It used to be a scandal a month, now it’s a scandal a week.
The lies, sleaze, cronyism, corruption, disinformation, duplicity have now built into such a monstrous slurry tip that on Monday it was reported no Cabinet minister among the parade of mediocre sycophants and nodding dogs in Johnson’s dysfunctional government could be found to defend on the media his latest deceits about his disgraced former deputy chief whip.
As a result of this build up of accusations, allegations and exposés people console themselves that it’s not a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when’ Johnson will be given the bum’s rush. Then everyone can breathe a sigh of relief and normal service will be resumed after the hideous Johnson departs.
Not so fast. Johnson’s poisonous legacy will take a long time, if ever, to eradicate.
At the top of the list is the damage, perhaps irreparable, he has done to the Good Friday Agreement and British-Irish relations. However, largely unnoticed here is also the British government’s lurch to the right under Johnson. In March and April this year a series of repressive and authoritarian laws came into force. They affect elections (Elections Act), parliament (Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act), judicial review (Judicial Review & Courts Act), police powers and protests (Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act), citizenship and nationality (Nationality & Borders Act). They amount to a huge power grab by central government and its ministers.
The new Dissolution Act gives the prime minister power to dissolve parliament and call an election at any time. The Elections Act removes the Electoral Commission’s independence and introduces photo ID which will disadvantage poorer people. The huge – 300 page – Police and Crime Act gives the police power to ban any demonstration if they think it’s too noisy (honest), or too disruptive. The Nationality Act gives the home secretary power to remove British citizenship in some cases without even informing the person concerned. The Judicial Review Act curtails people’s right to redress for unjust official actions. These acts do much more damage, but you get the idea.
Here’s the really bad news. They’re going to remain in operation, though some don’t apply here – yet. They’re going to remain in operation because, guess what, when Johnson is sent packing Conservative party members, predominantly over 55s, will elect a new leader from the same right-wing nationalistic, little Englander stable. Go on, run your mind over the unsavoury list of candidates. Then, that person will win the next election because Keir Starmer can’t. It’s not just that he’s a boring dud, which he is, but electorally he’s on a hiding to nothing.
With the boundary changes which favour the Conservatives he needs to win about 128 seats in England, all from the Conservatives, and not lose any Labour seats. That means beating what Blair did in 1997. It’s an unprecedented requirement which Starmer isn’t up to. Besides, Blair won over 60 seats in Scotland. There are now only 59 Scots MPs and Labour has one. Apart from the arithmetic, Starmer has neither the necessary charisma, wit, charm or political nous to excite and motivate voters.
His only route to power is a deal with the SNP – coalition, minority government, confidence and supply – or possibly the Lib Dems, but he has just burned his boats with the SNP by stupidly refusing even to speak to them for fear of being crucified by the Daily Mail. Look, the Daily Mail is going to claim he’ll make a deal with Nicola Sturgeon, deny it all he wants. There’ll be cartoons with him in Sturgeon’s handbag.
Starmer's disappointing weak and watery speech on Monday to the Centre for European Reform confirms that he’s no friend of Ireland. He said he wants to fix the protocol, only by doing what sensible Conservatives want, but, no single market, customs union or, stupidly, no free movement of workers. Spot the difference. He’s Conservative-lite.
