London: Boris johnson has brought on new senior staff as he tries to restore his flag-bearer authority, including a communications chief who insisted the British prime minister is “not a total clown.”
The prime minister hired an aide from his days as London mayor, Gutto Harri, who has been critical of Johnson until recently, to try to regain control of the government’s messaging after weeks of turmoil. which led to calls for his removal by some of the ruling conservatives. He also appointed a senior cabinet minister, Steve Barkley, as his new chief of staff.
But uneasiness over Johnson’s leadership escalated on Monday when opposition Labor Party leader Keiro starmer Parliament was harassed by anti-lockdown protesters who accused him of protecting a pedophile while he was a prosecutor echoing a slur by Johnson last week.
Visiting a hospital cancer center outside London on Monday, Johnson said he was “absolutely focused” on clearing the backlog of millions of medical procedures built up during the pandemic. It is one of a plethora of important issues, including a squeeze on household finances from inflation. And an imminent tax hike, fueled by a scandal of lockdown-violating government parties.
“I think people want the government to focus, not the stuff (of the government district) is going on. WestminsterBut to focus on life … beyond Westminster, and to focus on the needs of the country,” Johnson said. “And that’s what we’re doing.”
Johnson’s grip on power has been shaken by public anger over revelations that his staff held “bring your own wine”, birthday celebrations and “Wine Time Fridays” in 2020 and 2021, while millions of people in Britain were invited to visit friends. Was barred from getting along and family due to his government’s Covid-19 restrictions.
A total of 16 parties have been investigated by Sue Grey, a senior civil servant, of whom a dozen are also being investigated by the Metropolitan Police.
In an interim report last week into four parties not under criminal investigation, Gray found that “failures of leadership and judgment” enabled events that “should not have been allowed to happen” and described the Downing Street operation. Excessive drinking and dysfunctional dynamics.
Johnson apologized without acknowledging a personal mistake – and pledged to fix the problems in his office.
But on Friday he was shaken by the departure of five senior employees, including his chief of staff, his communications director and his policy director, Munira Mirza. Mirza, a loyal longtime aide, stood by the Prime Minister”partygate“Revelations. But she said the final straw was Johnson’s “outrageous allegation” that Starmer had failed to prosecute the late pedophile Jimmy Savile for sexual assault when Starmer was the UK’s director of public prosecution.
On Monday, Starmer was cornered outside parliament by protesters against coronavirus restrictions. Call them “traitors!” Shouting can be heard, referring to Saville and accusing him of “protecting pedophiles”. Starmer was taken away in a police car. Police said two people were arrested.
Johnson called the harassment “absolutely shameful”, but some said he should take responsibility. Julian Smith, a former minister in Johnson’s government, tweeted that the “false Savile slurs” should be “completely withdrawn.”
Johnson responded to the turmoil of recent weeks with the Downing Street shakeup, which included the eye-catching appointment of Harry, a former BBC reporter who worked for Johnson at City Hall from 2008 to 2012, but recently I criticized him. In 2018, Harry called Johnson “sexually incontinent”, and in 2020 he said government communication during the pandemic was “a masterclass in incompetence”. Last month Harry said reports of parties in Downing Street while Britain was in lockdown “was unforgivable”, although “in some ways understandable”.
Harry told a Welsh-language news site that Johnson greeted him on his first day by singing Gloria Gaynor’s disco anthem “I Will Survive”.
Harry, who is Welsh, told the Golvag360 site that Johnson “wasn’t a total clown,” but was actually “a very likable character.”
He added that the prime minister is “not a diabolical man as some people portray him in a wrong way.”
The staff’s moves are intended to reassure Conservative lawmakers, who are debating whether to win a no-confidence vote on the leader who won them a sizable parliamentary majority two years ago.
Under party rules, a no-confidence vote is triggered if 15% of the party’s MPs _ currently 54 people _ write a letter calling for one. If Johnson loses such a vote, he will be replaced as party leader and prime minister.
Of the 360 Conservative legislators, only 15 have publicly called on Johnson to step down, although those writing the letter are likely to be much higher.
Conservative legislator Tom Tugendhat, who has already said he will run for leader if Johnson is ousted, said the prime minister.fate of Depends on “how the reset goes”.
“There’s a lot of talent coming out there,” he said, but at the same time “there’s a lot of talent coming out.”
The prime minister hired an aide from his days as London mayor, Gutto Harri, who has been critical of Johnson until recently, to try to regain control of the government’s messaging after weeks of turmoil. which led to calls for his removal by some of the ruling conservatives. He also appointed a senior cabinet minister, Steve Barkley, as his new chief of staff.
But uneasiness over Johnson’s leadership escalated on Monday when opposition Labor Party leader Keiro starmer Parliament was harassed by anti-lockdown protesters who accused him of protecting a pedophile while he was a prosecutor echoing a slur by Johnson last week.
Visiting a hospital cancer center outside London on Monday, Johnson said he was “absolutely focused” on clearing the backlog of millions of medical procedures built up during the pandemic. It is one of a plethora of important issues, including a squeeze on household finances from inflation. And an imminent tax hike, fueled by a scandal of lockdown-violating government parties.
“I think people want the government to focus, not the stuff (of the government district) is going on. WestminsterBut to focus on life … beyond Westminster, and to focus on the needs of the country,” Johnson said. “And that’s what we’re doing.”
Johnson’s grip on power has been shaken by public anger over revelations that his staff held “bring your own wine”, birthday celebrations and “Wine Time Fridays” in 2020 and 2021, while millions of people in Britain were invited to visit friends. Was barred from getting along and family due to his government’s Covid-19 restrictions.
A total of 16 parties have been investigated by Sue Grey, a senior civil servant, of whom a dozen are also being investigated by the Metropolitan Police.
In an interim report last week into four parties not under criminal investigation, Gray found that “failures of leadership and judgment” enabled events that “should not have been allowed to happen” and described the Downing Street operation. Excessive drinking and dysfunctional dynamics.
Johnson apologized without acknowledging a personal mistake – and pledged to fix the problems in his office.
But on Friday he was shaken by the departure of five senior employees, including his chief of staff, his communications director and his policy director, Munira Mirza. Mirza, a loyal longtime aide, stood by the Prime Minister”partygate“Revelations. But she said the final straw was Johnson’s “outrageous allegation” that Starmer had failed to prosecute the late pedophile Jimmy Savile for sexual assault when Starmer was the UK’s director of public prosecution.
On Monday, Starmer was cornered outside parliament by protesters against coronavirus restrictions. Call them “traitors!” Shouting can be heard, referring to Saville and accusing him of “protecting pedophiles”. Starmer was taken away in a police car. Police said two people were arrested.
Johnson called the harassment “absolutely shameful”, but some said he should take responsibility. Julian Smith, a former minister in Johnson’s government, tweeted that the “false Savile slurs” should be “completely withdrawn.”
Johnson responded to the turmoil of recent weeks with the Downing Street shakeup, which included the eye-catching appointment of Harry, a former BBC reporter who worked for Johnson at City Hall from 2008 to 2012, but recently I criticized him. In 2018, Harry called Johnson “sexually incontinent”, and in 2020 he said government communication during the pandemic was “a masterclass in incompetence”. Last month Harry said reports of parties in Downing Street while Britain was in lockdown “was unforgivable”, although “in some ways understandable”.
Harry told a Welsh-language news site that Johnson greeted him on his first day by singing Gloria Gaynor’s disco anthem “I Will Survive”.
Harry, who is Welsh, told the Golvag360 site that Johnson “wasn’t a total clown,” but was actually “a very likable character.”
He added that the prime minister is “not a diabolical man as some people portray him in a wrong way.”
The staff’s moves are intended to reassure Conservative lawmakers, who are debating whether to win a no-confidence vote on the leader who won them a sizable parliamentary majority two years ago.
Under party rules, a no-confidence vote is triggered if 15% of the party’s MPs _ currently 54 people _ write a letter calling for one. If Johnson loses such a vote, he will be replaced as party leader and prime minister.
Of the 360 Conservative legislators, only 15 have publicly called on Johnson to step down, although those writing the letter are likely to be much higher.
Conservative legislator Tom Tugendhat, who has already said he will run for leader if Johnson is ousted, said the prime minister.fate of Depends on “how the reset goes”.
“There’s a lot of talent coming out there,” he said, but at the same time “there’s a lot of talent coming out.”
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