WHERE’S THE BEEF, BORIS?

IT IS more than a month now since Boris Johnson swept to one of the most remarkable Election victories in modern British history.

After years of stalemate, he used his charisma, humour and force of personality to slash through the knots and bonds that had prevented Brexit. He shattered Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party and became the undisputed master of the Tory Party. The world of politics was at his feet.

So, with 37 of his crucial first 100 days gone, where are the swift, resolute and decisive actions that he is now free to take?

Even allowing for the Christmas break, there is little sign of anything worthy of the occasion. Prime Ministers have a very short time to make their mark before the euphoria of victory departs, party unity fades and events blow them off course. Yet there is no hint of any big decision, on anything from Heathrow expansion to HS2, no hint of a reforming, radical government determined to resolve the big problems such as social care.

What we have instead is a rather sad diktat telling Ministers to stop having lunch with journalists and to sit quietly and obediently at their desks, awaiting and obeying instructions from unelected policy gurus. It is all horribly reminiscent of the early days of Tony Blair, when his rottweiler Alastair Campbell tried to cow the Cabinet into subjection.

Meanwhile, the PM will make it his ‘number one priority to level up across the country and open up opportunities for people across the entire UK’ – a series of cliches with little obvious meaning. Where’s the beef, Boris?