WHAT ARE WE WAITING TO SEE AND HEAR?

Once again I have to confess ignorance. I was not aware that the UK Governments own Committee on Standards in Public Life had published on the 31^st May 1995, during John Majors Prime Ministership, the Seven Principles of Public Life. I believe they are similar to the qualities I have referred to in previous blogs:

 

1. The Seven Principles of Public Life: The Seven Principles of Public Life (also known as the Nolan Principles) apply to anyone who works as a public office-holder. This includes all those who are elected or appointed to public office, nationally and locally, and all people appointed to work in the Civil Service, local government, the police, courts and probation services, non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs), and in the health, education, social and care services. All public office-holders are both servants of the public and stewards of public resources. The principles also apply to all those in other sectors delivering public services.

 

1.1 Selflessness: Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest.

 

1.2 Integrity: Holders of public office must avoid placing themselves under any obligation to people or organisations that might try inappropriately to influence them in their work. They should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends. They must declare and resolve any interests and relationships

 

1.3 Objectivity: Holders of public office must act and take decisions impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias.

 

1.4 Accountability: Holders of public office are accountable to the public for their decisions and actions and must submit themselves to the scrutiny necessary to ensure this.

 

1.5 Openness: Holders of public office should act and take decisions in an open and transparent manner. Information should not be withheld from the public unless there are clear and lawful reasons for so doing.

 

1.6 Honesty: Holders of public office should be truthful.

 

1.7 Leadership: Holders of public office should exhibit these principles in their own behaviour and treat others with respect. They should actively promote and robustly support the principles and challenge poor behaviour wherever it occurs.

 

On closer examination of these principles, and on matching them against the observable behaviour of the current Prime Minister, it is difficult to see how, on any objective view, Boris Johnson can allow himself to remain in office. His actions, in relation to Priti Patel, Dominic Cummings, Owen Patterson and various others in his cabinet, fall woefully short of these principles, and the fiasco of the gatherings at Number 10 during the period of Nationwide Lockdown are but additional instances of failure. If Ms Gray can find any excuse which would allow him to remain in office, then I believe her vaunted unimpeachable integrity and objectivity is seriously in question. What is already public knowledge and already in the public eye seems to me to be pretty conclusive. What is it she can say that will excuse what is already known?

 

What we might have is her specifying that, under the narrow terms of reference she was allowed to ‘investigate’, she can find no cause to hold the Prime Minister to account, and that the excuses or explanations he has given, may be given the benefit of the doubt. In other words a wishy washy conclusion that will permit Boris & Co to once again ‘get away with it.’ There will be the usual mantra ‘That’s done and over with, so let’s move on’. There may be a day a speculation in the press, but people will move on. 

 

If that happens, and. I’m fairly sure it will, then the idea that democratic government in this country is subject to scrutiny, checks and balances is a complete myth, and the rule of law is in grave danger of catastrophic failure. This tarnished government will continue on its headlong march to the right, with an exhausted population unable or unwilling to do anything about it. 

 

On the other hand if we are to have a genuine adherence to those aforementioned seven principles, then perhaps there will be a way forward. The story is not over yet, we wait to see.