No. 244 – The One Word that Sums it Up!
Dear James,
Liar! The word reverberated across the Commons last Tuesday. Several times during Ian Blackford’s, twenty minute speech, that word, until now banned as ‘unparliamentary language’, was repeated, again and again, like a nail being hammered into a coffin. The Leader of the SNP in the House of Commons, was relishing what had been forbidden to MPs for time immemorial when referring to one of their own. The Prime Minister had lied repeatedly over many months, even years, he continued. Blackford was clearly savouring the special dispensation given to him by the Speaker of the House because the motion before them was whether the Prime Minister had misled the House over the ‘Partygate ‘ scandal. It was all the more satisfying since, several weeks ago, Blackford had been forced to withdraw the same word by the Speaker during an earlier debate. How times have changed!
Thursday was chaotic in parliament when once again we saw a major government U-Turn due to a major government miscalculation. The evening before, Boris had made a decision to introduce an amendment which would have pushed an investigation by the House’s Privileges Committee into the long grass, Tory MPs were issued with a three-line whip to back the amendment. Next morning the likes of Nadhim Zahawi, were sent out the media to ‘defend the indefensible’. Then, you James and the other whips, found that you did not have the support of your 80+ majority to guarantee the amendment would pass. Many senior Conservative MPs had apparently indicated that they would vote against the amendment or abstain. Something was afoot. It seems your party still has vestiges of principle within it. Your party is angry, James.
The Opposition were calling for a vote which would have revealed how many of your MP’s were directly complicit in Boris’s cover up. Few Tory MPs were willing to take that risk for fear of future consequences. The speeches which followed were revealing, even impressive. Baby-faced, Tory MP, Christopher Wragg, made an impressive contribution saying that no MP could be enjoying their jobs at the moment. But the highlight came when the arch-Brexiteer, Steve Baker, stated that he could no longer support the PM. When the vote came, it was unanimous. No one objected and the motion was passed. There will now be an Inquiry by the Common’s Select Committee of Parliamentary Privilege into whether Johnson misled Parliament. This amounts to a third inquiry into the whole ‘Partygate’ scandal. The police continue their investigations, Sue Gray’s report is waiting in the wings and now we have parliament itself investigating the matter. The charge sheets are queuing up. The next few weeks and months should be most interesting.
Meanwhile Johnson was in Gujurat in one of his mate’s, JCB owner Anthony Bamford’s, tractor factories, doing what he does best - sitting like an overweight, small boy in a tractor cab - trying to convince people back home that he was doing ’what the country needed from him’. Always the same old excuse. The people want him to work on the big issues. Which only goes to prove the point that this PM cannot focus on the job because of the sordid trail of scandal that litters this man’s life. And, anyway, what bigger issue is there than that of the integrity and probity of Britain’s Chief Minister?
In India, Boris rolled along with his notorious rubber man smile, absorbing the punches and attempting to pretend that everything is fun and nothing is serious. This rubber man always rotates back to the vertical every time it is kicked over and each return to the momentarily upright is accompanied by the same old verbiage about continuing ‘what the country wants me to do’. Actually James, according to the latest You Gov poll (April 7th) 65% of responses said he is doing badly and 57% of the population think he should resign. Are you listening, James? We know exactly what the country wants him to do!
Boris is way past his sell-by date. Even if you and the rest of his supine MPs allow him to continue, he and your party James, are seriously damaged goods. More to the point, our reputation as a fair and honest nation continues to be dragged through the mud. Last week your front bench looked on in dark despair behind their leader as he attempted to brush of the endless calls by the opposition to resign. They looked like a bunch of miscreants called into the headmaster’s office for a serious rollicking.
Beware of offending British culture James. Lying is seen by most Britons to be beneath contempt. Every time you support Boris Johnson, you become more complicit in his fabric of half-truths and lies. Lying is weakness and eventually it is found out. Isn’t it about time that you and your party found some guts and sent in your letters to Sir Graham Brady? Before it’s too late.
BH – Your Concerned Constituent