Occasionally I take The Sunday Telegraph, principally – at least this is what I say, apologetically, to the newsagent – in order to attempt the cruciverbalist’s Nemesis, Enigmatic Variations. Though I have occasionally solved this most obscure of crosswords puzzles, I have yet to win the prize, a Telegraph fountain pen and notebook. So I persevere. I imagine people who write with fountain pens belong to a species as endangered as those who still read their news printed on actual paper. So I am happy to join that group, though The Sunday Telegraph is hardly my preferred echo chamber. Still, moving out of one’s comfort zone does one no harm; some of the writing is very good, and I do like to listen in, from north of the border, on what some of our English cousins are thinking.
So yesterday I was intrigued, and a little bemused, at the wall-to-wall coverage of the resignation on Friday, as MP, of Mr Johnson. I trawled my way through a mass of material, with sickly fascination. To give you a flavour, Return of Tory psychodrama is the banner headline, in red, at the top of page 1. Johnson orchestrates attack on PM over ‘swindle’ is the main page 1 report. “Sources close to the ex-PM” say that three Tory MP resignations amount to an attack on Rishi Sunak. Two more MPs (page 5) are on “resignation watch”. Johnson supporters may be sanctioned for criticising the committee that (we are told) has found against him (pages 4 – 5). The Sunday political editor has written an extensive piece on page 4 about a secret meeting between Boris and Rishi on Friday afternoon, in the Palace of Westminster. Did Rishi disapprove of Boris’ honours list, or did he merely leave it up to the House of Lords? Fraser Nelson on page 5 contrasts the dislike of many MPs for Boris with his popular appeal. Johnson was right, he says, to suspect foul play. On the same page, a KC criticises the procedures of the Privileges Committee who found (we are told) against Mr Johnson. It is alleged the committee was not impartial.
David Frost writes an extensive piece on page 6. The tragedy is he didn’t realise he would never be forgiven for Brexit. It is a theme taken up by Nigel Farage on page 21. Johnson’s right: there is an establishment plot to reverse Brexit. He anticipates a Keir Starmer Labour Government which will make the UK an associate member of the European Union.
Yet more. Page 6. Lord Cruddas: Boris has been stitched up and the Conservative voters betrayed. Page 7. Don’t stand in Johnson’s way to a safe seat, PM is warned. This must refer to Boris’ Cincinnatus ambitions.
We move on to Comment. A Leader article on page 19. Tories must stop tearing themselves apart. Then Letters to the Editor. 22 letters. 13 of them about Boris. Mixed feelings, and a broad spectrum of opinion.
Page 20. So it goes on. A cartoon of a retreating Boris stomping rough-shod through Rishi’s five priorities. Leader articles all preoccupied with the Boris brouhaha. Remainers have become diehard imperialists, and We need proper Conservatism now to save the economy. Page 21. Nigel Farage I have mentioned. Daniel Hannan – Lockdown finished Boris, but for all the wrong reasons.
Did anything else happen at the weekend? Back to page 1. City clinch the treble.
Now as we enter a new working week the furore has not let up. The 8 o’clock news on BBC Radio 4 led with stories of Boris’ allies impugning the integrity of the Privileges Committee which is allegedly about to find against the ex-PM. Boris in his resignation statement called the committee a kangaroo court. Its seven members (four Conservative, two Labour, and 1 SNP), have been afforded additional security. At 8.10 am Mishal Husain interviewed Michael Gove, Minister for Levelling Up, etc. Was it right that Boris was able, with all this going on, to forward a resigning PM’s honours list to the House of Lords? Apparently Mr Johnson followed due precedent. Meanwhile the government is focused, every minute of every day, halving inflation, fixing the NHS, stopping the boats…
Now here is a stark contrast. North of the border: today’s Herald (celebrating 240 years – I think The Herald has a claim to be the oldest newspaper in the world). The banner headline, in green, is Sir Andy smashes back with first grass court title since 2016. The main Page 1 report: I am innocent, Sturgeon insists after arrest in SNP funds probe. Scotland has preoccupations of her own. There is nothing about Westminster on page 1. Actually throughout the entire newspaper there is only one very brief article alluding to the Westminster psychodrama, a report on page 4 of Grant Shapps’ appearance on the Laura Kuenssberg Show. Apparently Westminster has “moved on” from the Boris Johnson era. Aye right. On the double-page Letters spread there are eleven letters (The Herald tends to publish fewer, but longer, letters). None of them mention Mr Johnson.
It’s a completely different country.
jamescalumcampbell 