MR STARMER, RIDE THE TIDE

I confess my stupidity and ignorance in respect of British Democracy. I had assumed a Vote of No Confidence would involve the whole of the House of Commons. I did not take in that this particular vote of no confidence was confined solely to the conservative party. I was ignorant of the various forms of no confidence votes.

 

I was unaware that a party, elected into power by some 20+% of the entire electorate (many of whom did not vote) was then able to question its leadership, solely on the basis of what its own party members thought. As a result, only 32.5%, of all members of parliament, supported the prime minister, and now claim he has a democratic mandate to continue in office. 

 

Had the vote been open to the entirety of the house of commons, the vote would have most likely been 418 no confidence, 219 confident (I have included the Democratic Unionist Party in this figure although they are probably not too happy with Mr Johnson at present) and some 13 missing members. That would mean 64.3% of parliament had no confidence in this Prime Minister.

 

However one looks at the figures, the Prime Minister is a long way from having a mandate to govern on behalf of the British people, particularly in the light of current polling figures putting this governing party below the opposition. Mr Johnson is far from being endorsed by the British public. Clinging to power is an insult to the country and to the Parliament he misleads at every turn. That there are MPs who continue to support him with completely untenable arguments is an even bigger tragedy for the country. It will allow this shamble to continue for another 2 to 3 years.

 

The country cannot afford to let this happen. Some mechanism must be put in place to never allow this sort of dilemma to exist. There must be a proper process of impeaching a Prime Minister who has committed a criminal offence and who has lied repeatedly to Parliament and thereby to the entire country.

 

I am aware that most of you are already aware of this charade of a parliamentary exercise, but it is only a sudden realisation to me. I bow my head in shame, which is more than can be said for Boris Johnson. For him, it’s all part of the Bullingdon Club game of let’s play government.

 

I heard Mr Sajid Javid on Radio Four, going on about getting the job done, and supporting Boris Johnson. No one asked him why Mr Johnson was so necessary to get things done. Could the conservative party not get things done without him at all?

 

Are they so weak that they need Mr Johnson to carry out their legislative programme? Are their policies so connected to Mr Johnson that the party would cease to exist without him? What are they afraid of? If the conservative party is so tied to a law breaker and habitual misleader of the house what have they become? Is he greater than the party? If that is the case it is a grievous fault, and grievously will the party answer for it.

 

It is time for the Labour Party to stand up. To express the specific policies it would intend to pursue if in government and not just criticise the Conservatives and make vague suggestions of what it would do otherwise. It must be bold and state specifics. They must answer the question “What would you do?” with clarity and perspective, not waffle. 

There is a tide in the affairs of people, which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries. Mr Starmer, for goodness’ sake, ride the tide, you may never get another chance.