There's a bit in Johnson's speech (in the section on fixing social care) where he contrasts 'decades of drift and dither' with this 'reforming', 'can do' Government. THREAD 1/10
conservatives.com/news/prime-min…
conservatives.com/news/prime-min…
He highlights four things. First, the Govt 'got Brexit done'.
It managed to get Brexit done by reaching an agreement with the EU which, it now says, needs to be revisited. It has refused to acknowledge the consequences of choosing to leave the EU single market. 2/10
It managed to get Brexit done by reaching an agreement with the EU which, it now says, needs to be revisited. It has refused to acknowledge the consequences of choosing to leave the EU single market. 2/10
Second, the Govt 'is getting the vaccine roll out done'.
The vaccine roll out is indeed good. But if one assesses the COVID response with reference to (eg) deaths or (eg) harm to the economy, the UK Govt fares rather badly. 3/10
The vaccine roll out is indeed good. But if one assesses the COVID response with reference to (eg) deaths or (eg) harm to the economy, the UK Govt fares rather badly. 3/10
Third, the Govt 'is going to get social care done'.
Given that the social care plan was (apparently) ready to go when Johnson stood on the steps of Downing St, it is hardly evidence of a 'can do' Govt, and more a case of 'dither and delay'. 4/10
Given that the social care plan was (apparently) ready to go when Johnson stood on the steps of Downing St, it is hardly evidence of a 'can do' Govt, and more a case of 'dither and delay'. 4/10
Fourth, and this bit is much more rambling, he says that 'we are dealing' with the biggest underlying issues of our economy and society which 'no Govt has had the guts to tackle before'. These are 'long term structural weaknesses'. 5/10
He says that we are 'not going to go back to the same old broken model' with low wages, low growth, low skills and low productivity; and that we should not 'reach for that same old lever of uncontrolled immigration'. 6/10
He says that the country is now going towards 'a high wage, high skill, high productivity, and yes, thereby low tax economy'. And, that we should not 'use immigration as an excuse for a failure to invest' in people and skills. 7/10
The commitment he makes is to control immigration. When it comes to investment in people and skills, the speech descends into a ramble about levelling up... which is high on rhetoric and low on coherence. 8/10
The reality is that he has a lot to do to at least mitigate some of the predictable consequences of Brexit. He has a lot to do to fix social care, and ensure that the economy and society emerges from the COVID crisis. 9/10
And if he thinks that Britain will be transformed into a high wage, high skill, high productivity nation simply by controlling immigration, I have a bridge to sell him. 10/10
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