Prime Minister Boris Johnson rewards failure as politics goes to the dogs - Tom Richmond

FAR from Boris Johnson’s mini-reshuffle ‘resetting’ his embattled government, it reveals a deeper contempt for standards in public life and, in turn, the Prime Minister’s own weaknesses.

It’s important to remember that the ‘partygate’ scandal was preceded by a botched attempt to spare Tory grandee Owen Paterson from a 30-day Commons suspension. Found guilty of an ‘egregious’ breach of lobbying rules, two senior Ministers – Mark Spencer and Jacob Rees-Mogg – advised the PM to disregard the report and effectively rewrite the Commons disciplinary rules.

This backfired spectacularly – a humiliated Paterson resigned as MP and the Tories suffered a historic defeat in the subsequent North Shropshire by-election as revelations about Downing Street lockdown parties became public.

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A premier respectful of standards would have sacked Spencer and Rees-Mogg. Even Theresa May gave Gavin Williamson his marching orders as Defence Secretary when her premiership was teetering on the brink of collapse because it was in the public interest to do so and the right course of action.

Boris Johnson. Picture: Getty.Boris Johnson. Picture: Getty.
Boris Johnson. Picture: Getty.

Yet what did Johnson do in a shake-up labelled as a ‘he-shuffle’ because of its preponderance of white, male, political has-beens? Spencer – the Chief Whip who backed Paterson – was promoted to Leader of the Commons, a senior role which includes Parliamentary standards.

This despite Spencer being embroiled in the ongoing investigation into the sacking of Transport Minister Nusrat Ghani over her ‘Muslimness’, and more recent claims that Whips have been ‘blackmailing’ Tory backbenchers to see off a vote of no confidence in Johnson. Meanwhile Rees-Mogg, the former Commons leader, found himself out of the Cabinet until a new role – Minister for Brexit Opportunities and Government Efficiency – was created. Furthermore, it was announced that Johnson’s fellow Old Etonian would be entitled to attend the Cabinet as a concession to the demotion.

And then the enhanced Cabinet Office role given to Michael Ellis – the Minister and barrister regularly sent to the Commons to stonewall questions about sundry Johnson scandals in the hope he gets a knighthood.

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Inexplicably, he, too, has been given Cabinet status just five months after Johnson’s reshuffle last September expressed a desire to reduce the number of attendees in order to improve the efficiency of decision-making.

Owen Paterson. Picture: Victoria Jones/PA Wire.Owen Paterson. Picture: Victoria Jones/PA Wire.
Owen Paterson. Picture: Victoria Jones/PA Wire.

What hogwash. This week’s changes are about Johnson trying to save himself because he does not want Mark Spencer and Jacob Rees-Mogg – two men privy to his secrets – going rogue rather than improving decision-making.

But the price for this as ‘Operation Save Big Dog’ – a code given to Johnson’s fightback – becoming ‘Operation Barking Mad’ is the reputation of politics going to the dogs as the PM rewards failure. Again.

A FORMER chief whip who is openly critical of Boris Johnson is Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith who wants the PM to retract the groundless ‘Jimmy Savile’ smear levelled against Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer when Sue Gray’s ‘partygate’ summary became public.

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It’s unclear if Smith has submitted a formal letter requesting a vote of no confidence in Johnson – the secrecy governing the process is unhelpful.

But Smith, who did serve as Northern Ireland Secretary until February 2020, was scathing in the Commons about the impasse at Stormont ahead of elections that could leave Sinn Fein and republicans in the driving seat.

On Liz Truss, who now has oversight for Brexit and the problematic Northern Ireland protocol, he was damning. “On the Foreign Secretary’s visit to Belfast the previous weekend, why did she apparently not meet all parties across the political spectrum?

“How does that fit with Good Friday Agreement obligations on treating all communities with respect?” he asked.

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And, on the Government’s wider handling of Northern Ireland matters, he was apoplectic.

“At the moment, the UK’s commitment to the Good Friday Agreement, in deed not just word, is currently shaky at best. Power sharing, honest brokering and the rule of law, all these commitments under the Good Friday Agreement are vital to preserving trust and, I would argue, to preserving our United Kingdom.”

Yet who is the Minister for the Union? Yes, one Boris Johnson.

So why will Smith not go public and add credibility to public calls for the PM to resign – or is he fearful of a backlash if he challenges the code of silence that supposedly govern former chief whips? I hope not when the stakes are so high that Northern Ireland’s future in the UK now appears to be at stake.

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A FINAL consequence of Boris Johnson’s reshuffle is Pudsey MP Stuart Andrew being given a real job – as Housing Minister – after pootling about the Commons as Deputy Chief Whip.

It does not bode well. He’s the 11th Housing Minister in 12 years. He previously voted against a 2016 amendment to the Housing and Planning Bill, which would have obliged landlords to provide appropriate living conditions to their tenants.

This despite Andrew receiving over £10,000 a year in rental income from a property that he owns in Leeds, according to the Register of Member Interests.

And Andrew finds himself in charge of the Government’s plans to build 300,000 homes a year, in the face of staunch opposition from Tory grassroots, when he’s the archetypal Nimby whose opposition to new developments features in just about every constituency newsletter – ‘saving green spaces’ is also one of six priorities cited on his website. Not exactly strong foundations to save Boris Johnson’s premiership, are they?