The New Yorker magazine has taken aim at the farcical pantomime that has been UK politics in recent weeks with a biting, biblical satire of the General Election, Brexit and Theresa May.
In The Book of Jeremy Corbyn, journalist Anthony Lane satirises a Britain ruled by a high priestess (May) and fed up with elections (like the laconic Brendan from Bristol), which is saved by a prophetic leader (Corbyn).
“And there came from the same country a prophet, whose name was Jeremy," it opens. "And it came to pass, in the land of Britain, that the High Priestess [May] went unto the people and said, Behold, I bring ye tidings of great joy. For on the eighth day of the sixth month there shall be a general election. And the people said, Not another one.”
On Corbyn, it continued: “And the young people said unto him, How shall these things be rendered, seeing that thou hast no money in thy purse? And he spake unto them ... Soak the rich. And again, Pull down the mighty from their seats. And the young people went absolutely nuts.”
Lane also comically draws out the problem of the age gap: “The elders rose up and said to the young people, If ye choose Jeremy, he will bring distress in your toils and wailing upon your streets. Do ye not remember the nineteen-seventies? And the young people said, The what? … Jeremy ... showeth respect for all peoples, even unto the transgender community. And the elders said, The what?”
The piece closes with a quip regarding the insignificance of our human follies and concerns with Brexit and politics in general: “And then the people said, Lord, what shall we do regarding Brexit? For henceforth the High Priestess shall be as weak as a newborn lamb. How shall we hope for continued access to the single market? And the Lord said, The what?”
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