So the Sue Gray Report has finally been released and its findings, even in the “lite” version, are not pretty:
Against the backdrop of the pandemic, when the Government was asking citizens to accept far-reaching restrictions on their lives, some of the behaviour surrounding these gatherings is difficult to justify.
ii. At least some of the gatherings in question represent a serious failure to observe not just the high standards expected of those working at the heart of Government but also of the standards expected of the entire British population at the time.
iii. At times it seems there was too little thought given to what was happening across the country in considering the appropriateness of some of these gatherings, the risks they presented to public health and how they might appear to the public. There were failures of leadership and judgment by different parts of No 10 and the Cabinet Office at different times. Some of the events should not have been allowed to take place. Other events should not have been allowed to develop as they did.
iv. The excessive consumption of alcohol is not appropriate in a professional workplace at any time. Steps must be taken to ensure that every Government Department has a clear and robust policy in place covering the consumption of alcohol in the workplace.
Ed Davey said that Conservative MPs must get rid of Boris Johnson:
“Everyone knows Boris Johnson broke the rules and lied to the country. It’s time Conservative MPs did their patriotic duty, listened to their constituents and stood up for decency by sacking Boris Johnson. He must go before he does our country any more harm.”
“For months ministers hid behind Sue Gray, now they’re hiding behind Cressida Dick. Yet Boris Johnson is still refusing to give an honest answer to a simple question. The public suffered while Number 10 partied: they deserve the full truth instead of being left in the dark.”
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2 Comments
By any normally acceptable standards Johnson should be finished. Lying to parliament is such a discreditable offence, such a disqualification for office that members of parliament are not permitted to accuse one another of lying to the house.
But what is the recourse? Can a speaker discipline a politician for lying to parliament? For years, Johnson has relied on fellow hacks to close ranks to belittle and minimise criticism. There are still tabloids that are all too willing to turn a blind eye, meanwhile the entire political class is tarred with the same brush. But they are not ‘all the same’, ministerial codes have not been flouted and brushed aside so cynically in the past.
At present, ministerial standards are at rock bottom and we look in vain for someone who might restore any semblance of decency.
Calls for Johnson to resign have become counter-productive. Voters see his resilience under attack as a valuable skill in a prime minister (which it is). He performs well at the dispatch box when attacked, and his rhetorical skills get into top gear. He leaves Starmer and even an apoplectic Ian Blackford in his wake. Ed Davey has been occasionally fiery in attack, but I don’t think the sob-stories MPs on all sides are using really work. People did die tragically, but not because of the parties in Downing Street. What matters is that Johnson got away with being a liar as a journalist and Brexit campaigner, and now treats Parliament with the same contempt. The rule book is clear about the consequences of lying, and no amount of boasting about his so-called achievements can change that.
He also speaks as if he personally masterminded the development of the vaccine and organised its manufacture (all done by Oxford scientists) and delivered the jabs himself (done by NHS staff and volunteers), and that he wasn’t responsible for hospitals dumping elderly bed-blockers in nursing homes (done by his government).
Still coming down the track are more revelations about why so many billions were wasted on test and trace, and more about the PPE contracts for mates scandal, thanks to the Good Law Project. A new broom at number 10 now would let Johnson off the hook, and would be perfect timing for a Conservative revival ahead of a general election in 2024.