Star comment: Boris Johnson has got away with it
Prime Minister has ridden his luck over Partygate
It’s clear that Prime Minister Boris Johnson will not lose his job over the parties in Downing Street. It’s equally clear that he’s got away with it, as the dial changes and global attention focuses on the horrific war in Ukraine.
The issue has been kicked into the long grass, first with the Sue Gray enquiry that elicited only the briefest of reports and then by the Met Police, which is issuing fines belatedly.
The episode has been deeply unedifying and shows a problem at the heart of Government. We expect our leaders to take responsibility and to set a good example. That was clearly not the case during the pandemic, as figures in Downing Street partied while the rest of the nation observed the rules that had been set from those very offices.
The ducking and diving and clear campaign of misdirection simply compounded matters. Others who had been caught out during lockdown largely put their hands up and accepted they were wrong. In Downing Street, there was a campaign of subterfuge as those who’d partied before the Duke of Edinburgh’s memorial sought to evade responsibility.
Twenty fines are set to be issued over alleged lockdown-busting parties held in Government buildings, according to police. It is expected that further fines could be issued.
The parties are among a series of issues that emerged during Covid that have left a bitter taste. It is clear that there were jobs for the boys and contracts for friends as cronyism and a disregard for the rules set in. We expect better of our elected representatives and Prime Minister Johnson is fortunate that he is not facing a leadership contest as a result of his behaviour.
There seems to be no end in sight to the difficulties facing Britain and thousands of families. The cost of everything is going up, driven by spiralling energy prices. Inflation is at a peak while for many there is little chance of wage rises keeping pace.
As we face diminished living standards we also face the challenges of recovering from a traumatic, once-in-a-century pandemic. Brexit has also led to complications for business, and even Chancellor Rishi Sunak has accepted that trade is down as a result.
Amid such challenges, we all have to tighten our belts and do the best we can. The nation continues to face major issues and there is little prospect in any of those going away in the near future. Challenging times lie ahead.
We must continue to work hard as the nation seeks to turn things around.
