The recent scenes in Parliament with the Prime Minister making false accusations about the Leader of the Opposition and telling demonstrable lies from the Government front bench represents a further erosion of standards under this Tory Government. The mob that subsequently set upon Keir Starmer and David Lammy show words have real-world consequences. The Prime Minister’s actions show once again he is not a fit person for the office he holds. He must resign.
And the truth is that this is just the tip of the iceberg on deteriorating standards in public life, fuelled by a Tory Government who have little respect for anyone outside of their circle of pals. They operate out of personal interest and not national interest. You can call it cronyism or political corruption, but one thing is indisputable – the Prime Minister is poisoning public discourse and corroding trust in our institutions – and he is doing it for one reason only. To save his own skin.
I have been disgusted by the torrent of revelations regarding parties held at Downing Street during the covid restrictions: restrictions in place to keep everyone safe. Whilst people in Bristol South were supporting each other, keeping to the rules and staying at home to save lives and protect the NHS, Boris Johnson and his mates were partying in Downing Street.
Time and again the Tories show it’s one rule for them, one rule for the rest of us. This is insulting to everyone in Bristol South who made sacrifices during the pandemic, from missing the birth of children to being unable to visit dying loved ones.
A real culture change is needed at No 10. In the last year we’ve seen the Government not only be accused of breaking Covid rules, but also be engulfed by a political corruption scandal as multiple members were accused of breaching paid advocacy rules. Most notably Owen Patterson showed a clear pattern of failing to separate private and public interests in his paid advocacy work, yet the Tories tried to pause his recommended sanction before u-turning less than 24 hours later following enormous criticism and pressure.
People may ask: why does it matter? It matters because it is vital that everyone who works in Parliament, particularly MPs, are held to the highest standards of behaviour to ensure the government is working in the interests of you. The Government cannot be allowed to get away with this constant rule breaking whenever it’s convenient or to save a mate. Boris Johnson’s rule breaking, lying and false accusations against the Leader of the Opposition show that he is not fit for office and must resign.