Lord Kerslake: ‘You cannot have a situation where a civil servant will make a pronouncement that could end the office of a prime minister. The consequence is that Sue Gray will inevitably have to stop short of that.’ theguardian.com/politics/2022/…
"Downing Street was spinning the report as a “get out of jail” card because officials were confident there would be no finding of the prime minister breaching lockdown laws, since the matter was not in the inquiry’s remit."
"Powell [Jonathan] said he had high regard for Gray, but it was “totally inappropriate” for the inquiry to be conducted by a civil servant reporting to the prime minister. ..."
Continued quote
"... He said it would be “career-shortening” for her to deliver a judgment that the prime minister had potentially broken the law or breached the ministerial code and it would be better to have an independent non-judicial inquiry conducted in the space of a few weeks."
"Adam Wagner, a barrister and expert in Covid law, said Gray had a conflict of interest because she was investigating more senior figures in government. ..."
Continued
... “It is clearly compromised,” he said. “It wouldn’t pass muster as an independent investigation in any legal setting.”
In other words, what is being said by these former senior civil servants, and legal expert is that it would be impossible for Sue Gray, to mention in her report, any serious law breaking she found, or that threatened the PM's position.
The only reason Boris Johnson put Sue Gray in charge of this report, and previously Simon Case - is that it would be impossible to report any serious illegality, because of their compromised position.
Therefore, this inquiry was deliberate set up in a way, where it could never be highly critical of the PM, no matter how much evidence a working civil found, because if they did say this, it would be career ending.
From memory, the previous way such inquiries operated, was to put them in the hands of a retired civil servant, so if they found against the PM or a minister, it wouldn't threaten their career, and allow them to report, objectively.
So this is a rigged inquiry, that would never be directly critical of the PM, and tone down any adverse inquiry, allowing the PM to spin it, that he had been cleared.
Here is my prediction, for posterity. No matter what the report says, Boris Johnson will spin it, that he has been cleared. However, this will cause public revulsion and anger, and it will be another public scandal.
Already in this opinion poll yesterday:
"Some 63 per cent said they did not trust Sue Gray’s inquiry to uncover whether rules were broken ..." independent.co.uk/news/uk/politi…
Plus:
'A clear majority of respondents said the “cover-up” of the parties was worse than the staging of the lockdown-busting events, by 56 per cent to 32 per cent.' independent.co.uk/news/uk/politi…
The reason this is such a dangerous situation, is Boris Johnson is determined to hold onto power, by hook or by crook. Yet he is at an all time low in approval/popularity, and is just about to trigger more public outrage/unpopularity.
This government is becoming ever more authoritarian.
'The UK is “dangerously close” to becoming an “elected dictatorship” under Boris Johnson, veteran Tory Ken Clarke has warned' independent.co.uk/news/uk/politi…
My take on history, is that most dictators don't set out to be dictators. They're usually narcissists, who mistakenly believe the whole public will love them always. If the public turn against them, they attempt to seize power to avoid them being ejected as leader.
This then leads to a slippery slope towards an authoritarian dictatorship, when they have to become ever more oppressive to stop them being ejected as leader, and where the public might become openly disdainful of their leadership.
For the narcissist, and Johnson most definitely is a narcissist, it is unthinkable that they have to step down from leadership, because they think they are the only person who can do the job. These are very frightening times.
Johnson, as Eddie Mair said to him in an interview, is a "nasty piece of work". Not at all like the affable harmless buffoon he portrays himself as.
This harmless affable buffoon act, which got Johnson a lot of popularity has now failed, when 70% of the public want him to resign. Yet he is determined to cling to power, come what may.
Dangerous new authoritarian laws will give the government oppressive new powers, no other government in Britain has ever had.
Please see this video of @jrockstrom's presentation at COP26 summing up the figures. He says to keep within the 1.5C carbon budget that the richest 1% need to reduce their emissions by a factor of 30. The video starts at that point.🧵 1/
What @jrockstrom is saying, and he is likely the world's leading expert on this aspect of the problem, is only massive cuts to consumption and emissions, by the richest people in the world, can keep us within the 1.5C carbon budget. This is about climate equity.
2/
This is genuinely about solutions. One important aspect of any realistic solution is that the extravagant consumption and emissions of a tiny proportion of the richest people in society, just have to be cut.
3/
Whilst I think it's important that Boris Johnson is held responsible for the scandals, I think it's also important to remember this is the Tory's fault generally. Rishi Sunak also lives in Downing Street, and therefore must have been aware of the parties there etc. 🧵
1/6
The reason I mention this, is that the Tories might just try replacing Johnson with Rishi Sunak, or another cabinet minister, and saying that's it, the scandals have been dealt with. Whereas none of what Johnson has done could have happened without their full complicity.
2/6
Not only the the cabinet, but the vast majority of the Conservative Party have had far more insight and knowledge of these scandals and corruption than anyone else. They have knowingly covered up for Johnson, and have willingly supported him.
3/6
You must watch this. I endorse everything @GeorgeMonbiot says here, every word. This is my own conclusions having spent 50+ years of thinking very deeply about this. 🧵 1/8
It took me a long time to fully understand this. When I personally studied systems theory, dynamical systems theory, after I completed my ecology degree, everything clicked into place. 3/8 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamical…
I do not claim to be a lawyer, but surely if the police fail to investigate and bring charges, because of false and misleading assertions by a powerful person or entity, this is on the face of it i.e. prima facie perverting the course of justice. 2/4
Chris Huhne, then a cabinet minister, was charged, then convicted of perverting the course of justice, and jailed, on the grounds of him having made a false statement about who was driving his car in the context of a minor speeding ticket. 3/4 theguardian.com/uk/2013/mar/11…
In the ongoing parliamentary UQ, triggered by the leaked email showing a social gathering was held in the garden at No.10, Michael Ellis standing in for the PM just said.
In essence, Boris Johnson has corrupted the whole parliamentary system, with serial bare-faced lying, knowing because how the PM is protected by the establishment, that they will have to lie to cover-up for them.
1) Once again I ask why aren't Boris Johnson and other senior government members, being investigated for perverting the course of justice, a very serious offence, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment?
2) Boris Johnson and government ministers have repeatedly told the public that there were no parties or social gatherings, that breached the COVID regulations. It is very clear that these lies were to stop them being investigated for breaching COVID laws.
3) Then cabinet minister Chris Huhne and his ex-wife were sent to prison for 8 months for perverting the course of justice for lying about who was driving their car, when their car got a speeding ticket. theguardian.com/uk/2013/mar/11…