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A Real Christmas Message from a British Prime Minister
While British Prime Minister Boris Johnson first bowed before the altar of the NHS, above and before the police and fire services, and placed the British military members* and their families last, as has been true since Kipling wrote “Tommy,” it is remarkable that he called Christmas for what it is, a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, and especially called attention to the worldwide plight of persecuted Christians, many celebrating Christmas in prison cells! This prime minister, with his clear governing majority, pledged “as Prime Minister, that is something I want to change.” He also offered timely and sage advice to everyone around the world, urging domestic peace and goodwill: “Try not to have too many arguments with the in-laws, or anyone else.”
Here is the official transcript:
Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Christmas message: 24 December 2019
Hi folks, Boris Johnson here, taking a moment to wish you all a merry little Christmas.
It’s that special time of year when, whatever has gone before, we can take an opportunity to celebrate all that is good in the world and to spend time with our friends and family.
Christmas Day is, first and foremost, a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. It is a day of inestimable importance to billions of Christians the world over.
I hope you are all enjoying a wonderful break with your loved ones, sharing gifts and tucking into some delicious food.
Of course, as many of us are enjoying a break at this time of year, let’s not forget all those who have selflessly put their celebrations on hold.
On behalf of the whole country I want to say a huge thank you to our amazing NHS staff, many of whom will be working throughout the holidays to take care of us. Thank you also to our police, and all those public servants working tirelessly this Christmas.
I also want to express my personal gratitude to the wonderful members of our Armed Forces currently on deployment – and therefore to their friends, family and children back home who will have an empty chair at the table when they tuck in to their Christmas dinner.
Today of all days, I want us to remember those Christians around the world who are facing persecution. For them, Christmas Day will be marked in private, in secret, perhaps even in a prison cell.
As Prime Minister, that’s something I want to change. We stand with Christians everywhere, in solidarity, and will defend your right to practice your faith. So as a country let us reflect on the year, and celebrate the good that is to come.
Folks, I hope you enjoy the next few days.
Try not to have too many arguments with the in-laws, or anyone else.
And whoever you are, wherever you are, and however you’re celebrating, have a very happy Christmas, and I’ll see you all again in the New Year.
* That said, PM Johnson did take the time to record a separate message to the troops, released the same day as his general Christmas message:
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Published in Culture
My gosh. That is very nearly a perfect Christmas message from a politician.
God bless Boris. God bless Donald.
God bless us all, every one.
Like Trump, Boris Johnson is a flawed individual with girl friend problems, media hostility, and many of his own party elite against him. In England, only about 2% attend a Christian church regularly. The police arrest people if their message is politically incorrect. England needs a “great awakening” to become a freedom loving people again.
So, square that up with PM Johnson’s decision to deliver this message.
Nothing wrong with his message, and it shows courage on his part.
Sorry, not sure if I understand your point.
Fantastic.
Boris is The Man. He has truly risen to meet and exceed the expectations of the office. And I hope and pray that he succeeds!
Maybe the military was mentioned last BECAUSE they were the most important. Place of emphasis.
A good message, except the plug for socialized medicine. I did find it a bit jarring to equate those serving overseas away from their families with those who have to put in a shift at hospital. I’ve seen Boris emphasize this in a couple of speeches, and I assume that it’s some British political thing that I don’t really understand.
Yes. The National Health Service (or, as we called it when we lived there and had 5 children in the Royal Free Hospital, “Commie Fag Medicine”) is sacrosanct for the citizenry.
I wanted to puke during the London Olympics.
Great message. All one could ask for in a leader.
A better Defender of the Faith than the current one, perhaps.
Agreed. The headliner doesn’t play first, after all.
In fact, as any Prime Ministers Question Time will show you, the NHS is elevated in British society to the sacred. It is entirely untouchable, entirely unquestionable, and if you do not praise it you sign your immediate political death warrant.
This is what we will get if we fail to force real reform here before the next Democrat presidency.
President Trump, with First Lady Melania Trump, offered much the same greetings as in 2018, a reassuring bit of continuity on Christmas Day.
Clifford, thanks. The NHS piece aside (trying to find an equivalent here, but the people who perform the health care services are different from the administration of the NHS, and the politics around its funding, etc – would be like a celebration of Medicare at halftime of the SuperBowl), that’s a pretty good message. A reminder that we (or they, being Britons) celebrate a holiday because of Christianity, with its attendant message of love, peace, etc.
A reminder, and a message to remember this stuff when getting into arguments with others, that we are all inherently the same, human, even if we are also different as individuals. I’m assuming this message would be lost on those interested in beheading religious disbelievers, and that probably has a lot more resonance in a London today than it would have 5 or 10 years ago, meaning Christians aren’t running around on London Bridge stabbing people in the name of Something. But for those not interested in those types of activities, isn’t this a simple message that everyone can appreciate for what it is?
I’m not sure why this simple and straightforward messaging should be unique, but it is. Meaning it’s less common than it should be.
And a real Chanukah message, too:
Yes, my mother called that to my attention as we talked on the phone on Christmas. I’ve posted on that, and President Trump’s two Hanukkah messages.
Boris offers nice words, but they are just meaningless sounding brass and tinkling cymbal unless he goes fixes this problem, very explicitly, and very specifically, very fast. If the new UK government just continues its current policies regarding Christian Middle East refugees, they deserve to crash- they are not much different from Jeremy Corbyn.
https://www.meforum.org/60166/un-uk-treat-christian-refugees-as-enemies
Are you familiar with Yes, Prime Minister? PM Johnson has more power, as head of government in an almost unitary system than does an American president. Yes, he must also work through a deeply entrenched civil service that cannot be easily turned.
I get your frustration. I share it. Yet, it is not just nice sounds or cymbals when a PM starts making the moral case for policy change. And it will not produce quick changes or large changes this next year, I suspect.
Yes, civil servants can undercut the top level rules. But this is the kind of policy that can respond to a wide variety of publicity measures. The PM can personally endorse the Carey lawsuit, publicize the problem, etc. My concern is that the ME Christians are routinely sacrificed for electoral convenience- the Brits of both parties are afraid of losing the votes of a large bloc of India-Pakistan immigrants from the old empire days, and thus, if a few Christians lose, cost of doing business, etc.
He should not be allowed to say stuff like what is quoted below unless he also actually attempts to take actions that he could take to ameliorate the situation:
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Today of all days, I want us to remember those Christians around the world who are facing persecution. For them, Christmas Day will be marked in private, in secret, perhaps even in a prison cell.
As Prime Minister, that’s something I want to change. We stand with Christians everywhere, in solidarity, and will defend your right to practice your faith.
I don’t see why words cannot precede actions.
In 1990 we stopped at a gas station and I saw in a newspaper where President Bush said, “This will not stand.” I thought to myself, “You shouldn’t have said that. You shouldn’t say something like that unless you mean it.”
To my surprise, he meant it.
It can happen.