There are three questions that Boris Johnson needs to answer, and upon which his premiership now rests. Did he break the Covid laws he himself was responsible for upholding, by approving or attending parties or gatherings on 20 May 2020? Did he subsequently lie to the House of Commons and the public about his behaviour? And does he take responsibility for what happened in the building where he lives and works?
He’s not answering. His defence, such as it is, has been to avoid scrutiny, buy time and delay. His response thus far to the “partygate” allegations is to deflect any questions by referring to the inquiry by Sue Gray, a senior civil servant. He used to, if pressed, repeat the mantra that rules were always followed, or that he was advised by others that they were, dismissing the issues as trivial. He seems to have moved on even from those excuses.
He now says as little as possible, though his smirk speaks volumes. Perversely, a fresh investigation by the Metropolitan Police may end up providing the prime minister with yet more time to escape his tormentors. His defences are tactical and procedural and legalistic.
His allies, such as Michael Ellis QC, plead “natural justice” and “fairness”, imploring his critics to desist until Ms Gray and Scotland Yard have finished up. However, the Downing Street defence is crumbling under the sheer weight of evidence of wrongdoings.
At the moment, Mr Johnson is, just as his critics allege, hiding behind the investigation being conducted by Ms Gray, a figure routinely described as a paragon of integrity and virtue. We shall see. Yet her investigation – and Mr Johnson’s stonewalling – is being overtaken by events.
Every day seems to bring fresh incontrovertible evidence of rule-breaking, and raises new questions about the probity of the prime minister’s personal behaviour. As often as not, the accusations come from his former assistant Dominic Cummings, who may be bitter but is being listened to, and has so far not been contradicted. The questions about partygate are being answered, if only by others.
The impression an appalled public gets is of a near Russ Abbot level of happy party atmosphere prevailing around Downing Street through the lockdowns, even as loved ones were dying alone on Covid wards. It is obscene. Of course there is anger.
As the Labour MP Angela Eagle has wryly remarked, it might be quicker if Ms Gray just investigated the days when there wasn’t a party going on in Downing Street. The public – and even the Conservative Party – cannot wait weeks or months for Ms Gray or the police to conduct lengthy inquiries.
The government can’t carry on like this. Everyone knows what happened. It was and is indefensible, and we want to hear the prime minister’s account of his actions. The facts are not really in much doubt. The salient questions have been answered.
The Tory party cannot wait and watch until the police arrive to arrest the prime minster for a breach of the Covid laws, which it appears is certainly what happened. Nor can the Tories try to defend a man, if the allegations gather more substantiation, who deliberately lied time and again to the Commons and the voters about what was going on.
Mr Johnson’s best bet for survival now is probably to move on to a non-legal defence. Instead of quibbling about the letter or spirit of the law, this would comprise what a sympathetic newspaper headline writer might call “a very human plea for mercy” from the embattled prime minister. It would focus on the punishingly hard work he and his team were doing in impossible circumstances, which took a toll on their family lives, and stress how much they needed a break.
To keep up to speed with all the latest opinions and comment, sign up to our free weekly Voices Dispatches newsletter by clicking here
It could be claimed that they were in some sense a “family”, working and living closely together in a secure building, the closed-off garden was a mere extension of the offices and the gathering was outdoors and “socially distanced”. Precautions were taken, even if only that they brought their own booze.
The prime minister himself had only recently recovered from his own Covid brush with death, and his wife had just had a child. Mr Johnson, it might be argued, was, if anything, too loyal and too kindly towards his friends and colleagues, granting them some respite from the hothouse atmosphere.
He would, as so often in his life, humbly apologise to everyone and beg forgiveness, promise to do better and ask people to move on and concentrate on more important things than parties and wallpaper, such as levelling up. Fingers crossed.
Mr Johnson’s hope must be that the passage of time and a series of excuses will help him get through this mess. But he, his party and the voters know that this is no way to be running the country, stumbling from scandal to crisis to scandal again.
A prime minister who breaks the law, lies to the Commons and fails to take responsibility for what happens in No 10 would have no business to be in public life, let alone in Downing Street. It’s best resolved sooner rather than later, by Ms Gray or else by the Conservative Party.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments