Et Tu Rishi

Nadine Dorries retweeted a meme on Twitter, showing Rishi Sunak (as Brutus) stabbing Boris Johnson (as Caesar) in the back.

Many have condemned the Tweet as being in bad taste, but none seem to have made a certain connection that shows how poorly judged it was for an entirely different reason.

A cursory knowledge of classical history will reveal that Caesar had been recently named “dictator in perpetuity” of the Roman Republic. Ongoing tensions between Caesar and the Senate, amid fears that he also planned to claim the title of king, overthrow the Senate and rule as a tyrant, were the principal motives for his assassination. He had to be stopped from subverting the Republic's ideals. I don't think anyone else has made this connection.

I know the meme wasn't hers, but Dorries is inadvertently equating Johnson as an out of control despot, which is actually the hard truth. You'd think a Minister for Culture, Media and Sport would know this cultural reference.

Own goal!