Re: Sir Keir Starmer elected as new Labour leader
Even the Torygraph is disparaging on Bozza's performance.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics...son-forgotten/
Quote:
Traditionally speaking, an Opposition tends to oppose. It scrutinises the Government. Criticises it. Asks it difficult questions. It would be considered highly unorthodox for a Leader of the Opposition to stand up in the Commons and say, “Mr Speaker, I cannot help but observe that the Prime Minister is wearing an especially stylish pair of cufflinks. For the benefit on an admiring nation, could he enlighten us as to where we may purchase such a pair ourselves?”
The next time Boris Johnson prepares for PMQs, it might be worth his while taking this into account. Because today in the Commons, Sir Keir Starmer asked six questions about the Government’s handling of the pandemic. And in response, the Prime Minister seemed to grow more and more put out by the minute.
His voice grew louder and faster, and his manner more irate. With his index finger he stabbed at the despatch box, stab-stab-stab-stab-stab – like an indignant hotel guest, jabbing at the bell on an unmanned reception desk. Judging by his tone – hurt, aggrieved, and even bewildered – he seemed to view Sir Keir’s insistence on questioning him as an unexpected and uncalled-for impertinence.
In his first reply Mr Johnson demanded Sir Keir show him “more signs of cooperation” (to which Sir Keir responded that he’d written to Mr Johnson two weeks earlier, offering his cooperation on schools – and had not heard back). In his second reply Mr Johnson accused Sir Keir of trying to “distract the public” (he didn’t say how). In his third he accused Sir Keir of “casting aspersions” on the people who set up the Government’s track-and-trace system. (Strictly speaking, if Sir Keir was casting aspersions on anyone, it was Mr Johnson, for launching the system before Sir Keir believed it was ready.)
In his fourth reply, Mr Johnson protested that he “really [did] not see the purpose” of Sir Keir’s “endless attacks”. And when Sir Keir asked him why he was easing lockdown with the alert level at four (after pledging only to ease it once the alert level had dropped to three), the Prime Minister almost exploded. “He knows perfectly well that the alert level does allow it!” he blared.
For good measure, he then twice accused Sir Keir of performing “a U-turn”. Unfortunately, this approach was somewhat undermined by his final reply, in which he appeared to perform a U-turn himself – by insisting that, under the controversial new voting system, MPs unable to attend Parliament in person would be permitted to vote by proxy. This concession had not appeared in the motion the Government put to the Commons on Tuesday.
On the whole, the depth of Mr Johnson’s displeasure seemed surprising – not least because Sir Keir had hardly attacked him at all. He hadn’t mocked or insulted him, and his questions were delivered calmly. “Mr Speaker,” he said, “the Prime Minister is confusing scrutiny with attacks.”
In Mr Johnson’s defence, however, you can see how this confusion may have arisen. The Opposition has been AWOL for so long, the Prime Minister may simply have forgotten what its job is.
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(What's also interesting is that i seerm to have full access to the Torygraph on my phone app, I don't subscribe, lucky me ! It's good for sport anyway ;) ) |
