A satirical sketch by political editor Martyn Brown paints a grim picture of British politics in 2036, where artificial intelligence has taken over the planet and humanity faces extinction. Global political institutions have collapsed, international business has broken down, and crime is rampant.
A Dystopian Future for Former Leaders
In this imagined future, the United Kingdom is a shell of its former self. Former Prime Minister Andy Burnham, once an eternal optimist, has given up hope in his Manchester home for former homeless Prime Ministers, formerly known as No 10 North. Nigel Farage, the one-time President of Britain, hides out in a fading amusement arcade in Clacton, complete with retro Bitcoin pushers.
The "Crypto Palace," funded by the last few thousand pounds of his infamous £72 million 2026 donation, was once seen as a bastion of hope against the AI establishment, but no more. Another former UK leader, Kemi Badenoch, is making a last stand against the bots from her South Atlantic outpost, formerly known as the Falkland Islands.
Disappearances and Scandals
News of other political icons from the last decade is scarce. Ed Davey was last spotted three years ago doing his clown routine with the online Cirque du Anthropic. Nothing has been heard from Zack Polanski since he won, then lost, the St Pancras and Holborn by-election because of "oilgate," a scandal where the former Green Party leader was secretly profiteering from North Sea reserves. Rumours that he was spotted caddying for Donald Trump on his Chagos Island golf course have never been proven.
With 10 years still to go before this stage, the sketch serves as a warning for politicians to wake up before it's too late, noting that the warning signs are flashing brighter than ever.
