• Privacy policy
  • T&C’s
  • FAQ
  • Meet the Team
  • About The London Economic
  • Advertise
TLE ONLINE SHOP!
NEWSLETTER
SUPPORT THE LONDON ECONOMIC
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Opinion
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Film
  • Food
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Opinion
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Film
  • Food
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
No Result
View All Result
Home Opinion

Never has an 80-seat majority looked so slim

Nine months on from a landslide victory, the Prime Minister has never looked so isolated.

Jack Peat by Jack Peat
September 29, 2020
in Opinion
Credit;PA

Credit;PA

Politics can be a lonely place at the best of times, but less than a year into a comfortable 80-seat majority reign and Boris Johnson cuts the figure of a besieged man.

Last night cabinet ministers were deployed on a fire fighting mission to head off a Tory revolt. More than 50 of the Prime Ministers own MPs are considering rebelling on Wednesday in a vote on whether to renew the powers in the Coronavirus Act, with Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the influential Tory backbench 1922 Committee, leading the charge.

“Parliament consistently sidelined”

The dissenters have seized upon an assessment by academics at University College London (UCL) which concluded that “Parliament has been consistently sidelined during the pandemic” – which is ironic given that Johnson was put in charge to restore our parliamentary sovereignty.

One former minister Steve Baker likened some of the Government’s coronavirus restrictions to George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984, specifically referencing a ban on singing and dancing in bars, cafes and restaurants.

Another true story.

What would Winston say?

#1984 ✊ https://t.co/YgBrKXTWdw

— Steve Baker MP (@SteveBakerHW) September 28, 2020

UCL’s Professor Meg Russell and Lisa James said moves were part of a “longer-running trend” under Mr Johnson.

“In his first six months as Prime Minister, Johnson cancelled or indefinitely postponed three Liaison Committee evidence sessions, unlawfully prorogued Parliament, and introduced a Withdrawal Agreement Act which – unlike its predecessor – gave Parliament no real oversight of this year’s Brexit negotiations,” they said.

“All this already suggested a reluctance to face parliamentary scrutiny.”

RelatedPosts

Building a Super Life Science Industry will be vital for UK to navigate the challenges of Brexit

Thoughts turn to UK as Trump administration ends

Donald Trump is gone. What next?

We should take time to understand anti-vaxxer’s concerns, rather than just condemn them

Besieged

Outside of parliament, Mr Johnson has been faced with a number of other challenges which led the Daily Mail’s political editor Glen Owen to declare him “besieged”.

Long-term allies in the press – evidently – have deserted him, with his former employer The Spectator running a special on a “government lost at sea” in last week’s edition and The Mail, Express and Telegraph all gunning for him today.

The PM will also find little respite in his personal life where there are mutterings about his physical, mental and financial health.

A briefing last weekend described Mr Johnson as having “misery etched on his face” because he was weighed down by the financial burden of supporting six children and battling with a ruinously expensive divorce.

His wife and child, meanwhile, took time away from him on a holiday which he – allegedly – had no part in.

Let’s just hope the dog Dilyn remains loyal to a man who has been seemingly hoisted by his own petard.

Related: What you need to know about Claire Ainsley, Labour’s answer to Dominic Cummings

Since you are here

Since you are here, we wanted to ask for your help.

Journalism in Britain is under threat. The government is becoming increasingly authoritarian and our media is run by a handful of billionaires, most of whom reside overseas and all of them have strong political allegiances and financial motivations.

Our mission is to hold the powerful to account. It is vital that free media is allowed to exist to expose hypocrisy, corruption, wrongdoing and abuse of power. But we can't do it without you.

If you can afford to contribute a small donation to the site it will help us to continue our work in the best interests of the public. We only ask you to donate what you can afford, with an option to cancel your subscription at any point.

To donate or subscribe to The London Economic, click here.

The TLE shop is also now open, with all profits going to supporting our work.

The shop can be found here.

You can also SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER .

Tags: headline
Support fearless, free, investigative journalism Support fearless, free, investigative journalism Support fearless, free, investigative journalism

Subscribe to our Newsletter

View our  Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

Trending fromTLE

  • All
  • trending

Stress, fear and homelessness: The threat looming over families confronted with eviction

File photo dated 07/11/03 of a prison cell.

The other prison pandemic

Credit;PA

Repressionomics: Get ready for the new permanent austerity

Latest from TLE

Vegan doughnuts recipe | Photo by Amelia Hallsworth from Pexels

How To Make: Vegan doughnuts with coffee glaze

Silver Screen Show: Soul

Netflix paid just £3.2m of tax – despite £940m UK subscription revenue

Best reactions as ‘Festival of Brexit’ trends on Twitter

About Us

TheLondonEconomic.com – Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle.

Read more

Address

The London Economic Newspaper Limited t/a TLE
Company number 09221879
International House,
24 Holborn Viaduct,
London EC1A 2BN,
United Kingdom

Contact

Editorial enquiries, please contact: jack@thelondoneconomic.com

Commercial enquiries, please contact: advertise@thelondoneconomic.com

SUPPORT

We do not charge or put articles behind a paywall. If you can, please show your appreciation for our free content by donating whatever you think is fair to help keep TLE growing and support real, independent, investigative journalism.

DONATE & SUPPORT

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.




No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Opinion
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Film
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech & Auto
  • About The London Economic
  • Meet the Team
  • Privacy policy

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.