THE issues, contradictions and revelations of untruths surrounding who paid what and when for the refurbishment of the flat in No 11 used by a PM are mired in obfuscation, hasty retractions and panicked verbal press releases from Allegra Stratton and others.
The following, reported in The Guardian on Tuesday, is revealing and underscores the flippancy and denial of any awareness of seriousness in this one incident among the many such others arising from the PM’s tenure in office: “On Tuesday a Cabinet minister said that, while they detected little public pressure on the issue, giving Johnson some room for manoeuvre, there was a feeling that clarity would now help. ‘My view has always been that start with the truth; that’s where you’ll end up anyway,’ they urged.”
READ MORE: Boris Johnson to be investigated by Electoral Commission over flat refurbishment
Analysing this rather bland throw away comment, we note that so as long as there is little public pressure, they have room for “manoeuvre”. That means they can dissemble, continue to shove out a few stooges in front of the media to spin and deflect. The unknown Cabinet minister is unaware that public pressure is only just beginning as the particulars of the refurbishment “trust” are only emerging.
But to be fair, he or she admits condescendingly that “clarity would now help”, probably just to help the Tory party and the PM out of another self-made mess.
The last quotation “my view is that start with the truth” is jaw-dropping. Here the person is already distancing himself or herself from the debacle as it gives away the fact that no-one started with the truth but spun lie after lie as the truth is where “you’ll end up anyway.” In other words, this Cabinet minister has just revealed that the “truth” will come out, truth that shows the whole sequence of cover-up from start to finish and blame being apportioned. The game is now up!
READ MORE: PMQs: Boris Johnson erupts in fury as Keir Starmer piles on pressure
The Cabinet minister “knows” that damning evidence is about to be uncovered, not a “mea culpa” from someone (the PM) who unwittingly acted, but actions which show that the ministerial code was not only broken, but that steps were orchestrated to cover it up through false press releases.
However, the underlying tone from the unknown Cabinet member is a laissez-faire approach to government aiming to see how much one can get away with while pursuing personal gain outwith the code of conduct when in government.
When this saga and the other issues arising from words, deeds and actions by the present PM are over, it cannot be brushed aside by excusing it through the punchline that “Boris will be Boris!”
John Edgar
Kilmaurs
FRIENDSHIP is a wonderful thing. It’s supportive when times are bad, like now, and great to share when times are good. Now, as a male, I have several male friends. As I am sure most guys have. Some inevitably closer than others, some more just acquaintances. The same could be said for the females I know – I am married and my wife would not be too happy if it was otherwise.
Now the reader is probably wondering what this preamble is all about – well, to explain. I am getting a distinctly bad smell coming from Downing Street. Amongst all the sleaze that is being reported, there was a report that Boris wanted to quash an enquiry about a leak and would be given a hard time by Carrie if her “BEST FRIEND” Henry Newman was upset by the publicity surrounding the allegation that he was the source of a damaging leak last year (Prime Minister is accused of trying to stop text inquiry, April 26).
READ MORE: PM wanted to stop inquiry to protect fiancee's friend, Dominic Cummings claims
OK, so we have an engaged woman whose best friend is accused of leaking damaging tales regarding statements made by her fiance, and she is going to be upset by her fiance’s failure to stop an inquiry into the leak. This does not sound very supportive of the man who’s going to be her husband. What can poor Boris do when he is surrounded on all sides by clipes and self-servers?
Ian Rankine
Milngavie
IAN Blackford’s performances at PMQs are usually laboured and fail to hit the mark, but today he was superb. He quite rightly highlighted the chumocracy with Covid-19 and Brexit-related contracts given out with a proper tendering process. The refurbishment of the flat is chickenfeed, the issue is the billions for these contracts. My worry is that Boris will be pushed out, a new face will come in as PM and the contracts issue will be forgotten. Business will just go back to normal in the cesspit of the UK’s so-called democracy.
Frederick Hall
via thenational.scot
TRANSPARENCY, clarity, and the declaring of donations does matter. The Prime Minister and Westminster should follow the rules like everyone else. He needs to clear the air of all allegations. Whether it’s regarding dubious donations, PPE and ventilator contracts, flat refurbishment, or whatever. Not to do so fuels mistrust and thoughts of corruption.
Most countries develop euphemisms to describe their government’s corruption – our words of choice seem to be cronyism, back-handers, under-the-table transactions and brown paper envelopes.
In Japan they use the term “black smoke” to describe corruption. Taking that into account, I would like to label Tory corruption as the “Westminster fog” that is currently being emitted into the UK on a daily basis. It reminds me of the thick Glasgow fog I experienced in the 1950s and 60s. This changed, of course, when Glasgow became a smoke-free zone. All houses were converted to gas fires or smokeless fuel.
Wouldn’t it be great if, likewise, Scotland became a Westminster-free zone! London being “converted” to Edinburgh! The air of corruption may not totally disappear but I believe the air of government would be clearer, fairer and healthier. Let’s make that conversion. Vote wisely on May 6.
Robin Maclean
Fort Augustus
A TORY makes history. A future school textbook reads: Great Battles of English History, 1066 to2121. Chapter three, “Westminster PM slain by roll of wallpaper. A decorative medal was worn by all Labour politicians.”
Iain R Thomson
Strathglass
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