No.153 - Moving on? The Boris/Cummings Diarchy is Revealed.
Dear James,
At yesterday’s press conference, Boris’s message was ‘Move on - the Cummings matter is ‘closed’. When journalists questioned his two senior scientific advisers about whether Cummings had stuck to the rules at Castle Barnard, he intervened to stop the questions. Boris does not like questions. Especially when the advisers’ preferred silence, suggests that they cannot support him. There are still 8,000 new infections per day, the R number is close to 1 and we do not yet have a fully functioning test and trace system. The situation is still critical. Yet Boris crashes on.
Of course, yesterday’s message was not the real message. The real message was far more sinister. It was ‘Shut up everyone, with an 80 seat majority, I’m immune to criticism and am ploughing ahead with the hardest Brexit possible whether you like it or not.’ But, as if that is not bad enough, there is something more. The Cummings crisis has revealed the true nature of the Boris/Cummings ‘Diarchy’ - or perhaps ‘Duumvirate’ is a better word – that now rules our nation. In stark clarity, it has shown how one small, two person, all powerful cell operates now in No.10 - with the support of up to 5 other special advisers from the Vote Leave campaign - beyond the influence of party members, a supine cabinet and parliament - in order to advance a narrow nationalist agenda based upon a nostalgic notion of past greatness. That is not democracy. It is incipient dictatorship. And, one day it will lead to disaster.
Those of us who value real democracy and are not afraid of challenge, scrutiny or the concept of checks and balances, should be very fearful. Boris is the ‘useful fool’ to Cummings’s ‘Leninist’ agenda. He is clinging desperately to the only man who can give him some semblance of backbone. On Wednesday, during the Liaison Committee Hearings, he was pummelled by many politicians but, despite recent polls showing that 71% of people wanted Cummings sacked, his message was ‘the public wants us to move on!’, the usual Boris resort to untruth, bluster, and nonsense. And his cabinet of ‘Yes men’ continue to echo the same message.
Johnson as a man, has been terribly weakened in the public’s eye by the Cummings saga and yet, as Prime Minister, he needs Cummings like a headless man needs a head. Quite frankly, Boris looked pathetic on Wednesday. It was like watching the slow motion collision of this arch-populist into the two massive realities of the pandemic and the EU. And poor, inadequate Boris is floundering with both. At home his stock, even amongst his natural supporters, is severely damaged. Abroad Britain has become the laughing stock of the international community. But Cummings does not care what others think. He just tells his boss,’ Ignore the naysayers. Just get on with the main job of ‘Getting Brexit Done’.
So the ‘Cummings matter’ is not closed James. It has become a symbol of all that is wrong with our government. When Mr Hancock now exhorts us to do our civic duty, all we see is Mr Cummings pleading innocence in the No.10 Rose Garden. But Boris, ever the salesman, wants us all to ‘move on’. On the basis of his track record? You must be joking! We now have at least 38,000 deaths (60,000 excess deaths) and many of those deaths are probably due to your government’s failure to act quickly. Your Chief Adviser’s misdemeanour only reminds us all of a much deeper truth. You were late, you were slow, you were clumsy and your adviser ignored his own rules. When dealing with new diarchy, remember the warning, 'Caveat Emptor'!
Boris performed on Wednesday like Billy Bunter caught with his hand in the tuck shop goodies jar. He dangled and dithered, stuttered and spluttered, and then told everyone that he understands our pain but will not change his mind. Today Boris and Cummings are, amongst many, a national joke. A company called ‘The Brew Dog Company’ has already launched a new ‘Barnard Castle Eye Test ‘ beer with the proceeds going to the NHS.
James, Britain was once called the ‘Sick man of Europe.’ Today it is more like the ‘Madman of Europe’. Unfortunately, the ‘men in white coats’ are otherwise engaged at the moment dealing with the worst pandemic for a hundred years. But, I suppose it at least gives you a bit more time to get your real business done?
Kind regards,
BH – Your Concerned Constituent