THE sleaze, lies and incompetence just keeps coming. To his opponents, both political and public, Boris Johnson is the gift that keeps giving.
The latest fiasco concerns Johnson’s Deputy Chief Whip, the aptly named Chris Pincher. Despite denials by No 10 that Johnson was briefed about Pincher’s predatory sexual proclivities, there is damning evidence to the contrary.
Clearly disgusted by the stance taken by No 10, Sir Simon McDonald, former Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Head of the Diplomatic Service, has broken cover and stated quite clearly in a letter that the Prime Minister was indeed briefed about Chris Pincher’s behaviour.
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Moreover, Johnson’s nemesis Dominic Cummings has stated that Johnson knew of Chris Pincher’s behaviour before he promoted him to the post of deputy chief whip. Cummings alleged Johnson referred to Chris Pincher as “Pincher by name and pincher by nature”. Pincher’s behaviour was very much an open secret and that there is no way that Boris Johnson couldn’t have known about it. The most disturbing fact to come out of this unsavoury business is that not only is Johnson a liar, but the whole operation at No 10 tried to peddle a lie.
As has become customary, the unfortunate chosen to defend Boris Johnson’s latest embarrassing situation on breakfast news programmes such as BBC Breakfast and the rather more challenging Good Morning Britain, was Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab. Normally a smooth operator and purveyor of artful circumlocution, Raab looked rattled when GMB’s Ed Balls asked him if Chris Pincher, when working at the Foreign Office, had access to highly classified secret information. The implication behind the question was clear and Raab knew it – as a known sexual predator, Pincher could be exploited and blackmailed by foreign agencies, thus compromising Britain’s national security.
Sandy Gordon
Edinburgh
THE behaviour of Chris Pincher, who has been suspended as a Tory MP in the latest of a series of sex scandals, is both shocking and speaks to the problems that persist both in Westminster and across society.
It is hardly naïve that we should expect our elected representatives to be above reproach, and Mr Pincher should clearly consider his future as a parliamentarian.
This, it should be noted, is quite incredibly the second time that Mr Pincher has left the whips’ office. In 2017 he was accused of sexual impropriety when he made an unwanted pass at Tory activist and former Olympic rower Alex Story.
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It clearly begs the obvious question of why Boris Johnson granted him a senior role in government a second time, and casts yet more doubt on the Prime Minister’s judgement in picking teams and whether he cares about sexual harassment. After all, the whip is meant to look after MPs’ wellbeing.
Standards in public life matter, and this is yet another damaging episode for Westminster and for Mr Johnson’s already deeply tarnished reputation.
Alex Orr
Edinburgh
I WAS interested to see that Monday’s Picture of the Day, by Abid Nazir, was of Paisley Town Hall with Paisley Abbey sneaking into in the background. The view of the other side of the town hall is actually more impressive but is currently blighted by builder’s portacabins, fencing and scaffolding as the building receives a multimillion-pound facelift.
Sadly in the foreground is the statue of Queen Victoria. A spot originally intended to host a rather impressive statue of Robert Burns, funded by public subscription. It was relegated to a public space outside the town centre, much to the annoyance of the Paisley public of the 1890s who had just paid for it.
In the left of the photograph is a very recent statue of a small child unveiled only a few months ago. It commemorates the Glen Cinema disaster of December 1929 in which 71 local children died.
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Paisley Abbey was founded around 1163 by Walter FitzAlan, the first High Steward of Scotland. Much of the original building was destroyed by fire in 1307 and restored during the 14th century. The sixth High Steward, Walter, married Marjory Bruce, the daughter of Robert the Bruce. Marjory died at the Abbey following a tragic riding accident nearby, but the baby in her womb was saved and he became King Robert II of Scotland, the first of the Stewart monarchs. For that reason, the Abbey claims to be the “cradle of the Royal House of Stewart”.
The Abbey is the final resting place of six High Stewards of Scotland, Princess Marjory Bruce, the wives of King Robert II, and King Robert III. The Abbey was also a centre of learning and it is believed that William Wallace was educated by its monks.
The Robert Burns statue, just a 10-minute walk from the town centre, and Paisley Abbey are all well worth a visit in the coming months. The Abbey, currently hosting graduation ceremonies, will reopen to the public on July 12.
Brian Lawson
Paisley
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