Williamson the latest ‘useful idiot’ in PM’s increasingly dysfunctional administration

GAVIN Williamson ought to be on the backbenches this morning, either sacked or having resigned over the fiasco that is the A-Level results.

Instead he remains responsible for education in this country, ironic given the fact millions of students want him in detention.

Why? Because no-one resigns from Government anymore apart from the former Chancellor Sajid Javid. Resigning was something you did from Theresa May’s administration and so last year darling.

After all when you can bend the lockdown rules you helped draw up as Dominic Cummings did why should anyone else stand down for their mistakes?

But there is a darker art at work here, that of the ‘useful idiot’. The Prime Minister and his inner circle seem adept at using it to shield themselves from the worst of the headlines, sparing no-one in the process.

Cummings actions over lockdown could have become a debate on the Prime Minister’s judgement at a sticky time for him. What followed was Useful Idiot version 1.0 – Cummings.

The advisor broke all conventions, called a press conference from a trestle table and met the allegations with a mixture of arrogance, denial and contempt. The result, everyone was talking about Cummings, no-one about the PM.

And so onto the A-Levels, by my reckoning there was just over 100 hours between the PM’s ‘robust’ results soundbite and the u-turn. One minute the system for moderating A-Level grades had a gold star, the next it was being hauled before the headteacher.

The PM is becoming increasingly adept at saying something which falls apart within days or at least a week. For the ‘robust A-Level moderation process’ see ‘oven-ready Brexit deal’ and ‘free of COVID-19 by Christmas’. All have required a back tracking or screeching u-turn.

This Brexiteer Government though cannot lose their leader, their maestro, hence the need for human shields to ‘take one for the team’ – the team being the PM himself.

You can have a job in Government but you must be prepared to cop everything when, not if, the wheels come off. Ask Cummings, ask Matt Hancock over PPE, ask Robert Jenrick over planning and lockdown breaking.

Which brings us onto Williamson – Useful Idiot 2.0. He won’t be sacked as the furore, together with his own unpleasant pleasant personality with the media, will mean days and days of negative headlines in his direction, not that of the PM.

I’ve watched him on the breakfast shows this morning and his delivery was robotic with an air of ‘I’ve graced your show with my presence’ not any form of mea culpa.

The line to take is seemingly he discovered all was not well over the weekend with the controversial algorithm, then why not scrap the results first thing yesterday morning, not at 4pm?

Nothing is going smoothly for this Government now; in fact I would go as far to say its in crisis. Think about that, a Government handed an 80 seat majority eight months ago is already in turmoil.

While Coronavirus is not as rampant as in the United States, the Government’s message is all over the place. One minute its going to be cleaned up by Christmas, the next it’s something we’ll have to live with for the foreseeable future.

The country is in a deep recession and unless something changes in the next eight weeks our divorce from the European Union will see us leave with nothing agreed. Far from the ‘oven-ready’ deal millions of hard-working Brexit voters were promised.

A second Scottish referendum looks almost inevitable, while many say the Prime Minister will simply not grant one he will find it hugely difficult if Sturgeon and her pals win a landslide in May in the Scottish Parliament elections having made a new referendum the central pillar of the campaign.

One could suggest Sturgeon demand the Prime Minister listen to the ‘will of the people’……..

When will it end? Will the Prime Minister, a man known for his lack of desire for detail, ever get a grip on this chaotic Government?

Leadership is more than being the country’s cheerleader, its about making the right decisions at the right time for the benefit of all. If you are constantly performing u-turns you will never move forward.

The keys to Downing Street for Labour or indeed any ambitious Tory are on the hook marked ‘competency’. The opposition mustn’t fall into the ‘rich Tories bashing the poor kids’ manta, however true it is.

Show the British people this Government is incompetent, if they can mess up Coronavirus, if they can mess up exam results, what’s next? Brexit?

Scotland's vote is last act of a dying Government

THURSDAY will see a nation go to the polls faced with the biggest question asked of an electorate for many a year: Do they wish to break a 300 year old marriage and go it alone?.

There is no doubt the referendum on Scottish independence has been a good thing, it has energised people and got a nation talking about politics and voting.

But whatever the result, this week marks the beginning of the end of David Cameron's time as Prime Minister. Quite simply, the leader of the Conservative and Unionist Party could oversee the end of the union, that's a mistake I doubt even he can come back from.

Perhaps reports of his demise in the aftermath of a Yes vote are a little far-fetched, I doubt the British economy would sustain the news of Scottish independence and the resignation of a Prime Minister within 48 hours of each other!

But it would signal Cameron's time at the top was nearly over, the vultures are circling with Boris looking a shoo-in in Uxbridge and most of the cabinet are Osborne loyalists - leaving the PM with very few friends at the top.

Even Uncle Rupert appears lukewarm in backing the Tories with his hints that independence could be good for Scotland, knowing full well the damage a yes would cause to the Conservative Prime Minister.

David Cameron will become the first PM in history to lose not because the opposition was much more electable (Labour aren't) but because he's just made too many tactical errors.

1) He hasn't managed the coalition well.

Cameron needed Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats in 2010 but what he needed to do from the outset was make it clear, they contributed just 1/6th of the coalition Government and policy would be Conservative-driven.

Instead he has been in thrall to Clegg and let the junior partners get away with a number of statements such as their apparent u-turn on the Bedroom Tax. Instead of putting them on the spot and telling them to vote with their feet, knowing it would send them off the political cliff, he's allowed the Lib Dems the airwaves to try and rewrite history.

2) But ignored his party...

It's no co-incidence his party aren't happy. Conservative backbenchers wanted Tory rule after 13 years away, instead they got a Tory Government watered down with a bit of Lib Dem.

Many want to see him rule properly, but within 12 months the old rivalries spilled out and open rebellion ensured.

3) He shouldn't have introduced fixed term Parliaments

Fixed five year parliament has not worked, the party has begun it's last year of the current cycle with very little ideas, very little enthusiasm and with a reshuffle based on image not talent. Government's in this country only go into the fifth year in a desperate attempt to roll the dice and hope their fortunes change, look at Major in 92 and Brown in 2010.

Rather than five year fixed term, make it compulsory to hold an election every four years. The fortunes of the ruling party do rather improve at the end of four year cycles.

4) He ignored and then didn't grasp the UKIP threat

'Fruitcakes' and 'Loons' were the words used by the Prime Minister to describe Nigel Farage and UKIP....oh how he must regret that now.

Quite simply the PM and his party didn't recognise UKIP began hoovering up traditional Tory votes a long time ago. Farage represents the halcyon days of the Conservatives, big on business, tough on Europe and traditional British values.

He dismissed them until it was too late, now many have gone and won't come back but still Cameron and his team still disrespect UKIP. Cameron should get on the front foot, agree to the debates and agree to Farage taking part and use his considerable oratory skills to take UKIP apart.

If he carries on until May 2015 he will be a lame duck Prime Minister, propped up by a party facing disaster.

However, victory on Thursday could and maybe should be enough for him to change course, call an election and ask people the ultimate question: "Do you really want Ed Miliband as PM?"

Scotland deserves better than these campaigners

WATCHING the #indyref campaign in recent weeks has made me frustrated and angry.

No not because there is a very real prospect the historic union could be broken but because no one, be it a politician or 'expert' is actually talking TO the people of Scotland.

Scots basically are being talked AT, 'oooo don't vote for independence because this  and that will happen and it's all your fault' say the No Thanks team.

'Ach, don't listen to em, you should vote for independence as it will be great and we can do this that and the other' say the Yes team.

At no point in this campaign has either side said to the Scottish people 'here is our case and here's why the opposition are wrong in our opinion.'

The Scots deserve that and to be trusted to go away, consider it all and then deliver their verdict next Thursday.

I will declare an interest to say as an Englishman I hope our Celtic cousins decide to stay, but the outcome is nothing to do with me or anyone else south of the border.

My opinion is that if we stay together we should work together to ensure Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland too have much greater powers and can prosper both individually and together.

But should the Scottish people decide to vote yes then we have a duty in England to work with an independent Scotland.

To all the politicians and experts travelling north in the next week, don't waste your time delivering meaningless soundbites and 'warnings'.

Just talk to the people, Scots are the most welcoming and friendly people on the planet, show them some respect hey?

Scotland, everyone in England wants you to stay. We never have took your freedom and we won't do so now!