Politics Matters: End it now! Pantomime of Prime Minister’s reign has gone on for too long says David Stewart as now even 'previously loyal Tory backbenchers openly criticise' Boris Johnson
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Boris – will he go or will he stay? I listened to the Prime Minister’s statement on Tuesday on Partygate with a growing sense of despair.
In my first-hand experience of super-heated debates in the Commons, it is the silence of your friends, rather than the jeers of your enemies which are more deadly.
It was also interesting to hear previously loyal Tory backbenchers openly criticise the Prime Minister.
What will happen next within the Commons will be governed by the timing of the police inquiry. However, the other front that is worth watching is the number of letters of “no confidence” in Boris Johnson received by the 1922 Committee – a very powerful check and balance on any Tory prime minister.
Even if Boris resigns tomorrow, there is no guarantee that there will be a General Election. This is because of the Fixed Term Parliament Act which lays down in statute the date for the next election as May 2024.
However, if two-thirds of MPs vote for a resolution calling for an election, this can be set aside.
At this time of national crisis – with the Covid-19 pandemic and the growing international concerns about Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine, we need to end the pantomime of Johnson’s reign as Prime Minister.
n I was reading a damning report about the underpayment of state pensions this week. The Public Accounts Committee said that the public had been left “in the dark” over their entitlement and recommended that clearer guidance be issued.
The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) estimates that it has underpaid 134,000 pensioners, mostly women, over £1 billion, with mistakes going back as far as 1985.
The DWP have launched a major review to sort this problem out but it will not report until the end of 2023 – not much help if you are a single female pensioner, struggling to heat your home in the Highlands in 2022.
Over 118,000 pensioners are affected and DWP estimates the average back-dated payment is £8900. The errors affect mostly women pensioners who first claimed state pension before April 2016 and did not have a full National Insurance record. If you think you are affected, contact the DWP as soon as possible.
n My daughter Kirsty is getting married in July and arrangements are moving ahead with the military precision of the Normandy Landings!
Kirsty is a dab hand at spreadsheets and my role is simple – an accommodating credit card and a wee speech on the day. Little does she know that I have been writing my speech for 29 years, ever since she made her first appearance at Raigmore Hospital.
For more political news click here and for more columns you can find them here
