It all started with a lie from the Prime Minister, but what else did you expect?
To begin today’s PMQs Boris Johnson, on the anniversary of the Grenfell tragedy, said he would ensure it never happens again. Well last year, the then communities secretary James Brokenshire said he expected the removal of all unsafe cladding by this month, but thousands of homes are still covered in material deemed to be dangerous. It begs the question which lives matter?
What became increasingly obvious during the session is that ‘freedom’ from the EU means subservience to others, to enrich our nation/his rich mates (delete as appropriate).
The UK now looks to an authoritarian super power which crushes protests and destabilises the world for financial assistance.
And it’s no longer just to please our US overlords, he doesn’t like to bad mouth China either.
When put on the spot by Jerome Mayhew (Con) about Hong Kong’s relationship with China, the PM told the House – and MPs shielding at home after Rees-Mogg’s psychotic plans to drag vulnerable people into Parliament were eventually curtailed – that he was a Sinophile.
He hinted that he might bring up issues like climate change, emergence of Covid and Hong Kong with the Chinese leader, but we know he won’t. He could have said something right then, for example, if China’s actions really bothered him.
But on Trump even a vague notion he might bring up serious issues with the President were dismissed out of hand. When asked by Kirsty Blackman (SNP) what Trump’s qualities were, he said that ‘he is President of the US, our most important ally, and that America has been a bastion of peace and freedom during his lifetime’.
Has he not watched the news in the past few weeks? I fear not.
Fish in a barrel
The problem with shooting fish in a barrel, animal welfare issues aside, is it probably becomes cloying quite quickly and Starmer wasn’t at his best today.
You can tell Johnson felt more comfortable as he used numerous words that 99 per cent of the nation (including himself) don’t understand.
However, the Labour leader, without any props did probe the PM on the number of deaths in the UK and if Johnson was proud of his Government’s record.
The PM repeated that we can’t draw international comparisons yet, which is nonsense. If Germany had our deaths rates and we had theirs, he would be shouting it from the rooftops, there would be bar charts, venn diagrams, celebratory mugs made. The war analogies would probably ramp up into some kind quasi-third world war won against them. But in basket case Britain this hasn’t happened so, of course, we can’t compare these figures. Yet everyone knows the grim death tally and there is no hiding from that.
However, Johnson shot himself in the foot again – One (sometimes two) must grow back every week. Since he is so fond of international comparisons, when they suit him, there are some countries in Europe where no primary school kids are going back to school, yet we have.
With a bit of support and encouragement from Starmer and some ‘of his friends in the left wing trade unions’ we can get kids back to school soon. If Starmer stopped being so much of a lawyer, and just believed, we could be having a the next PMQs session in a Wetherspoons beer garden next week.
Boris Johnson, again, mentioned a phone call which the PM claims a school reopening plan was discussed. Starmer denied that this was talked about on the mystery phone call. Why doesn’t Sir Kier tell the House what was actually discussed? Because I’m pretty sure Johnson’s Chinese and American friends have already heard every word.
Through the MP hole
Rees-Mogg lost his batshit battle over video questions so they were allowed again today.
Vicky Foxcroft (Lab) video was fuzzy and she was aggressively approaching her webcam. It felt like a desperate video message from a spacecraft about to be over run by an alien lifeforms demanding help from an intergalactic taskforce.
Ian Blackford (SNP) seems to have sealed himself into a Celtic stone bunker and won’t come out until the Scotland gains independence or Hibernian win the Scottish league. To be fair he might not have to wait a long time for one of those two scenarios.
Related – PMQs – PM fails to ‘take back control’ of Coronavirus, Brexit & in-tray
Related – Starmer tells PM to ‘get a grip’ ahead of first PMQs since Cummings row
Related – PMQs – PM fails to ‘take back control’ of Coronavirus, Brexit & in-tray
Related – PMQs – Johnson feigns ignorance as he lumps Starmer in with “experts”
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