Robert Liston was a nineteenth century Scottish surgeon known as “the fastest knife in the West End … at a time when speed was essential to reduce pain and improve the odds of survival of a patient; he is said to have been able to perform the removal of a limb in an amputation in 28 seconds.” A man of strong character and ethics, who did not hesitate to help render his own rare skill obsolete by performing the first operation under anaesthesia in Europe, over his entire career he saved many lives. But sometimes things didn’t work out so well. As recorded by the deadpan Richard Gordon in Great Medical Disasters:
Amputated the leg in under 2 1⁄2 minutes (the patient died afterwards in the ward from hospital gangrene; they usually did in those pre-Listerian days). He amputated in addition the fingers of his young assistant (who died afterwards in the ward from hospital gangrene). He also slashed through the coat tails of a distinguished surgical spectator, who was so terrified that the knife had pierced his vitals he dropped dead from fright. That was the only operation in history with a 300 percent mortality.
Now to our own times. Whatever the result of the EU referendum, George Osborne has in one swift operation destroyed his own career, made the split in his own Conservative party irrevocable, and stuck a knife in the vitals of the Labour party and left it there for anyone to twist.
One down:
Osborne warns of Brexit budget cuts
George Osborne says he will have to slash public spending and increase taxes in an emergency Budget to tackle a £30bn “black hole” if the UK votes to leave the European Union.
The chancellor will say this could include raising income and inheritance taxes and cutting the NHS budget.
Two down:
Tory MPs threaten to block Osborne’s post-Brexit budget
George Osborne is facing an extraordinary challenge to his authority as chancellor from 57 Conservative MPs, who are threatening to block his emergency budget of tax rises and spending cuts if Britain votes to leave the EU.
Three down:
The Labour Party, officially for Remain, will be asked to state whether it will support or oppose George Osbourne’s proposed austerity-plus budget. How will it answer?
Over his entire career Liston did far more good than harm. Desperate people camped out in his waiting room because however great the danger of going under his knife it was safer than going under anyone else’s. I wonder what will be said of Osbourne.
*
Update: According to Guido, Corbyn will oppose Osbourne’s proposed post-Brexit austerity budget. Labour has kept its anti-austerity credibility at the cost of effectively making a public statement that Brexit wouldn’t be so bad. With opposition from Labour plus the 57 Tory MPs plus those in other parties who would also oppose, Osborne’s budget is stillborn. As you were, folks. Which for both parties means bitterly divided. To have made a threat and have it shown to be empty within hours will not help the Remain campaign – or the Conservative Party.
How’s about. “Goodbye and don’t let the door bang you on the arse as you leave!”
Gideon Osbourne is one of the few faces in modern politics whose absence will be of far greater benefit to Britain than his continued presence.
Maybe this has been a brilliant piece of Labour strategy.
Having seen how the Conservatives start a civil war whenever they are dominant perhaps Labour’s plan was…
. Make Corbyn leader and therefore Labour unelectable
. Watch as the Tories turn on each other
. Replace Corbyn with someone from planet earth
. Win the 2020 election by a landslide.
“Vote Leave: ensure Osborne ceases to be chancellor!”
Works for me.
Project fear surpasses itself.
John Galt: “few”. Are you *sure*?
No, Rob. Definitely not.
But it’s cruel to mock the afflicted.
I do wonder what exactly is going through Cameron an Osborn’s minds. Exactly when and for what reason did they decide that a scorched earth policy was in their interest? As I have said before they could have behaved like gentlemen if they so desired, and remain in their roles post-vote, whatever the outcome.
These are curious times in British politics. Not often is the lack of grace and intelligence so plainly on view.
Also, loved the post.
I think this will prove to be the ‘Ed Stone’ moment of the referendum campaign. The point where everyone just looked, laughed and thought ‘Did they really just do that????’
I wonder whether Osborne is secretly a Brexiter and is courageously destroying his career by being a double agent pretending to support Remain ?
Things seem to have gone well past crying “Wolf !”
We seem to be deep into Jabberwocky and Balrog territory now.
Osbourne’s emergency budget reminds me of the 15% base rate that was imposed for an hour or two on the afternoon of White Wednesday, when the UK was forced out of the ERM.
Very briefly, we were all terrified – I still had a mortgage in those days, and clearly remember thinking “that’s it, we’re ruined”. But a couple of minutes’ thought showed us that the whole thing was absurd and would never happen – as indeed it didn’t: by evening the UK was out of the mad Euro scheme, and the economy then embarked on a long growth phase.
It’s deja vu all over again, perhaps.
I hope you will all turn up and vote Leave on 23rd, because whatever the polls say, we are going to need all the votes we can get. And none of that Libertarian “voting doesn’t matter”, there are no constituencies or FPTP this time; every vote will count.
Vote Leave: Sack Osborne!
FD
The 23rd can’t come soon enough. I’m running out of popcorn.
Clearly Laird there is only one solution. Buy more popcorn, because this shit is gonna run and run.
Regardless of the outcome of the vote on the 23rd heads are going to role and prophesies be fulfilled!
BTW, happy Magna Carta day, everybody. 801st anniversary today.
Some good comments over at Tim’s place: http://www.timworstall.com/2016/06/15/project-fear-continues/
Laird,
Thank you for the reminder of Magna Carta Day.
As for Mr Osborne, his position appears to be:
1. I make plans for the economy.
2. I voted for and approve of the Act that made for this Referendum, which may lead to Brexit.
3. I have made no plans should there be a win for the ‘Leave’ vote, I have only planned for a ‘Remain’ win.
4. Therefore, it would be dangerous and wrong to vote ‘Leave’.
Osborne – the only victim so far of the referendum fall out that can be considered ‘in the bank’ (maybe also Theresa May and Savid Javid). There is a chance that Cameron can struggle on and continue as PM for a couple of miserable years.
I wonder, has the lying of Osborne and Cameron been so blatant that they will struggle to gain private sector employment in future. If all that remains for them now is becoming eurocrats…ah…now I see.
Having the luxury of watching this from NZ, it really is fabulous sport. The incompetence of Cameron and co is just staggering to watch in action.
Good Lord. What was he using to do the amputation? A halberd?
I was reading that the French are also a bit sceptical about Europe, so I wonder if the whole EU thing is in danger of disintegration? Could that be why a lot of Europeans don’t want things to change?
the French are also a bit sceptical about Europe
The problem (which is not confined to Europeans) is that the politicians have for many years promised to suspend the laws of arithmetic, and the ordinary voter is now beginning to resent their failure to keep this promise.
Mr Osborne is a despicable liar – but I disagree with the idea that he has split the Conservative Party.
Even pro E.U. Conservative Party people now despise Mr Osborne – and Mr Cameron.
They have united the Conservative Party – in hatred and contempt for them both.
By the way Lee Moore is correct – the anger and violence in France is not over government regulations and wild spending.
The mob wants even more government spending – and is very angry about the government trying to (slightly) free up the Labour Market in order to reduce mass unemployment.
The mob loves wild government spending and endless regulations.
The mob are bad people.