Rory Bremner: 'Something has gone terribly wrong in Britain'

The Scottish comedy favourite Rory Bremner has told of his dismay at how Britain has gone “terribly wrong” over the last decade since a “high point” of the London Olympics.

Edinburgh-born comic and impressionist Rory Bremner. Picture: Lloyd Smith

The Edinburgh-born impressionist told a Fringe audience that the experience of living in Britain since then has been “like watching something come apart in front of your eyes.”

Bremner, who was taking part in an in-conversation event at the EICC, admitted he had lost his sense of humour this year over the behaviour of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, branding him “a monster” and “a piece of work.”

Bremner, who was brought up in Edinburgh, has previously spoken of the divisions caused by the Scottish independence referendum and criticised the "sinister and unpleasant” intimidation of pro-Union supporters in 2014.

Edinburgh-born impressionist and comic Rory Bremner. Picture: Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images

Bremner was speaking to broadcaster Iain Dale, who has lined up Fringe appearances by a host of political figures, including First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.

Discussing the current political climate in Britain, Bremner said: “Something has just gone terribly wrong. I look back to 2012 and the London Olympics as my high point when I felt really proud to be British.

“Danny Boyle did that brilliant job at the opening ceremony. We were all thinking ‘how is going to do this?’

"Then of coure it was the industrial revolution, the health service and the British sense of humour.

”After 2012, we had the Scottish referendum, Brexit and Trump. It’s just been like watching something come apart in front of your eyes.”Talking about the current Conservative Government, Bremner was loudly applauded during his appearance at the EICC when he said: “This lot should be out of office and in the jungle by Christmas.

"He (Boris) is a piece of work, absolutely. I don’t know why it took them so long. It is quite extraordinary how people still say: ‘Oh, we like him.’ He is a monster. I despair, I really do.

"Even with that resignation speech outside Number 10, when he managed to not even say he was signing and made it sound like he was going for a walk.There was that shamelessnesss which you saw, even when he apologised over ‘Partygate.’

"One of the symptoms of Covid is losing your sense of smell and taste. I felt that I’ve lost my sense of humour for vast parts of this year.”Bremner spoke of his dismay that Government ministers were “kicking the ladder” away to deny other people the kind of opportunities to live or study in Britain that their own relatives had benefited from.

He added: "I know that people say there is a difference between legal and illegal immigration, but there are actually very few legal routes to claim asylum now.

“There is a weird leadership election going on now where they are trying to appeal to a small section of the electorate, many of whom, I would imagine, if you put Boris’s name on the ballot paper would want to vote for him again.

“It is ironic, because I think the person who is most popular with the Conservative Party will be the least popular with the country. The whole thing is just so weird and bizarre.”