The UK and other parts of Europe are currently experiencing extreme heat.

There are forest fires in Spain and Portugal. On the Atlantic coast of France too, including around ‘John Barley’s house”.

Currently it is 36C and due to be 38C later.

It is certainly too much to bear out of doors and I am not looking forward to the trip to the allotment to do the necessary watering.

This is at the same time as the protracted Tory leadership contest- as they slowly whittle down the contestants to the last two. Currently there are 5- and they have hardly discussed the climate crisis. They have concentrated on attacking each other-not Brexit enough- magic money trees and being a socialist. Wild.

Only yesterday did they, all five, begrudgingly say, they would keep to the net zero target. But with what sort of commitment in reality?

I saw the chair of the self styled ‘net zero scrutiny group’ interviewed yesterday- Tory MPs modelled on the ERG and similar members . Enough to make your blood boil- essentially climate change deniers. ” USA had a heat wave in the 1930s”, ‘ it is hot now but all will be back to normal in a few days”.

‘what the tiny group of Conservative MPs in the Net Zero Scrutiny Group are trying to make us do, in the latest salvo of their eccentric opposition to sound science. Led by Steve Baker and Craig Mackinlay and some of their faithful cheerleaders in the rightwing press, they are demanding the prime minister abandons the green levies that help finance Britain’s drive to net zero, out of apparent concern over soaring energy bills.‘

They couch their arguments as too expensive to act, not necessary, economic self- destruction with inflated numbers used. No acknowledgement of cost of not acting, eg- national trains cancelled today and people staying away from work. What about when there is a shortage of food, water, cities are a nightmare to live in.?

Johnson resigned as party leader yesterday after so much pressure. I think 59 ministers resigned in total from Tuesday- A record. He tried to tough it out.

In the end his speech outside the door of number 10 was typical- no mention of his many wrongdoings and basic corrupt actions and lying but of the ‘herd’ turning against him. In essence, not his fault and others have made the wrong decision.

He is trying to hand on until the autumn as PM- ridiculous. But he wants to hold onto power and the trappings of power.

He will go but the satisfaction will be short lived. The next one along will be in a similar mould.

Johnson has been in the firing line for few weeks. This week he stood up in Parliament and gave a fulsome “apology’. One of those non-apology apologies.

Cartoons give an idea of feeling in the country at the moment. Even the usual supporters are less supportive, though, there remain plenty of others who are happy to keep pumping him up to protect their own arses.