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| Boris Johnson in Meltdown |
"Let me be very clear" is the most used phrase by politicians of all persuasions in this election. If the urban dictionary had a definition it would be something like "Let me indulge and confuse you with some utter bullshit". In effect, nothing could be less clear apart from "getting Brexit done". Could there be any more confusion about Labour's Brexit policy? How are the Tory claims for tackling the social care crisis and the NHS failures to be met without even providing the funding to meet inflation and the rise in the elderly? What makes the Lib Dems think Jo Swinson might be PM? And why on earth is Nigel Farage still given any airtime?
Every day brings another gush of truth-busting promises from the participants in this election. It used to be the case that elections were the opportunity for a debate on the policies required to take the country forward with detailed arguments from all sides. The only occasion there has been a constructive discussion about policy has been the Channel 4 climate change leaders debate. Granted it was helped by Boris Johnson failing to attend and being replaced by an ice sculpture of the world that melted under the studio lights. The election is devoid of mutual respect and debased by the abuse of opponents, mendacious claims, social media trickery and keeping quiet on wicked issues. The Tories have even issued attack manuals on how to smear rivals to all their candidates. What a rudderless state we have become.
The BBC and newspapers focus on trying to trap party spokespeople and demanding that they apologise by asking the same question half a dozen times. It was a novel ploy fifteen years ago when Jeremy Paxman launched the technique on the implausible Michael Howard. Today, it is just part of the play manual used by lazy journalists posing as purveyors of truth. The popular press does not even bother with such niceties, they simply hurl abuse at the political parties and make accusations that seek to eviscerate their political targets. Once again confirming that the recommendations of the Leveson Inquiry for an independent body to investigate press complaints should have been implemented. They were dropped by the Tories following the 2017 election and IPSO became the self-serving regulator of the press. It has the same predictable outcomes as internal Police investigations. Institutions are essentially self-defence mechanisms.
An example over the last couple of days is the accusation by the Tories that Labour would devote the whole of 2020 to two more referendums that would cost £150m, only a People's Vote on the Brexit deal is proposed. This comes from the party that called for a referendum on the EU in the first place, despite there being no clamour from the electorate for one, and then called for two general elections that were contrary to the Fixed Term Parliament Act. Any semblance of honour, integrity, fairness and factual accuracy has been exorcised from the government's mode of operation. As well as the factcheckuk Twitter account that they set up to trash the opposition during the leader's debate, they have deployed the cabinet and hangers-on with a tactical ruthlessness that Jose Mourinho would be proud to have implemented.
It has been a military-style operation utilising all the talents of Boris Johnson's cabinet that is strong on duplicity and stable on incompetence. The attack dogs are a platoon led by Michael Gove whose calm garrulity leaves no truth unsullied. He is assisted by James Cleverly, Kwasi Kertang, Nadim Zahawi and Brandon Lewis. They have memorised the attack manuals and evasively twist any question about their policies or past mistakes into a lie-laden thrust against their political opponents. Then there are the sycophants who are capable of flipping on any issue. Their leading exponents are Matt Hancock and Nicki Morgan, both so obsequious to their leader that they seem incapable of uttering statements that have any logical coherence. There are a small group of mavericks who are released on special missions when a more ruthless defence is required and this is where Dominic Raab, Rishi Sunak, and, less effectively, Sajid Javid are sent into battle.
Those left have been sent on a version of the reality TV show, the Chase. The idea is to keep them hidden from the press and media until December 12. They could be described as the Dim and Dimmer group. They include Andrea Leadsom, Gavin Williamson, Stephen Barclay, Esther McVey, Theresa Villiers, Alistair Jack and Liz Truss. The latter is Dimmer who keeps getting caught, desperate to show off her misunderstanding of almost any subject. And finally, there is special Agent Mogg, Rees-Mogg, who has been sent to Bath early to campaign in his constituency using only pen and ink and doorstep condescension.
The Labour Party lineup is more muddled than tactical because 80% of its MPs do not support Jeremy Corbyn and are therefore excluded from taking any part in the election campaign. They are reliant on John McDonnell and Keir Starmer as their central defenders but soon run out of other options. Angela Rayner, Rebecca Long-Bailey, Andy McDonald, Jonathon Ashworth and Dawn Butler are used to promote policies but are less proficient at defending their leader than Boris Johnson's attack dogs. They have put Emily Thornberry on the naughty step, lost Tom Watson, sent Diane Abbott on the Chase and Richard Burgon has been asked to shadow Liz Truss as the spokesperson for incompetence.
Jo Swinson has for some strange reason adopted the Theresa May strategy of making the election about herself becoming PM. It is a flawed construct given her lack of gravitas, naivety and previous form as a minister in David Cameron's Austerity cabinet. Chukka Umunna, freshly enrolled as a Lib Dem, making it his third party of the year and flaunting his naked ambition is making speeches that suggest he has eyes on a different sort of leadership prize after the election assuming he becomes an MP entrapped in his latest cosplay as a Lib Dem. In Scotland, the SNP have adopted the very clever strategy of not being any of the above and realise that in what goes for a general election campaign it is best to let the other parties convince the electorate that they are unworthy of their vote. That allows them to concentrate on attacking the Tories and claiming that they are not in any secret collusion with Labour.
So if the polls are correct and the Tories win, "let me be very clear" that "getting Brexit done" will be "a walk in the dark".
Every day brings another gush of truth-busting promises from the participants in this election. It used to be the case that elections were the opportunity for a debate on the policies required to take the country forward with detailed arguments from all sides. The only occasion there has been a constructive discussion about policy has been the Channel 4 climate change leaders debate. Granted it was helped by Boris Johnson failing to attend and being replaced by an ice sculpture of the world that melted under the studio lights. The election is devoid of mutual respect and debased by the abuse of opponents, mendacious claims, social media trickery and keeping quiet on wicked issues. The Tories have even issued attack manuals on how to smear rivals to all their candidates. What a rudderless state we have become.
The BBC and newspapers focus on trying to trap party spokespeople and demanding that they apologise by asking the same question half a dozen times. It was a novel ploy fifteen years ago when Jeremy Paxman launched the technique on the implausible Michael Howard. Today, it is just part of the play manual used by lazy journalists posing as purveyors of truth. The popular press does not even bother with such niceties, they simply hurl abuse at the political parties and make accusations that seek to eviscerate their political targets. Once again confirming that the recommendations of the Leveson Inquiry for an independent body to investigate press complaints should have been implemented. They were dropped by the Tories following the 2017 election and IPSO became the self-serving regulator of the press. It has the same predictable outcomes as internal Police investigations. Institutions are essentially self-defence mechanisms.
An example over the last couple of days is the accusation by the Tories that Labour would devote the whole of 2020 to two more referendums that would cost £150m, only a People's Vote on the Brexit deal is proposed. This comes from the party that called for a referendum on the EU in the first place, despite there being no clamour from the electorate for one, and then called for two general elections that were contrary to the Fixed Term Parliament Act. Any semblance of honour, integrity, fairness and factual accuracy has been exorcised from the government's mode of operation. As well as the factcheckuk Twitter account that they set up to trash the opposition during the leader's debate, they have deployed the cabinet and hangers-on with a tactical ruthlessness that Jose Mourinho would be proud to have implemented.
It has been a military-style operation utilising all the talents of Boris Johnson's cabinet that is strong on duplicity and stable on incompetence. The attack dogs are a platoon led by Michael Gove whose calm garrulity leaves no truth unsullied. He is assisted by James Cleverly, Kwasi Kertang, Nadim Zahawi and Brandon Lewis. They have memorised the attack manuals and evasively twist any question about their policies or past mistakes into a lie-laden thrust against their political opponents. Then there are the sycophants who are capable of flipping on any issue. Their leading exponents are Matt Hancock and Nicki Morgan, both so obsequious to their leader that they seem incapable of uttering statements that have any logical coherence. There are a small group of mavericks who are released on special missions when a more ruthless defence is required and this is where Dominic Raab, Rishi Sunak, and, less effectively, Sajid Javid are sent into battle.
Those left have been sent on a version of the reality TV show, the Chase. The idea is to keep them hidden from the press and media until December 12. They could be described as the Dim and Dimmer group. They include Andrea Leadsom, Gavin Williamson, Stephen Barclay, Esther McVey, Theresa Villiers, Alistair Jack and Liz Truss. The latter is Dimmer who keeps getting caught, desperate to show off her misunderstanding of almost any subject. And finally, there is special Agent Mogg, Rees-Mogg, who has been sent to Bath early to campaign in his constituency using only pen and ink and doorstep condescension.
The Labour Party lineup is more muddled than tactical because 80% of its MPs do not support Jeremy Corbyn and are therefore excluded from taking any part in the election campaign. They are reliant on John McDonnell and Keir Starmer as their central defenders but soon run out of other options. Angela Rayner, Rebecca Long-Bailey, Andy McDonald, Jonathon Ashworth and Dawn Butler are used to promote policies but are less proficient at defending their leader than Boris Johnson's attack dogs. They have put Emily Thornberry on the naughty step, lost Tom Watson, sent Diane Abbott on the Chase and Richard Burgon has been asked to shadow Liz Truss as the spokesperson for incompetence.
Jo Swinson has for some strange reason adopted the Theresa May strategy of making the election about herself becoming PM. It is a flawed construct given her lack of gravitas, naivety and previous form as a minister in David Cameron's Austerity cabinet. Chukka Umunna, freshly enrolled as a Lib Dem, making it his third party of the year and flaunting his naked ambition is making speeches that suggest he has eyes on a different sort of leadership prize after the election assuming he becomes an MP entrapped in his latest cosplay as a Lib Dem. In Scotland, the SNP have adopted the very clever strategy of not being any of the above and realise that in what goes for a general election campaign it is best to let the other parties convince the electorate that they are unworthy of their vote. That allows them to concentrate on attacking the Tories and claiming that they are not in any secret collusion with Labour.
So if the polls are correct and the Tories win, "let me be very clear" that "getting Brexit done" will be "a walk in the dark".
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