Finally someone from the Conservative Party has shown some real anger over the behaviour of Boris’ schoolboy cabinet. Sir John Major also put into perspective the actual support of the government at 29% of the electorate which is by no means rightly reflective of the state of things, given the Governments Parliamentary majority. (see blog entry 8th September 2021 What Price Acquiescence)
Sir John, former Prime Minister, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, inter alia (6th November 2021) the row over Mr Owen Paterson’s suspension from the Commons demonstrated an “un-Conservative arrogance” at the heart of government.
Sir John said: “There is a general whiff of ‘we are the masters now’ about their behaviour.”
“I have been a Conservative all my life and if I am concerned at how the Government is behaving. I suspect lots of other people are as well.”
“It seems to me, as a lifelong Conservative, that much of what they are doing is un-Conservative in its behaviour.”
“I think the way the Government handled that was shameful, wrong and unworthy of this or indeed any government. It also had the effect of trashing the reputation of Parliament.”
He also said the actions of Mr Johnson’s administration was “damaging at home and to our reputation overseas”.
Major also suggested the Government was “politically corrupt” over the way it treats Parliament.
He said: “I’m afraid that the Government, with their over-large majority, do tend to treat Parliament with contempt. And if that continues, it will end badly.”
“They bypass Parliament at will and the Speaker has expressed his frustration about that on many occasions, and rightly so.”
“But they also behaved badly in other ways that are perhaps politically corrupt”.
“That included briefing announcements to sections of the press before MPs.”
Sir John’s government was undermined by sleaze rows, including the Cash for Questions Affair in 1994, which saw parliamentary lobbyist Ian Greer accused of bribing two Conservative MPs to ask parliamentary questions.
Sir John added: “The striking difference is this: in the 1990s I set up a committee to tackle this sort of behaviour.”
“Over the last few days we have seen today’s government trying to defend this sort of behaviour.”
The full interview is on the– BBC sounds at the following link
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0011bfk
It is well worth listening to - move the cursor to 1hr 09 min which is the start of the interview.
The outburst was also reported in the Guardian at:
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