Opinion

Mary Kelly: 'Greased piglet' Boris Johnson escapes again - but for how long?

Boris Johnson won his confidence vote by a narrow margin this week. Picture by Ian West/PA Wire
Boris Johnson won his confidence vote by a narrow margin this week. Picture by Ian West/PA Wire Boris Johnson won his confidence vote by a narrow margin this week. Picture by Ian West/PA Wire

SO the "greased piglet" described by David Cameron managed to escape the political abattoir yet again with enough craven Tories supporting him through the confidence vote.

That he is damaged goods, and has been for quite some time, is beyond doubt. But it's surprising how little attention has been paid to the report that in his briefing with MPs ahead of Monday's vote, he was asked about his conduct described in the Sue Gray report. One MP later said he told them: "I'd do it again."

Why is that not shocking people? He would do the same again. So his "humble" apologies to all those bereaved families who didn't get to spend time with their loved ones, meant absolutely nothing.

His defenders later said he meant he would still say his goodbyes to staff at leaving parties. This at a time when you couldn't say goodbye to dying relatives.

It isn't being greeted with outrage because this Prime Minister has so debased truth and integrity, that no-one expects it from him. This is what Britain has become under this appalling leader.

And what a tribute to the calibre of his cabinet that the most cited reason for continuing to back Johnson is that there's nobody else who would be better.

As if to prove the point, first out of the traps to support him was culture minister, Nadine Dorries, who while sticking the knife into Jeremy Hunt, accidentally admitted that the government was ill-prepared for a health emergency like Covid.

Then she showed where the Tories' real concerns were when she stated that 18 major donors who had given £80 million to the Tory party would withdraw their support if the PM lost the vote, so MPs should buck up and back Boris. Says it all, really.

In his Times column, former Tory leader, William Hague said the strength of the rebellion against Johnson was not just in numbers. It involved MPs from right, left and centre, keen Brexiteers, moderate One Nation types, hardened old-timers and even some ambitious young thrusters.

And they shared a "seemingly irreparable" loss of trust in Johnson felt by the wider electorate and despair at the lack of grip on the future direction of policy.

He concluded that no individual in politics mattered more than the health of our democracy and that depended on voters having faith in the integrity of leaders even if they disagreed with them.

But will Johnson ever look for the honourable exit Hague suggests? Piglets might fly.

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THERE'S been much praise for the Queen's sense of humour after the release of a video with her having tea with Paddington Bear. Though social media has pointed out, this little bear was a Peruvian refugee who would now be on his way to Rwanda, courtesy of the current government's latest wheeze.

But full marks to her if she had a hand in choosing the scripture for Boris Johnson to read at the Jubilee service in St Paul's. It was from Philippians 4:8: "Whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure... think about such things."

Nice one.

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YOU had to feel sorry for Graeme McDowell. Trying to defend the indefensible isn't easy. Unless you're one of 211 Tories.

There he was at a press conference, trying to explain his presence at a multi-squillion golf tour funded by the ghastly Saudi regime, claiming golf was a "force for good in the world".

Yes, the Jamal Khashoggi "situation" was reprehensible, he said. That was the "situation" where the journalist - an outspoken critic - was murdered in a Saudi embassy in Istanbul, his body chopped up and disposed of, while his fiancée waited outside the door for him.

G-Mac added: "We are not politicians, we are professional golfers. If Saudi Arabia want to use the game of golf as a way for them to get where they want to be and they have the resources to accelerate that experience, I think we are proud to help them on that journey."

But where does the Saudi ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, want to be? Top of the charts for human rights abuses, mass executions in the public square, persecuting gay people, locking up women for protesting the right to drive a car? He's there already.

It would have been more honest if the golfer had done a Harry Enfield, and produced a "Loadsamoney" wad of cash from his back pocket. That's why the British government is doing business with the Saudis too.