The Boris Johnson Interregnum

 

Last Judgement on the Johnson Government

As we wait with bated breath for the oft-promised inquiry into the UK response to COVID-19, we should remember that the politics of fear are the underlying currency of this shameful government. The only question we should ask is when and how the Boris Johnson interregnum will end.

According to Boris Johnson's once trusted maverick sage, Dominic Cummings, the PM himself had said he was unfit to be Prime Minister. He was obsessed with the media, made constant U-turns and Downing Street was like an out-of-control movie. 

As if to confirm this character assassination, Boris Johnson's attributed quote about his former Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, "he's effing hopeless", resulted in no attempt to sack him even when he was filmed in full lockdown with one of his advisers. "The matter is closed" said Johnson until the media exploded with belated indignation and effectively rooted out the Health Secretary. At which point Johnson said Matt Hancock was found out yesterday and he was replaced today. Johnson's 20/20 vision seems as unfocused as that of his former advisor. Despite the catalogue of failings, the only criticism levelled at Johnson by the popular media and others, like the BBC, who aspire to be more objective, has focused on the redecoration of the Downing Street flat and Carrie's criticism of John Lewis home furnishings. 

After the May elections, the popular press and media became ever more active in their firewall protection of the PM based on his assumed popularity. Instead of firing their ire on his consistent failures to make the right decisions during the Covid pandemic, and the dire performance of most of his cabinet, they have decided to denigrate Keir Starmer, Nicola Sturgeon and Mark Drakeford. These leaders have been more cautious, more objective, and less vindictive in their relationship with Europe and have a level of integrity that is far closer to the benchmark for political leadership. 

His erstwhile adviser Dominic Cummings summed up his inability to make decisions perfectly when he described Boris Johnson as a shopping trolley crashing from side to side down the aisle. Lest we get carried away with his ability to get away with no end of flaky decisions, it is worth reminding ourselves of his litany of bad decisions that Dominic Cummings allegations exposed for posterity.

Johnson has survived so far more by luck than judgement. It is generally overlooked or ignored by the media that only 29% of the electorate voted for his government in the December 2019 "landslide" election. This translated into an eighty-seat majority by virtue of the anachronistic first-past-the-post voting system. This compares to Mark Drakeford and Nicola Sturgeon securing 40% and 47% of the constituency votes respectively, Boris Johnson would be a big-time loser in any objective electoral system. He is dependent upon English nationalism that the Tories have reclaimed from UKIP and other populist parties that have been dressed up as the collapse of the red wall.

It is too easy to say that Covid would have stretched the leadership qualities of anyone. Boris Johnson's record of failure and false claims go back many years, but 'mea culpa' is the one Latin phrase that has constantly eluded his whimsical utterances. Dominic Cummings suggests that he will go in 2022 as it is no fun being prime minister and he wants to make shedloads of money. This is believable although by any objective measure of performance, he should have been outed long before then.