The Week - UK (2022-02-19)

6 NEWS Politics

THEWEEK19 February 2022

Controversyof theweek

The Prosecco Squad

After spending the last twoyears attackingKeirStarmer

for “theapparentcrimeofbeingalawyer”, Boris Johnson

is now hiringone himself, said TomPeck in The

Independent.The PM hasbeensentaquestionnaire by the

Metropolitan Police over the breakingoflockdown rules

during Downing Street gatherings. It’s understood thePM

hasemployed hot-shot private lawyers to handleit. His

defence,itseems, hingesonthe unique natureof

DowningStreet: aworkplacefor many, but aprivatehome

for Johnson. It’s apuzzlingdistinction, saycritics, since

during lockdown“parties wereillegal both in homes and

workplaces”.His prevarications can’t hide the truth, said

Martin KettleinThe Guardian: “he’sfinished”.The polls

suggest irreparable damagehasbeen done:70% of UK

votersare now“dissatisfied” with him.Wemighthave to

waitfor the5May local electionsbeforethe curtain comes

down,but for once it seems “the rules really will apply to thePrime Minister”.

This is gettingludicrous, said Richard Littlejohn in the DailyMail. The Met’s“ProseccoSquad”has

sent questionnaires to 50 Downing Street staff and is sifting through300photos takenat“suspect

“gatherings” including Johnson’s 56thbirthday party. Iwon’tdefendlawbreakingatNo. 10, butis

that really asensible useofScotlandYard’s time,when homicide ratesare soaringand only3.8%

of burglaries are solved? The political classes are“frankly deranged”over Partygate: even the former

ToryPM John Majorhas been“disinterred to slagoff Boris”. This looks like “the revenge of the

pro-EUestablishment”.True, Majorhas long resented Johnson, said The Times, but it’s hard to

disagree with his charge that the PM is “damaging trustindemocracy”. Johnson’s “entire political

strategy” seemsfocused on winning over the181 MPs needed to survive any Toryvote of

confidence.It lookslikeagovernment bent on “savingjobs”ratherthan “delivering policy”.

Whisperit, but that strategyjust might work,said Fraser Nelson in The Daily Telegraph. Thenew,

humbler Boris,who listensto theTory party,isalready“improvingthe quality of theGovernment”.

He followedthe party’sinstincts on abolishing Covidrestrictions amonth early, rather than relying

on thescientific advisers. He may even take on problemssuchasNHS reform.Itdoesn’t look like

better government to me,said Andrew Rawnsley in TheObserver.Itlooks like “different gangs of

backbench hostage-takers” aredemanding “red meat” from No. 10. For now,most Tory MPs “are

neither dedicatedtohis removalnor committed to his survival”.Things will come to ahead when

the Met reports–and thePMeither does, or doesn’t, getafixedpenalty. Evenif he does,hemay try

to brazen it out. The Torieswill have to decide how farthey will go with “OperationSaveBig Dog”.

Partytime?Thelatestpicture

Spiritoftheage

Goodweekfor:

Philanthropy,with thenews that Elon Musk gave nearly$6bn

worthof Teslashares to an unnamed charity last year.Muskis

now America’smost generousphilanthropist,after Bill Gates

and hisformerwife Melinda FrenchGates.

PeterJackson,who topped Forbes magazine’s list of the highest

paidentertainers of 2021.TheLordoftheRingsdirectormade

$580m, primarily through thesaleofhis special effects company.

Badtaste,with thenews that,toaccompany its Van Gogh

exhibition,the CourtauldGallery in London is selling an “ear-

shaped rubber” for £6,sunflowersoap“forthe tortured artist

who enjoys bubbles” for £5,and a£16 “emotional firstaid kit”.

Bad week for:

JulianBennett,the Metropolitan policeofficer in charge of

writing his force’s drug strategy, who hasbeen accusedoftaking

cannabis, LSDand magic mushroomshimselfwhile on holiday

in France.Bennett is facing agross misconducthearing.

EtonandHarrow,whose annualmatch at Lord’s will no longer

take place at the ground from 2023.The schoolshave faced

each other since 1805,when LordByronplayedfor Harrow.

MaryleboneCricketClub said that it wished to “extendplaying

opportunities”more widely.

AndrewTurner,o ne of theRAF’s mostseniorofficers, who

was suspended fromduty afterallegedly being spotted nakedin

the garden of his £1.4mhome in Oxfordshire. Simon Herbert,

Turner’s neighbour,told the Daily Mail he was “astonished”

to seethe AirMarshalinthe nude, “not even wearingshoes”.

PostOfficeinquiry

An inquiryinto the wrongful

convictionsof largenumbers

of sub-postmastersand

mistressesbeganthis week,

withabout60 formerPost

Officeworkersexpectedto

give evidence.The inquiry

is beingchairedby

Sir WynWilliams,aretired

highcourtjudge,and is

likelyto run all year.It will

examinewhetherthe Post

Officeknewaboutfaultsin

the IT systemthat led to

morethan700 peoplebeing

accusedof theft,fraudand

falseaccountingbetween

2000 and 2014;so far, 72

convictionshavebeen

overturned.It will also

considerwhetherthe

companythat madethe

softwareknewit had flaws,

and whethervictimshave

beenfairlycompensated.

Universitystrikes

Thousandsof universitystaff

wenton strikethis weekover

pensions,pay and working

conditions.Ten daysof

actionare plannedover

threeweeksand involvea

totalof 44 institutions.The

Universityand CollegeUnion

(UCU)is callingfor apay rise

for its members,an end to

zero-hourscontracts,and

actionto reduceworkloads.

The lateststrikeswere

triggeredby changesto

apensionschemewhich,

the UCUsays,couldcut

members’guaranteed

retirementincomeby 35%.

Pollwatch

75%of votersbelieveBoris

Johnsonshouldresignif

investigationsby the police

and Sue Grayfind him

guiltyof lockdownbreaches.

16%wanthim to stay even

if he is foundguilty.

SavantaComRes/The

Independent

Nationally,58%of rankand

file policeofficerssuffer

fromlow morale.78%say

theydo not feel respected

by the public,and95%say

theydo not feel respected

by the Government.

PoliceFederationofEngland

andWales/TheTimes

62%of Europeans(polled

in Finland,France,

Germany,Italy,Poland,

Romaniaand Sweden)

thinkNatoshouldcome

to Ukraine’said if Russia

invades.

EuropeanCouncilon

ForeignRelations

The Universityof Bristol

encouragedstaffto use an

onlinepronounguidethat

includesnot just the neo-

pronouns“ze/zir/zirs”,but

also “catgender”and

“emojiself”.Accordingto

the guide,peoplewho

identifyas felinemaygo

by the pronouns“nya”and

“nyan”,meaning“meow”

in Japanese,whileusersof

an “emojiself”swapletter

pronounsfor an emoji.

HMRChas seizedthreenon-

fungibletokens,or NFTs,as

part of an investigationinto

VAT fraud.It’s the first time

alaw enforcementagency

in the UK has seizedNFTs,

whichare digitalassetsthat

can be boughtor sold but

haveno physicalreality.

HRMC’sdeputydirectorof

economiccrimesaid it was

“a warningto anyonewho

thinkstheycan use crypto

assetsto hidemoney”.

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