Our Man in Westminster: Two reports show the worst of Westminster as MP Drew Hendry says of the PM that 'no amount of cover-up and no matter how high the mountain of lies' can hide that Boris Johnson is 'unfit to hold office'
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Last week saw two publications from the UK government – both of them were unedifying and deeply unsatisfactory in their own ways.
The Sue Gray update, which was supposed to be a complete, unredacted report of the rule-breaking parties at 10 Downing Street, rightly got a lot of attention in the press.
I’ve received hundreds of emails from many of you, sharing your anger at the lack of respect and humility shown by the Prime Minister and his government.
I am sure it won’t surprise you that I share your frustration at the situation, and I wish I could do more than respond with words of agreement.
Rest assured, in parliament, I will continue to make your views on the subject heard.
The Sue Gray update was a heavily censored summary but made it clear that there had been “serious failures of leadership” at Number 10. The Prime Minister cannot escape this verdict; he is the leader there. No amount of cover-up and no matter how high the mountain of lies, the fact is that he is unfit to hold office. He said he was “furious” with staff when the story first broke and, remember, gratefully accepted the resignation of his press secretary, Allegra Stratton, before Christmas. Yet, he thinks he can carry on regardless.
The second report published last week was the Benefits of Brexit report. It was published alongside the Sue Gray report – obviously a failed attempt to divert the news cycle. Frustratingly, it only got minimal coverage, and there was little to no opportunity to challenge the government on their supposed “advantages” of Brexit included in the report.
Despite racking up 100 pages, there was no acknowledgement of the catastrophic impacts of Brexit on the exports of local, Scottish companies, the impacts on households budgets or the loss of international standing.
While so many more people are now struggling to pay for food, heat and light, them producing a report talking up the fact that folk can now get easier high end, duty-free shopping shows just how out of touch they are.
Their Brexit big wins listed included blue passports and crown symbols on pint glasses – not something that will provide any comfort to the increasing number of people desperately contacting me about the cost-of-living crisis.
These two documents sum up Westminster – and why we now need to make our own decisions, here, in Scotland.
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