Importance of meeting the moment

History is full of examples of when a person and a moment meet. Winston Churchill, who was previously known for the botched Dardanelles operation during World War One and his disastrous decision to put Britain back on the Gold Standard in 1925, finally found his moment in World War Two. Ability, intellect, and charisma weren’t always sufficient: sometimes the circumstances have to be correct for a particular leader to shine.

Our current Prime Minister probably had his moment in 2012, during the London Olympics. The organisation was done by others. He could play the showman, be entertaining. He certainly was not in a position to make life or death decisions or to do any harm. He apparently is not a details man, rather, more of a class clown. He is big on the flourish, the rhetorical riposte, the amusing remark.

In 2012, and in the context of the festival that the Olympics certainly was, that was fine. When he became Prime Minister, the tabloids hoped that his elevation to the role would herald sunnier days. One tabloid went so far as to request he “bring sunshine”.

However, we are in a very different period now. The coronavirus calls for a seriousness of purpose, practical thought, and determination. It requires organisational nous and attention to detail. It requires an ability to speak clearly to the British people about the challenges ahead.

Can we say the man and the moment are well suited? I’m afraid not.

Johnson likes to compare himself to Churchill, as was evident from his book “The Churchill Factor”. He believes that there are similarities between his rhetorical flourishes and those of Churchill’s. Churchill also had his foibles, in particular, a fondness for alcohol. However, there was a difference: Churchill did not mind having a cabinet full of organisational talent, and he made good decisions about who should get which role. Churchill led, but leadership is not all about the qualities of the leader. It also entails good judgement.

Behind Churchill, there was an Ernest Bevin, the trade union leader, who mobilised Britain’s manpower to a greater extent than Germany could or would. There was the steady hand of Clement Attlee. He had Lord Woolton to help him at the Ministry of Food. It is commonplace for our films and literature to focus on Churchill’s leadership qualities; however, they seldom look at how good he was at picking personnel.

Can we really say the same about our current Prime Minister? We presently have a housing minister who apparently can be swayed by a £12,000 donation to the Conservative Party.

We have a Home Secretary who sometimes fails to recall the difference between terrorism and counterterrorism.

We have a Foreign Secretary whose geography is sometimes patchy.

Johnson has made a cabinet that makes him look better by comparison; but that isn’t what we need.

On a local level, the Labour Group here in Peterborough wants to assemble a cabinet of all the talents. We will be advised on medical and health matters by our councillors Shabina Qayyum and Sam Hemraj, professionals in the field. We have Lucinda Robinson, a trained teacher, and our lead on education. I am trained as an accountant. I will look at the budgets with a keen eye.

When the time comes for the Labour Group to take control, we will not just offer leadership, but expertise. The moment for such expertise, in my opinion, has come. It will be a welcome contrast to the fluff and bumbling which has characterised Conservative governance hitherto.