The government’s ill-fated Get Ready For
Brexit campaign has been appearing all over bus stop and advertising hoardings across the
UK - but there’s a new ad campaign on the
London underground raising a few eyebrows.
One questions Boris Johnson’s financial links to “Britain’s leading climate denial group”. Another highlights the Conservative leader’s proposal for a tax cut for the “richest 10%” while highlighting the scale of in-work poverty and food bank use in the UK. There are others hitting out at the new prime minister’s pledges on prisons and the NHS, claiming his policy blitz is deeply flawed.
All the ‘guerilla’ adverts, launched this week, have one thing in common: a link to a campaign website and a large hashtag with an unmistakable sentiment – #FCKBORIS.
It all started with Stormzy’s headline Glastonbury set, a highly-charged performance which saw thousands yell “fuck Boris” just weeks before Johnson was named as the UK’s next prime minister.
For a group of young women who say they are terrified about the UK’s political prospects, it was the catalyst for a campaign which has caught the imagination of thousands in little more than three months.
“It was incredible seeing that entire crowd basically just shouting ‘fuck Boris’ in that way, he wasn’t even prime minister at that point but it felt like everyone just knew,” explains Rosa Caradonna, 25, who is one of the seven founding members of ‘Fck Boris’. The group was formed, Rosa says, when seven friends – most of whom are under 30 and from BAME backgrounds – got chatting about politics one evening.
“It all started just from meeting up to have a drink – we got onto politics and realised how out of control everything felt and just how terrified we were, to be honest, that someone like him [Johnson] could become prime minister.
“He’s made comments in the past that are homophobic, racist, and sexist, and he’s completely unapologetic about it.
“Obviously we didn’t get a say in the leadership election, but we didn’t want to just sit back and let it happen unopposed. We decided pretty much there and then that we wanted to actively show some resistance to what was happening.
“For us, it’s about drawing a line in the sand and saying ‘you know what? This is not normal.’”
Within weeks, the group – who by that point had branded themselves ‘Fck Gvt Fck Boris’ as an homage to Stormzy’s Vossi Bop lyric – had organised a carnival-style protest in Russell Square which saw hundreds arrive in central London to oppose Johnson on his first day as PM in late July.
Complete with a double-decker bus (a nod to Johnson’s infamous 2016
referendum battlebus with ‘£350m for the NHS’ emblazoned on the side), speakers and
music, the demo became a pointed example of a section of the younger generations’ frustration with the political establishment.“Although opposing Boris himself has become a big part of what we are doing, it’s about so much more – years of government failure that have led to huge issues in pretty much every area that people care about,” Rosa says.
“Climate change, the NHS, poverty, women’s rights,
racism – before you even get on to Brexit. We’re not going to just take all this without making our voices heard.”Since the protest in July the group have been crowdfunding and organising for a number of different campaigning strategies – including a series of posters that appeared on the London Underground on Monday morning. “The posters are just a really quick way of getting our message out there – I think they speak for themselves to be honest.
“With a general
election on the way we want to reach as many people as possible. We want to get through the spin and actually shine a light on the reality of what is happening.”
Each of the posters, which are not paid for, also features a QR code, which takes anyone who scans it directly to the government’s voter registration site.
The group have already raised more than £5,000, and are looking for more donations to find a ‘register and rave’ event in Johnson’s Uxbridge constituency, run demonstrations around the country, and spread posters far and wide.
“The idea is that people will volunteer to run their own events, whether it’s a protest, a party, or just a stall in the high street,” Rosa says.
“We’d love there to be a presence in every city, every town if we can. Our message is really, really clear – we want Boris gone, we want this government gone. This is all about resistance.” Related... Here's What Will (Probably) Happen With Brexit This Week Why We're Heading For A Hold Your Nose Election