The Cabinet Office refuses to accede to the Covid Inquiry's request for Boris Johnson's unredacted WhatsApp messages while Johnson himself strangely volunteers to hand them over. The Cabinet Office responds by threatening to withdraw public funding for Johnson's defence and is leaning on him heavily with blackmail.
So, what's going on?
Yes, there's a legitimate claim that private messages between ministers, many having nothing whatsoever to do with the Covid Inquiry, will be seen by the Inquiry and set a precedent that prevents ministers from discussing things in private, but it's not up to the defendant in a trial to determine what is or is not evidence.
Johnson is loyal to his acolytes, but so long as it's expedient to him, and no longer. He's well prepared to throw people under a bus if it benefits him or if he can extract vengeance for perceived slights.
The government mishandled many aspects of Covid and Johnson was the prime mishandler because of his inability to pick competent people. He much prefers fawners on whom he can work his undoubted, jingoistic expertise.
Johnson has scores to settle with those who ousted him. He's probably resigned to the fact there's no political future for him under the current administration, which he sees as responsible for his ousting, nor the next, which is likely to be Labour. He's made some £5m on the lecture tour circuit since leaving office, so he can bide his time - becoming PM was only ever a means to an end and not an end in itself. With his bank balance now very positive, his end has been achieved, for now. One wonders whether his constituents have even seen him during the time he's been restocking his larder.
Claims that the Government got all the Big Calls Right are likely to be trounced by the revelations within Johnson's WhatsApps - something the government will be desperate to avoid in the lead up to a General Election. The grossly stupid Eat Out to Help Out policy, for which Sunak was responsible, as well as the rise in Covid cases and deaths following its implementation, is definitely something Sunak will want to to leave buried.
The whole debacle stinks.
The next Inquiry that should be convened is one into Brexit, with Lady Hallett once more leading it.
2 comments:
its probably his hook up phone ,now that could be gruesome reading
The lunatics have taken over the asylum. Simples.
I cannot believe that the PM and govt ministers are allowed to change phones and nobody keeps track of them. And why is important business conducted by WhatsApp????
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