Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Fall from grace: on the political trajectory of Boris Johnson

Fall from grace: on the political trajectory of Boris Johnson

The refusal of Boris Johnson to go quietly can damage the Tories

Four years ago, Boris Johnson won an election for the Tories with an 80-seat majority, their biggest victory since 1987. But his fall from grace has been so steep (sharp slope; unreasonably high/low) that he is not even an MP today. The Conservative (रूढ़िवादी) leader, who quit as British Prime Minister in July last year amid (के बीच में, मध्य में) an inner-party revolt, announced his resignation as a lawmaker (legislator, member of Parliament, member of the Legislative Assembly) last week after a House committee (committee (made up of MPs from the House of Commons and the House of Lords) to examine issues in detail, from government policy and proposed new laws, to wider topics) probing the ‘Partygate (a political scandal in the United Kingdom, with regard to parties and other gatherings (approximately 16 events took place between May 2020 and April 2021) of government and Conservative Party staff held during the COVID-19 pandemic, when there were public health restrictions that prohibited most gatherings. While several lockdowns in the country were in place, gatherings took place at 10 Downing Street, its garden, and other government buildings. (10 Downing Street is the official residence and the office of the British Prime Minister))’ scandal found that he had misled (गुमराह, धोखा देना) Parliament. Mr. Johnson, when Prime Minister, had attended a host of (a lot, large number, great quantity) parties during the COVID-19 lockdown, breaking (तोड़ना, उल्लंघन करना) the rules imposed (लागू करना, आरोपित करना) on the public by his own government; he then told the House of Commons (the lower house of the Parliament (of the United Kingdom) (“the House of Lords” is the upper house)) that “all guidance was followed completely in No 10 (Downing Street)”. Last year, a report by Sue Gray, a senior civil servant, had offered details of the social events he had attended during the lockdown (an emergency protocol implemented by the authorities that prevents people from leaving from a place; An extended state of confinement/encirclement/isolation of a person by the authority). The MPs panel apparently (स्पष्ट रूप से, प्रकट रूप से) recommended his lengthy suspension (निलंबन, निष्कासन) from the House, and he announced his resignation before the report was made public. Mr. Johnson, a former journalist-turned-politician whose hyperbole (अतिशयोक्ति) conservatism (रूढ़िवाद) and hardline (कट्टरपंथी) nationalism (राष्ट्रवाद) helped him rise to the top of the Conservative Party during the chaotic (अराजक) Brexit (a term used for the (supposed) departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union) years, did not go quietly. He accused the committee, which has Labour, Liberal and Conservative MPs as its members, of a “witch hunt (it means to find and punish people believed to be evil- even if they were not. It does also mean an unfair campaign by one side against its political opponents)” and slammed (criticize, find fault with, censure, denounce, condemn) the report as “revenge (बदला, प्रतिशोध) for Brexit”.

One of the biggest highlights (focus of attention, centre of interest, most interesting part, high/focal point) of Mr. Johnson’s political career, as Prime Minister or a back bencher, was his abject (miserable, hopeless, woeful, awful, appalling, pathetic) disregard (अवहेलना, उपेक्षा) for accountability (जवाबदेही, उत्तरदायित्व). He neither took responsibility for violating lockdown rules nor repented (regret, rue, be sorry for) lying to Parliament. Even while exiting the House, Mr. Johnson attacked an imagined (assumed, supposed, guessed, believed, fancied, notional, imaginary) racket (criminal activity, illegal scheme, swindle) of Remainers (a person who voted for the United Kingdom to remain in the European Union in the 2016 referendum) rather than (instead of) coming to terms with the mess (disorder, confusion, disorganization, turmoil) he left behind in the Conservative Party. His continued attack on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, whose rebellion against Mr. Johnson as a member of his Cabinet quickened (speed up, accelerate, step up, expedite) the Tory leader’s fall (downfall, defeat, collapse, overthrow; suspension, termination) as Prime Minister, sounds more political than a constructive (positive, useful, helpful, valuable, effective, beneficial) assessment of the government’s performance. Mr. Johnson’s resignation leaves Mr. Sunak facing a tougher situation. Three Tory MPs, including Mr. Johnson, have quit recently, and Labour expects to win all three seats in by-elections (an election used to fill an office that has become vacant between general elections). Faced with back-to-back (consecutive, successive, continuous; succeeding, following, in succession, one after the other) setbacks (problem, difficulty, issue) in by-elections and local votes, the Tories, whose public support is around 30% against Labour’s 40% in opinion polls (a broad term used for any typically public-facing (and often published) survey/poll designed to better understand public opinion), are already under pressure. Mr. Johnson has dropped (mention, speak of, hint at, refer to) hints of a comeback (return). There are talks in political circles about forming a right-wing party. It is not clear what he will do next. But he has already done enough damage to the Tories. Any attempt at a political comeback will further destabilise (undermine, weaken, impair, damage, subvert, sabotage) the party and rupture Britain’s conservative political landscape (a particular field of activity) that is caught between Brexit isolationalism (a political philosophy supporting a national foreign policy that opposes involvement in the political affairs of other countries), a battered (damaged, spoiled, impaired/ruined) economy at home and an unrealistic quest (pursuit, search, expedition, mission) to “make Britain great again”.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.Conservative (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - रूढ़िवादी
English Meaning - (in a political context) right-wing, Tory (UK).

2.amid (preposition)

Hindi Meaning - के बीच में, मध्य में
English Meaning - in the middle of, surrounded by; during.

3.mislead (verb)

Hindi Meaning - गुमराह, धोखा देना
English Meaning - deceive, misguide, misdirect, misinform.

4.break (verb)

Hindi Meaning - तोड़ना, उल्लंघन करना
English Meaning - contravene, breach, violate, disobey, defy, flout.

5.impose (verb)

Hindi Meaning - लागू करना, आरोपित करना
English Meaning - apply, enforce, bring into effect.

6.apparently (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - स्पष्ट रूप से, प्रकट रूप से
English Meaning - seemingly, allegedly, ostensibly, supposedly, purportedly.

7.suspension (noun)

Hindi Meaning - निलंबन, निष्कासन
English Meaning - removal, elimination, termination, exclusion, debarment.

8.hyperbole (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अतिशयोक्ति
English Meaning - exaggeration, overstatement, magnification, overplaying, embellishment; rhetoric, bombast/loftiness, heroics, extravagant language.

9.conservatism (noun)

Hindi Meaning - रूढ़िवाद
English Meaning - (political) views/opinions that support free enterprise, private ownership, and socially traditional ideas.

10.hardline (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - कट्टरपंथी
English Meaning - relating to a group/a political party with people who support a strict ideas and they are extreme & uncompromising.

11.nationalism (noun)

Hindi Meaning - राष्ट्रवाद
English Meaning - it refers to a system (with narrow set of ideas) created by a group of people who believe their nation is superior to all others. It is also a perception of national superiority and an orientation toward national dominance- called as chauvinism (excessive nationalism).

12.chaotic (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अराजक
English Meaning - confused, disrupted, tumultuous, disorganized.

13.revenge (noun)

Hindi Meaning - बदला, प्रतिशोध
English Meaning - vengeance, retribution, retaliation.

14.disregard (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अवहेलना, उपेक्षा
English Meaning - carelessness, indifference, inattention, neglect, inactivity, passivity, apathy, negligence.

15.accountability (noun)

Hindi Meaning - जवाबदेही, उत्तरदायित्व
English Meaning - responsibility, liability, answerability.

16.fall from grace (phrase)

English Meaning - a loss of power, status, respect, favour, honour or prestige.

17.trajectory (noun)

English Meaning - track/course, route, path, direction, approach.

18.Tory (noun)

English Meaning - a member/supporter of a Conservative Party in the UK; right-winger, reactionary, rightist.

19.steep (adjective)

English Meaning - sharp slope; unreasonably high/low.

20.Conservative Party/Tory Party (noun)

English Meaning - this is one of the two main political parties in the United Kingdom, along with the Labour Party which is traditionally left-wing.

21.lawmaker (noun)

English Meaning - legislator, member of Parliament, member of the Legislative Assembly.

22.House committee (noun)

English Meaning - committee (made up of MPs from the House of Commons and the House of Lords) to examine issues in detail, from government policy and proposed new laws, to wider topics.

23.partygate (noun)

English Meaning - a political scandal in the United Kingdom, with regard to parties and other gatherings (approximately 16 events took place between May 2020 and April 2021) of government and Conservative Party staff held during the COVID-19 pandemic, when there were public health restrictions that prohibited most gatherings. While several lockdowns in the country were in place, gatherings took place at 10 Downing Street, its garden, and other government buildings. (10 Downing Street is the official residence and the office of the British Prime Minister).

24.scandal (noun)

English Meaning - impropriety, misconduct, wrongdoing.

25.a host of (noun)

English Meaning - a lot, large number, great quantity.

26.lockdown (noun)

English Meaning - an emergency protocol implemented by the authorities that prevents people from leaving from a place; An extended state of confinement/encirclement/isolation of a person by the authority.

27.House of Commons (noun)

English Meaning - the lower house of the Parliament (of the United Kingdom) (“the House of Lords” is the upper house).

28.make public (phrase)

English Meaning - broadcast, circulate, communicate, declare, disclose, publicize, publish (publicly).

29.Brexit (noun)

English Meaning - a term used for the (supposed) departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union.

30.witch hunt (noun)

English Meaning - it means to find and punish people believed to be evil- even if they were not. It does also mean an unfair campaign by one side against its political opponents.

31.slam (verb)

English Meaning - criticize, find fault with, censure, denounce, condemn.

32.highlight (noun)

English Meaning - focus of attention, centre of interest, most interesting part, high/focal point.

33.backbencher (noun)

English Meaning - rank and file (ordinary) members; the junior members of Parliament who occupy the back benches in the (UK) legislature house, sitting behind the holders of governmental office and their own party leaders.

34.abject (adjective)

English Meaning - miserable, hopeless, woeful, awful, appalling, pathetic.

35.repent (verb)

English Meaning - regret, rue, be sorry for.

36.imagined (adjective)

English Meaning - assumed, supposed, guessed, believed, fancied, notional, imaginary.

37.racket (noun)

English Meaning - criminal activity, illegal scheme, swindle.

38.Remainer (noun)

English Meaning - a person who voted for the United Kingdom to remain in the European Union in the 2016 referendum.

39.rather than (noun)

English Meaning - instead of.

40.come to terms with (phrase)

English Meaning - to accept oneself to something painful/sad/difficult (situation); reconcile oneself to, come to accept, become accustomed to, adjust to.

41.mess (noun)

English Meaning - disorder, confusion, disorganization, turmoil.

42.leave behind (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - to cause a situation to exist after you have left; abandon.

43.rebellion (noun)

English Meaning - defiance, resistance, dissent, disobedience, nonconformity.

44.quicken (verb)

English Meaning - speed up, accelerate, step up, expedite.

45.fall (noun)

English Meaning - downfall, defeat, collapse, overthrow; suspension, termination.

46.sound (verb)

English Meaning - appear, look, seem.