We find cracks appearing even in the ruling junta. Sajid Javid, Chancellor of the Exchequer, is unhappy. Javid’s nominally a key figure in Boris Johnson’s administration, but in reality he’s a cypher in a government being run by a special adviser called Dominic Cummings.
Cummings was Campaign Director of the Vote Leave campaign in the 2016 Referendum. As such, he was a foremost exponent of mendacity in a campaign not unduly marked by truth-telling.
He is credited with having come up with the powerful, because beautifully simple, slogan “take back control”. Now we’re learning just what he meant by that.
Only unofficially is he BoJo’s chief of staff. Only unofficially is he running the whole Downing Street operation. Only unofficially but with great impact.
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| Sonia Khan, ardent Brexiter but fired by Cummings, who wasn’t her boss. Her face didn’t fit, apparently. And one wonders why... |
In any case, Cummings is clear that anyone who doesn’t like his management style can simply go forth and multiply.
I write “go forth and multiply” because I don’t want to write “fuck off” here.
At any rate, if this is how the junta treats BoJo’s allies, it sends a chilling message about the fate that awaits those who oppose him.
Meanwhile, a group of 50 MPs has decided to continue meeting as an alternative Parliament, outside the House of Commons, once the prorogation comes into effect.
That’s just a gesture, but one to be applauded. It’s only a gesture, because what authority would an alternative parliament have? But it’s to be applauded because gestures matter. After all, the prorogation itself is only a gesture. It’s due to last just five weeks. But it matters because it’s BoJo’s way of saying, “if Parliament gets up my nose, I can just sweep it away”.
The alternative parliament is MPs response to that, saying “we won’t go far. And we’ll keep right on getting up your nose”.
A courageous, principled gesture. Led by courageous, principled people. David Lammy from Labour, or instance. Jo Swinson, leader of the Liberal Democrats. Caroline Lucas of the Green Party. A few Conservatives
Is a name conspicuous for its absence? Why, yes. Jeremy Corbyn, nominally leader of the Labour Party, isn’t with this group.
It seems that when the courageous and principled foregather, Jeremy Corbyn is otherwise engaged.
3 comments:
It is of course possible that Jeremy Corbyn has other things to do with his time than posturing with the likes of Jo Swinson.
It's good to have some opposition.
If Jeremy is doing other things, then he's missing the most important movement around him. A fact which he tacitly acknowledged when he finally, belatedly, threw his weight behind it.
Faith, you're right. In fact, I'd say it's vital to have opposition to a government behaving so badly.
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