February 6th, 2022.
The situation regarding Boris Johnson gets murkier and murkier. There is more spin flying around than in a launderette. There is spin from number 10 (Boris Johnson), spin from number 10 (Carrie Johnson) and spin from numerous unnamed sources.
We, the uneducated proletariat have to choose between Johnson being the most supportive, switched on, decisive premier since Churchill, forging a new, prosperous future for the great country of the United Kingdom,(according to his supporters) or the most devious, mendacious, priapic leader since David Lloyd George.
At least Lloyd George can claim to have won the first world war by reforming the UK’s military production capabilities and introducing the convoy system, thus gradually eroding Germany’s ability to conduct a long war until it succumbed in 1918. He also secured the settlement in 1921 agreeing to the formation of the Irish Free State. In 1922 he was at the centre of a scandal involving the sale of knighthoods and peerages.
His lasting legacy has to be the foundation of the welfare state, introducing old-age pensions in 1908, and in 1911 the National Insurance act provided for insurance cover against illness and unemployment.
What will be Johnson’s legacy if and when he goes? It will be securing Brexit and then screwing up its implementation. He has(is) presiding over a total shambles of an administration, with senior aides departing compulsorily and voluntarily. The most damaging departure was that of Munira Mirza who has been with him for 14 years. Apparently, the last straw was when in the Commons Johnson accused Keir Starmer of a personal failure to prosecute Jimmy Savile. It is true that Starmer was head of the CPS at the time but in no way was he personally responsible, and he did indeed apologise for his department’s failings. Mirza strongly advised him to say sorry and not attack Starmer as what was needed at the time was contrition. True to form, Johnson blundered in and upset even more people. He just can’t help himself.
As a result, his support is draining away, and according to various sources, the Tory rebels are between 5 and 10 letters away from calling for a leadership election. (They need to submit 54 letters to the head of the 1922 committee. That is 15% of the number of MPs that the Tories have).
The latest rumour is that there is more to come from Dominic Cummings, especially lots of dirt on the influence of Carrie Johnson. Already drips of information are coming to light, such as when Carrie was going to meetings of advisors, the taxi drivers were told to take a long way to ensure her late arrival and limit her influence. There is a view that she isn’t to blame for some of the policies and Johnson should have ignored her. It just serves to demonstrate that he is a coward and dislikes conflict when he doesn’t have the upper hand.
Since Johnson got married, he has pursued a green agenda which is causing financial pain to the lower paid and long-term damage to the energy security of the UK. The blame for this has been firmly laid at the door of his wife.
Comments from the previous prime minister, Theresa May have been leaked, showing that she couldn’t rely on him as he was never on top of his brief and often didn’t read and understand documents properly.
Other juicy information includes the fact that Johnson has been banned by the security services from taking Top Secret documents home to his flat in Downing street after visitors to the flat saw them strewn around, visible to visitors.
More of this is expected from Cummings this week.
Finally, he is reported as saying that it will take a Panzer division to remove him from Downing Street. I am sure that Vladimir Putin would happily oblige.