We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember mike saying
something like:

If only it was possible to remove arseholes from local councils.


If only it *were* possible to remove arseholes from local councils.

It's subjunctive.

Well now; I'd run that one through my head as I typed it and decided to
go for 'was' as it fitted in better in de vernacular, like.
Eeengelish as she eveolves, see, meester?