Another own goal for Boris Johnson

Another week , another needless communications disaster for the UK Government.

Clearly unsatisfied with the bad press generated by the free school meals debacle, furlough confusion and Brexit angst, this glutton-for-punishment government launched into another row.

The PM’s decision to brand de volution a “disaster” and to claim the reconvening of the Scottish Parliament was Blair’s “biggest mistake” has gone down like a cup of cold sick.

Number 10 scrambled to correct the PM’s words but, as so often has been the case this year, the damage was already done.

Where else has PM gone wrong?

Free school meals: Perhaps the biggest own goal this year was Number 10’s refusal to provide free school meals for kids down south over Christmas.

No t content wi t h being bested by Marcus Rashford once, Johnson’s team were again nutmegged last month. Worse still, this time around Number 10 forced MPs to actively oppose Christmas meals in the Commons.

Boris Jo h n s o n’s administration did a U-turn last week, but the damage was done.

Cummings: Who can forget Dominic Cummings’ lockdown trip. Johnson’s decision to keep him on undermined public health messaging and put the UK Government in stark contrast with the FM’s administration, where Catherine Calderwood was sacked from her role as chief medical officer after breaching rules.

Jo h n s o n’s latest “devolution disaster” comments will no doubt form part of an SNP collage that will be used to fight next year ’s Holyrood elections. the