Mood among Tory MPs is seriously bad. Even those who think this is the right thing to do now are dismayed that it’s come to this.
“Shambolic. Rudderless ramblings. constituents getting in touch furious or in tears.”
“Grim grim grim”
“I think it could be his Suez”
All a bit late and cobbled too.
Cabinet ministers didn’t know that furlough was being extended or that “Stay At Home” was back until they saw it on the TV.
💥 Conservative minister: “The incompetence is another level. Is this a deliberate destruction of the Tory Party? People only vote for us because they think we don’t care, but are competent. Lose the competence and we’re fucked. We’ve lost the competence. And we are fucked.”
Another minister says: “The science seems sound. The comms in the lead up to this was shocking. What’s the point in having a tight, intimate decision making group when it leaks like a sieve?”
There is also scepticism among Tory MPs about the scary charts from Whitty and Vallance. Is the data driving the decisions or are the charts being rustled up to justify decisions?
On “this could be his Suez” a Tory gets in touch to point out that this is what Cummings used to say about May and Brexit.
He’s now presiding over something much worse
Other thoughts:
At what point do Whitty and Vallance walk? They were clearly unhappy with Tier 3, which was only unveiled 19 days ago.
At what point does the PM accept he is f***ed politically, ignores the polls & backbench grumbling, and focuses solely on saving the country?
Several Tory MPs have independently claimed their local areas have low case numbers but county officials wanted to go into Tier 3, so rustled up some scary charts.
True or not, shows trust is broken down locally as well as nationally
Looming battle: Tory MPs think school and uni unions will now push to close, and fear this No10 is now prone to u-turn
Mar 19: Turn tide in 12 weeks
May 17: “Near normality” by end of July
July 17: “Significant normality” by Christmas
Sep 9: “back to normal by Christmas”
Oct 23: “some aspects of our lives... back to normal" by Christmas
TONIGHT: very different and better by spring
Apart from that it’s all going very well.
I hope if you’re reading this your next month isn’t too grim. And you have friends, family and income to get through it.
Anyway thanks for reading. Join me on @TimesRadio on Monday from 10am
💥💥💥💥
A senior Tory MP and former minister gets in touch after seeing this thread:
“He’s on borrowed time. Totally inept.”
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The war on Whitehall has spread to a new front: interior design. After Dominic Cummings installed his own “Mission Control” from which to run the government, cabinet ministers have designs on their departments...
Priti Patel is kitting out a room at the Home Office as her own command and control centre with high-tech screens displaying real-time data. The new “ops-room” will be the hub of border preparations for the ending of the Brexit transition period in December.
Talking up the makeover, senior officials say the displays have been “revamped” and there are plans for Skype too.
Patel told officials she wants a “proper Ops room with live feeds” like the ones on borders that Michael Gove gets overseeing Brexit preparations.
There is a "rehearsal" this morning at 11am in the chamber.
However one parliament source texts: "Perhaps we should change the route to go through Mogg's office - may have the benefit of making him see how ridiculous his system is.”
3/4
Ex-Labour Ian Austin says he won't run in Dudley. Tells @BBCr4today he will now "tell decent traditional patriotic Labour voters that they should vote for Boris Johnson in this election".
@BBCr4today Austin on Corbyn: "This is a massive step. I regard myself as proper decent traditional Labour. I just think this man is unfit to run the country."
@BBCr4today "I'm not a Tory, this isn't where I want to be... but I wouldn't say Boris Johnson is unfit to be our prime minister in the way that I say that about Jeremy Corbyn."