Boris Johnson: a political career in freefall

[Celerity]

The Conservative Party used to be famed for its pragmatic retention of power, Paul Mason writes. It’s lost that muscle memory.

https://socialeurope.eu/boris-johnson-a-political-career-in-freefall



‘Meltdown’ was the word Britain’s newspapers reached for as Boris Johnson’s administration fell apart at the end of last week. As a metaphor, it’s accurate. In a literal nuclear meltdown, the fuel rods overheat because the water cooling them becomes unavailable. Then the rods liquidise, fall to the bottom of their pressurised container and—potentially—generate enough steam to blow the roof off, spurting toxic materials into the atmosphere.

‘Partygate’

The prime minister’s meltdown has likewise occurred in stages. The first was the holding of a series of parties in and around No 10 Downing Street—amid government-mandated pandemic restrictions for citizens—which are now under criminal investigation. Some 12 social gatherings have passed the evidential test set by the Metropolitan police for serious and flagrant breaches of the lockdown laws.

The second, unrelated, was an attempt to save a Tory backbencher, Owen Paterson, from being suspended from Parliament, after breaking rules that forbid lobbying in return for money, using contacts he had made with a Northern Ireland company after being a minister there. Though this failed, the strong-arm tactics Johnson used to mobilise support convinced many MPs that he was more concerned about his friendship network than the wider interests of their constituents. The third stage was the ‘Partygate’ cover-up. Once the existence of the parties was revealed, officials in Downing Street agreed that Johnson could deny that they had been ‘parties’—rather they were described as ‘work events’.

Stage four was critical: it became clear Johnson knew the events were parties, that his own senior officials had organised one, that his chief spokeswoman had rehearsed lying about them and that he had attended at least two. The final phase—when the roof metaphorically blew off No 10—came with a Johnson counter-attack in the House of Commons on the Labour leader, Keir Starmer, when he repeated a fascist-inspired libel that, while director of public prosecutions, Starmer had failed to prosecute the serial child rapist and TV personality Jimmy Savile. This precipitated the resignation of Johnson’s closest policy adviser, Munira Mirza, the instigator of numerous right-wing ‘culture war’ offensives for whom this turned out to be one disgusting act too far, and other figures from the court.

snip

[al bupp]

1. And not a moment too soon...

rather, actually quite a few too late. C'est la vie.

[Hortensis]

2. This kind of arrogant self destruction is typical of many who

flock to these corrupted RW political parties. We've seen it many times over even though mutual protection enables many to survive in spite of themselves. Their talent for self aggrandizement in environments that enable their rise does not leave their deep flaws and lacks behind.

[Submariner]

3. Let's vote for the moron stuck on the zipline as the PM

to navigate England through Brexit.

That’s almost as stupid as voting a Russian money launderer as POTUS.

[Gore1FL]

4. Its amazing.

Of all of the reasons he shouldn't be PM, this wouldn't have been what I thought would have ended him politically.

[gratuitous]

6. HAS it ended him politically?

There's certainly a lot of kerfuffle going on, but from what I can tell, Johnson still gets his mail in care of No. 10 Downing Street. I'm as keen as anyone on Johnson leaving office, but I haven't seen the long knives come out for him quite yet.

[Gore1FL]

7. Probably wishful thinking on my part. nt

[gratuitous]

8. In that case . . .

From your keyboard to God's ear.

[Aristus]

5. Freefall.

That explains the hairdo...