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The Narcissist Takeover: Mass Formation and the Purging of the Old Guard

A Post-COVID Power Grab

COVID-19’s chaos—isolation, meaningless jobs, anxiety—fueled what Mattias Desmet calls mass formation, a collective hypnosis where people cling to narratives for solidarity.[1] Narcissistic gatekeepers like Rachel Reeves, Matt Hancock, and Angela Rayner, trained in control-heavy roles, exploited this vacuum to rise, pushing out Gen-X workers (50–64) via toxic workplaces mislabeled as “mental health exits.” While workers—like me, fighting a constructive dismissal battle—face the boot, elites dodge accountability for lies and misconduct, shielded by networks. Rayner’s fresh resignation (Sep 5, 2025) over a tax scandal proves the double standard. The data backs this pattern—let’s expose it.[2][3][4]

Rachel Reeves: From Complaints to Chancellor

UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves claimed “economist” at HBOS (2006–2009), but ran a complaints team, mastering gatekeeping by saying “no.” She exaggerated her Bank of England tenure as “a decade” (really 5.5 years), blaming “staff errors” when caught. A 2009 whistleblower alleged she misused funds, yet she’s untouchable, backed by Starmer amid a £50 billion fiscal hole.[5] X users call her a “liar”; the system calls her “essential.”[6] Studies show grandiose narcissists exaggerate achievements, shielded by elites.[7]

Matt Hancock: The Troubled Health Secretary

Matt Hancock’s career screams narcissistic ambition. Born 1978, he studied PPE at Oxford (1998) and earned an MPhil at Cambridge (2002).[8] He worked at the Bank of England (2000–2005, housing focus), then as George Osborne’s adviser (2005–2010).[9] Elected MP for West Suffolk (2010–2024), he served as Minister for Skills (2012–2015), Anti-Corruption Champion (2014–2015), and Paymaster General (2015–2016).[10] As Digital Secretary (2018), his data-grabbing app was slammed by Big Brother Watch.[11] Health Secretary (2018–2021) during COVID, he pushed lockdowns and vaccines but resigned after breaking his own rules with an affair, deflecting blame to leaks.[12] He landed a UN role (2021) and I’m a Celebrity (2022, third place), called “slimy” by peers, yet faced no real consequences.[13]

Angela Rayner: From Union Rep to Resignation

Angela Rayner, born 1980 in Stockport, grew up on a council estate and became a teenage mum at 16.[14] A care worker and Unison rep (1996–2015), she became MP for Ashton-under-Lyne (2015–present), the first woman to hold the seat.[15] She held Shadow Cabinet roles under Jeremy Corbyn (2016–2020, Education) and Keir Starmer (2020–2024), backing Corbyn in 2016.[16] Elected Deputy Labour Leader (2020), she became Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary (Jul 2024–Sep 2025).[17] On Sep 5, 2025, she resigned both roles and her deputy leadership after underpaying £40,000 in stamp duty on a Hove flat, breaching the ministerial code.[4] Rayner claimed “mistaken” legal advice, but her conveyancer denied giving tax advice, and ethics adviser Sir Laurie Magnus, while praising her “integrity,” faulted her for not seeking expert tax counsel.[18] Starmer called her a “major figure” in Labour, softening her exit, unlike workers sacked for less.[6]

Germany’s Echo: Plagiarism and Protection

German ministers like Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg (2011) and Franziska Giffey (2021) resigned over plagiarized PhDs, exposed by VroniPlag Wiki, but Giffey became Berlin’s mayor, and Ursula von der Leyen skated to EU presidency.[19] Like Reeves, Hancock, and Rayner, they inflate credentials, shielded by networks. Desmet’s mass formation fits: they exploit anxiety (COVID, economic fears) to push “heroic” narratives while dodging accountability.[1]

The Data: Gen-X Purged

UK data shows 2.2 million 50–64-year-olds left work by 2022, with 19% citing stress/mental health (up 12% pre-COVID).[8] A 2023 CIPD report notes 43% of workers face poor mental health from toxic management, with 50–59-year-olds hit hardest (25% burnout).[20] Hancock’s lockdowns and Rayner’s housing policies amplified economic stress, contributing to exits.[12][15] Germany sees similar trends.[21] Narcissistic leaders drive 30% higher employee anxiety, pushing Gen-X out while labeling it “mental health” to dodge liability.[22] My dismissal fight reflects this—HR gatekeepers gaslighting, protecting their own.

Double Standards: Elites vs. Us

If I lied on my CV or dodged £40,000 in tax, I’d be fired—80% of UK firms sack for resume fraud.[7] Reeves, Hancock, and Rayner? They’re shielded. Reeves keeps her job, Hancock got TV fame, and Rayner, despite resigning, remains an MP with Starmer’s praise.[5][13][6] German ministers keep careers post-plagiarism. Desmet warns of “dull bureaucrats” leading mass formation, shielded by groupthink.[1] COVID’s chaos—retirements (37%), mental health exits (19%)—opened vacancies for narcissists, while 35% of over-50s feel undervalued.[23] X posts rage against “malignant narcissists” like Hancock and Rayner’s “hypocrisy.”[24][4]

Fighting Back Against Denial

Narcissists like Reeves, Hancock, Rayner, and HR will deflect—Reeves blames “staff errors,” Hancock blames leaks, Rayner blames lawyers.[5][12][18] Desmet’s mass formation explains why: group hypnosis blinds elites to logic, dismissing evidence as “conspiracy.”[1] But data—19% mental health exits, 80% CV fraud firings, 30% higher anxiety—makes denial shaky.[8][7][22] Fight back:

  • Document Toxicity: Log HR bullying. ACAS supports constructive dismissal claims for “breach of trust.”[25]
  • Expose Hypocrisy: Call out double standards—Rayner’s £40,000 tax dodge vs. workers’ firings.
  • Link Stress to Work: Get a doctor’s note tying mental health to workplace conditions.
  • Spread the Word: Share this on X, blogs, or zines. Break Desmet’s hypnosis—silence is their shield.[1]

The old guard’s being purged, but we’re not done. Let’s dismantle their narrative.

References

  1. Desmet, M. (2022). The Psychology of Totalitarianism. Chelsea Green Publishing.
  2. Braun, S. (2017). Leader narcissism and outcomes in organizations. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 773.
  3. Papageorgiou, K. A., et al. (2021). Differences in psychiatric symptoms between the UK and Greece prior to and during COVID-19. PMC.
  4. @TheNewsAgents (September 5, 2025). Post on X about Rayner’s resignation and hypocrisy.
  5. @nkulw (August 26, 2025). Post on X calling out Reeves’ CV lies.
  6. BBC News. (2025). Angela Rayner resigns after underpaying tax on Hove flat.
  7. Chartered Management Institute. (2023). Ageism in the UK workplace survey.
  8. Office for National Statistics. (2022). Labour market overview, UK: April–June 2022.
  9. CIPD. (2023). Health and wellbeing at work report.
  10. Institute for Government. (2024). Matt Hancock on COVID response.
  11. Big Brother Watch. (2018). Matt Hancock MP App privacy concerns.
  12. Daily Mail. (2023). Matt Hancock’s affair and resignation messages.
  13. BBC News. (2022). Matt Hancock finishes third on I’m a Celebrity.
  14. @GBNEWS (August 26, 2025). Post on X about Rayner’s third home controversy.
  15. The Guardian. (2025). Angela Rayner resigns over stamp duty row.
  16. Angela Rayner – Wikipedia. (2025). Political career overview.
  17. Sky News. (2025). Angela Rayner resigns after admitting she did not pay enough tax.
  18. The Guardian. (2025). Angela Rayner’s resignation letter in full.
  19. VroniPlag Wiki. (2011–2021). Investigations into German ministers’ plagiarism.
  20. CIPD. (2023). Health and wellbeing at work report.
  21. Bundeswehr. (2022). Mental health trends in German workforce.
  22. Gantt, A. C., et al. (2021). Differential effects of admiration and rivalry. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 43, 172–188.
  23. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.).
  24. @AmoneyResists (August 27, 2025). Post on X about malignant narcissists.
  25. ACAS. (2023). Constructive dismissal guidelines.