March 04, 2020
Priti vacant‘Contain, delay, research and mitigate’. That’s the government’s strategy for dealing with coronavirus. But could it also end up being Boris Johnson’s approach to the growing and urgent problem of allegations of Priti Patel’s bullying?‌
Can Boris Johnson’s Defence Of Priti Patel Really Save Her?
Today, we saw the contain phase in full flow as the PM stood by his home secretary, literally and metaphorically. “I’m sticking by her,” he told Labour’s Matt Pennycook. She was doing “an outstanding job and I have every confidence in her”, he told Jeremy Corbyn. Handwashing may be his favourite activity right now, but Johnson was not going to turn Pontius Pilate in his dealings with an early disciple of the Vote Leave faith.
Yet as each day passes, it seems that Patel is a superspreader when it comes to bullying allegations. The problem first emerged in the Home Office but outbreaks have since been identified in DfID and DWP. For all the PM’s efforts at containment, the next phase of delay looks nearly upon us.
With more claims mounting up (today Corbyn’s spokesman said civil servants in the Home Office and ‘other departments’ had been in touch with new allegations), Johnson has tried to buy some time by agreeing to a Cabinet Office inquiry. As Patel has not been suspended and remains in post, it feels like a key way to take the heat of the situation and put off a day of reckoning.
Some MPs whisper that if only Patel can hang on to the Easter recess just four weeks away, the world will move on in the meantime. Some even suggest Patel may well be granted some extra new cash in the Budget to help her hit that target of 20,000 more police officers that’s such a central Tory election pledge (even though it is simply replacing those lost since 2010).
But the delay can shift seamlessly into the ‘research’ phase of the Cabinet Office inquiry itself. Don’t forget that the probe into Damian Green started on November 1 and its outcome emerged seven weeks later. And the claims against Patel are even more thorny and legally fraught than those Green had to face. Johnson confirmed for the first time today that Sir Alex Allan, the semi-autonomous adviser on the ministerial code, would be investigating.
Given that former permanent secretary Sir Philip Rutnam has decided not to be bought off with a payoff, as many staff are forced to do in these circumstances, there is however the parallel process of an industrial tribunal, at which Patel will be called to give evidence on oath. That could be politically very embarrassing indeed, especially if special advisers and No.10 are dragged into it.
Which is why ‘mitigate’ may end up being the phase that Johnson least likes but may slowly accept as inevitable. Will Patel be allowed to resign, with glowing testimonies, to fight the tribunal? Johnson will almost certainly offer a route back to high office (though it seems he does that to every minister he sacks). It’s not beyond the bounds of possibility that she could return to the Home Office if cleared by the public court.
The PM and others in No10 are determined not to see their plans stymied by what they see as ‘No Minister’ civil servants. It’s true that the real factor that may ensure Patel never returns is her competence. The stories coming out of Whitehall about basic errors and off-the-wall plans don’t bode well for her political future.‌
Yet ultimately it’s the PM who knows the buck stops with him on much of this. He is the one who approved what many felt was an administrative nightmare in fast-tracking the points-based immigration system to the end of this year (rather than the end of 2022 as May planned). He is the one who wanted tough action of the deportation flight. And he is the one who gave Patel one of the most important jobs in the land, despite her record elsewhere.
Mitigating his way out of that may prove harder than tackling Covid-19.Quote Of The Day“I loathe bullying”
Boris JohnsonWednesday Cheat SheetThe prime minister promised to pay statutory sick pay “from the very first day” someone self-isolates for coronavirus, instead of the fourth day under the current rules. The TUC and others want to know what happens to gig economy workers and the self-employed.‌
Rebecca Long-Bailey admitted to Andrew Neil that she had worked on NHS PFI projects for a firm of solicitors. Keir Starmer refused to reveal who all his campaign donors were.
Lisa Nandy told me she was ‘confident’ she would pull off a shock victory in the Labour leadership race, with ‘undecided’ members her main hope of a late surge. She also attacked deselection rows for costing MPs like Jo Platts her seat in the election. Read more HERE.
Environment secretary George Eustice predicted that Brussels will ditch any attempt to make an EU-UK trade deal conditional fishing rights being granted. He admitted fishermen will ‘probably’ need to fill in export certificates.
The government bowed to pressure and changed its stance on insurance to cover firms for coronavirus losses in England. It will be classed formally as a “notifiable disease”, a move required by many insurance policies before they will pay out.What I’m ReadingJoeMomentum And How Biden Is Winning - New York TimesGot A Tip?Send tips, stories, quotes, pics, plugs or gossip to waugh.zone@huffpost.com. Subscribe To Commons PeopleEach week, the HuffPost UK Politics team unpack the biggest stories from Westminster and beyond. Search for Commons People wherever you listen to podcasts and subscribe.Related... The Rise And Fall Of Priti Patel: Can She Survive Another Scandal? Boris Johnson Accused Of 'Covering Up' Priti Patel's Alleged Bullying Priti Patel Staff Member Given £25,000 Payout After Bullying Claim - Report
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Donald Trump's campaign is in chaos, and his niece says she's energized.Mary Trump, the niece of the former president and a psychologist by trade, has previously been critical of her uncle.On Thursday, she said her uncle's failures are adding up.ALSO READ: A neuroscientist reveals how Trump and Biden's cognitive impairments are different"As the RNC’s fundraising falters and Donald’s campaign spirals into chaos, I am energized!" she said in a Substack post.She then continued:"When Donald dominates the news cycle, it’s hard not to feel overwhelmed. Every bad headline has a negative impact. But then I remember something crucial: There’s usually more to the story than meets the eye. I’m determined to cut through the media noise and share with you all the good that happened this week. These are the headlines we need to remain energized and hopeful that the media largely ignored."Mary Trump goes on to highlight President Joe Biden's recent fundraising hauls."President Biden’s $155 million+ war chest has just received another turbo boost, bringing the total of cash on hand to at least $180 million. (By comparison, between his campaign and the RNC, Donald barely has over $50 million — and continues to drain the accounts to cover his absolutely staggering legal expenses)," she wrote. "This is a development that could significantly increase Biden’s ability to influence the narrative in crucial swing states."This, she says, also tells us a lot about voter excitement for Biden."While critics have expressed doubts about the degree to which the Democratic base is fired up as compared to 2020, today’s $25 million fundraiser, raised with donations ranging from $250 to $500,000, should put any doubts to rest — yes, we are absolutely behind President Biden and Vice President Harris and we’re in this fight until the end," she wrote.Read the full post here.
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