‘It had nothing to do with me’: PM distances himself from embattled BBC chairman
Rishi Sunak has declined to give his backing to the chairman of the BBC, stressing that his appointment was made by his predecessor Boris Johnson. Richard Sharp is facing growing calls to resign amid the Gary Lineker impartiality row which has sparked an unprecedented crisis at the corporation. The decision to remove Gary Lineker from […]
Sir Stanley and Baroness Dorries? What Johnson’s resignation honours list could look like
The news that Boris Johnson has reportedly put his own father forward for a knighthood as part of his resignation honours list has reignited accusations of cronyism at the apex of British politics. According to The Times, Stanley Johnson, a former MEP and conservationist, is among as many as 100 names put forward by the […]
Week-in-Review: Covid sleaze is back and more politically potent than ever
On Tuesday evening, former health secretary Matt Hancock caught wind of disconcerting rumours that a significant story about him was brewing. The concerned MP texted Isabel Oakeshott, the anti-lockdown journalist and unlikely co-author of his pandemic memoirs, asking her if she had “any clues” about the developments. He received no reply. A little later on, […]
Former Conservative party chairman: Sue Gray appointment proves Starmer is ‘man of the establishment’
Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to make Sue Gray his chief of staff proves he is a “man of the establishment” and will harm Labour’s chances of winning the Red Wall, a former Conservative party chairman has claimed Sir Jake Berry said the appointment underlined that the Labour leader would run a “dull as ditch water […]
‘Cash for Boris’ row: Can Richard Sharp survive as BBC chair?
After the scandal over Nadhim Zahawi’s tax affairs, Gavin Williamson’s resignation amid claims he threatened staff, and the ongoing investigation into bullying allegations against Dominic Raab, the prime minister is facing yet another round of damning headlines on government “sleaze”. Conservative MPs, who backed Rishi Sunak’s leadership campaign on a platform of “professionalism, integrity and accountability”, […]
Week-in-Review: Johnson and Truss fuel comeback rumours as they fly visions to the US
Mr Johnson went to Washington this week to press Republican lawmakers on the need to sustain aid to Ukraine as Russia’s assault rolls on. The former prime minister, who was born in the States and could technically run for the presidency, sashayed into the offices of high-profile Congressional Republicans to lobby on behalf of the […]
The Conservative party is suffering from ‘long Boris’
Are sleaze scandals and lax standards undermining your platform of “professionalism”? Are your MPs depressed and anxious about their long-term futures? Is the feeling of forthcoming electoral annihilation leaving said MPs myopic about a predecessor’s indiscretions? The symptoms, I’m afraid, amount to a malignant case of “long Boris”. The thinking behind “long Boris” — a […]
Week-in-Review: Sunak’s levelling up own goal
This had the potential to be a good week for the prime minister. While Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer was off wooing the global financial elite at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, promising closer ties to the EU and playing pretend as prime minister, Sunak would be touring Britain, trumpeting a £2.1bn “levelling up” […]
Boris Johnson urges Conservatives to make the case ‘for a low tax global Britain’
The Conservative party must make the case for a “low tax global Britain” and fight the next election on a pledge to cut taxes, former prime minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday evening, in what as been viewed has a fresh challenge to Rishi Sunak. Speaking at the Carlton Club, a members-only club frequented by […]
The view to 2023: What next for British politics?
2022 was a year of unprecedented chaos within government. The manic mayhem at the apex of politics gifted Britons three prime ministers, four chancellors, four home secretaries and five education secretaries. It has not been a good look for the Conservative party, whose preferred calling card with the electorate is a reputation for stable and […]
