Keir and loathing: It’s time he got tougher
THE frightening extent to which the shambolic Conservative Government has lost control of the fight against the killer virus is illustrated by the sharp contact involved in many of the increasingly fraught calls between Downing Street and local leaders.
The head of one Northern authority asked how No 10 would distinguish between a restaurant and a pub, if eateries were allowed to stay open and drinking dens closed despite many inns serving food and restaurants selling booze.
Boris Johnson’s chief of staff, Eddie Lister, replied meekly: “We’ll get back to you on that.”
Confidence drains away when the people supposed to be in charge are clearly clueless, unsure what they are doing and ignorant of the consequences.
The chaos, confusion and contempt for communities shown by an incompetent PM and his team includes the chief of another council learning its area will effectively shut down this week from a local newspaper emailed details in advance.
The uprising in the North, revolts in the Midlands and Wales, plus nine in 10 people worried about the loss of jobs and damage to the economy is a huge vote of no confidence in the Government’s handling of a growing crisis.
Penny- pinching Rishi
Sunak twice botching replacements for the furlough scheme is a traditional austerity Chancellor in an expensive new suit.
Cuts and tricks expose a lie as subtle as a brick when Tory false promises at the last election to level up the North are exposed as empty propaganda, the woefully inept Covid response destined to hold back those areas for decades to come.
Murmurings are growing louder among Labour MPs for leader Keir Starmer to take a tougher line. He’d be wise to heed them when the public mood’s shifting.
On another Downing Street call, the leader of a local authority reportedly observed No 10 couldn’t organise a drink in a brewery, unaware the PM’s staff were still listening.
He’s right, the plainspeaking council leader.
The scale of the crisis is a challenge. Johnson’s flunked. So too now is Risky Rishi, his likely successor. Narrow Tory ideology’s the enemy of good government. It’s grim up North. And in the rest of the country.
Britain’s tragedy is this lot could be in office for another four years, mistakes following errors. Unless the Government disintegrates, collapses under the strain – unlikely but not impossible in this turbulent era.
Starmer should now turn the screw.
Tory rebels and furious voters will do the rest.