End of Days

I was asked to write this at five pm yesterday, I said I would hold off until late evening to see how many more resignations would occur by close of day. We now know the number four of Johnson’s inner circle that are resigning, the number is currently four. If you include Dominic Cummings, that’s five.

Clearly the line has been drawn over Johnson’s unfitness to lead the government by the people who know him best.

Resignations are part and parcel of political life. Matt Hancock was always going to take the fall for the disastrous Plague policy (the sunset clause kicks in March 29th). Clear outs of the inadequate are usually healthy as long there are competent people to step in. Otherwise you have corporate collapse of management. Scanning the front bench, I see a lot of ambition but very little talent. This is any exhausted government, devoid of hope or policy.

Cummings set out clearly his ambition to tame and reduce the ‘blob’ (The Civil Service). He had no support from Johnson. Cummings saw up close the dithering and complacency inside No10, faced with an unprepared NHS and the response to the Plague, despite Exercise Cygnus in 2016 giving clear warning.

No10 went into panic mode, now it is going into panic mode again over energy prices. This is a directionless government only interested in denying power to anybody else.

Johnson can’t bumble through this any longer throwing in a bit of Latin and Greek to show how clever he thinks he is. His brazen attempt to be a ‘war leader’ has fallen flat.

The end game has started, we can never allow this to happen again.

Andrew Withers FRSA