Priti vacant…

Ever since Boris Johnson took the helm as our Prime Minister, I have found myself increasingly taking a strong position on a number of things – including matters such as Brexit, COVID, the economy and Parliament’s moral compass.

I have a life-long interest in politics but don’t have a particular party allegiance. My vote is cast for the candidate who makes the most sense, it’s as simple as that, and I am sure this is no different to many other non-partisan voters?

For me, however, this position would appear to be the past, not the present.

WOE IS ME: voters have turned their backs on Boris Johnson at two important by-elections.

In truth, Johnson had little wriggle room when it came to extracting the UK from Europe’s clutches. And when the pandemic struck, he responded effectively. But, in my humble opinion, these two major matters were never going to define him as a leader. Nitty-gritty matters such as balancing the books and demonstrating ethical leadership were always going to be the real tests – and boy has the former journalist been found wanting in both respects.

Last night’s hammerings in two by-elections – in Devon and Yorkshire – have left Johnson and the Conservatives reeling. Most Tory MPs realise this, as do their supporters and voters.

Alas, Johnson and a handful of senior figures remain blissfully unaware (or don’t care) about the dire direction in which their party is heading. This is bad news for them – and the country.

On Times Radio this morning, Home Secretary, Priti Patel, did her utmost to defend the Prime Minister’s record, saying he has done a good job for the country and he remains the best man to take Britain forward. As she was speaking, the song Pretty Vacant by the Sex Pistols popped into my head. And I found myself wondering if Priti, the fourth most senior government minister, lives in the same world as you and I?

BLOW ONE: the Liberals managed to overturn a massive Tory majority in Tiverton.

This is the same lady who is presiding over an appalling policy to send illegal immigrants to Rwanda, where they can be ‘processed’ and who has also been accused of ‘bullying’ her civil servant subordinates.

She’s an eloquent speaker with oodles of drive and ambition, just as the PM has. Yet, while she was promising to “listen more” to what voters want and need, in reality, she just dripped out the same old platitudes that increasingly come out of the mouth of every government minister or spokesperson these days.

As she was doing her best to support Boris, the predictable chants of the winning Liberal and Labour candidates – “unfit to govern” and “Johnson and Tories out” – also echoed down the airwaves.

For me, the last thing we need is for Johnson to quit now. Instead, I think we need him to stay in post for the next two years – until we can have a General Election that settles things once and for all. Why? Because seismic change is needed in our society, along the lines of what occurred when Margaret Thatcher replaced a bankrupt Labour regime in the 1970s and Tony Blair’s New Labour regime ousted John Major in the 1990s.

BLOW TWO: Wakefield, a key cog in Labour's 'red wall', returned to its traditional roots last night.

By the time these ‘white knights’ swept into power, the country was sick to death of the corruption, incompetence and lack of ideas contained within the governments of Jim Callaghan and John Major. We needed radicalism, unity and progress – not policies and ministers that led us ever closer to the abyss.

Over time, the British people grew tired of Messrs Callaghan and Major, who refused to relinquish power until the last minute. Because they refused to do the ‘right thing’ until they had no choice, their parties were punished, becoming electoral pariahs until they proved they had credible policies and could command the trust and respect of voters once again. In both instances, they were in the wilderness for more than a decade.

In my opinion, the likes of Boris Johnson and Priti Patel would fit in well with the failed administrations of Callaghan and Major. Based on their performances so far, they are not people who are capable of leading a country with vigour, energy and innovation – and they seemingly have no desire to treat the population at large with anything other than utter contempt.

WAITING IN THE WINGS: Keir Starmer could become PM if Labour's momentum continues.

Only time will tell whether Labour leader, Keir Starmer is the right person for the top job. But, while he may not be the entertainer Johnson is, he certainly seems to be made of good, old-fashioned character and morality. And we certainly need large dollops of this in our Prime Minister. While we don’t have to like the man at the helm, we do need to believe him and, more often than not, trust and respect him.

For these reasons and many others, I hope the Tories stay in power for the full term. That way, change will come and our country has the very best chance of being able to rebuild itself from the bottom upwards.

I live in hope.

Tony Yorke is the Deputy Editor of Sorted.