things they have missed.”

Other places opening up include casinos, bowling alleys, soft play and skate rinks. Weddings will now be allowed to have a sit-down meal with up to 30 people. Close contact beauty treatments including eyebrow threading, waxing, microblading and makeup applications will also be allowed.  The government will be testing out having an audience at sports fixtures by allowing a small audience at the final of the World Snooker Championship at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre over the weekend.

From 15 August in England, indoor performances can restart with social distancing in place. pic.twitter.com/TzvfMKd4mC

— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) August 14, 2020

These new guidelines have been announced just a few days after the Sam Fender played the UK’s first socially distanced show in the new Virgin Money Unity Arena, a venue created with the purpose of hosting socially distanced events. Speaking to Radio X, Sam said; “I just think the most important thing about today and about this time is reassuring people that this is going to end.  We will get back to our lives. We will be in fields, absolutely steaming, drinking lukewarm cider in the boiling sun, listening to some rock band.”

View this post on Instagram

Let’s go again tonight! #letthemusicplay @afishout0fwater

A post shared by Sam Fender (@sam_fender) on Aug 13, 2020 at 5:50am PDT

Despite having agreed terms with the festival’s promoters AEG, a Freedom Of Information request by The Daily Mirror shows that the deal was vetoed by Royal Parks, the body that runs Hyde Park, due to concerns that his lyrics would unsettle other Hyde Park visitors.

The decision was referred to Boris Johnson, however, his chief of staff Sir Edward Lister said: “Until receipt of both emails I had no knowledge of Eminem and his style of music and still do not.” It was then adjudged to be a decision for Royal Parks to make.

The Daily Mirror’s article goes on to speak of how AEG’s Jim King responded to the initial decision by stating “I don’t want to split hairs but I do question how easy it is for any offensive lyrics to be heard and actually understood outside of our event site,” adding that he was not “aware of any other case whereby he has been prevented from performing in the UK”.