The Times' piece is titled: Saving Boris Johnson’s bacon: is the PM wriggling free of Partygate? The answer I think is no, and even if it was yes, he's not out of the woods by any means.
Listen to this bit (excuse the language):
"By showing that he can get organised and is determined to fight on, come what may, Johnson has impressed on MPs how messy it would be to remove him. A Tory strategist said: “The message is: I’m still Billy Big Bollocks. I’m not going to go quietly. And I’m still in charge around here. Project strength.”
An opponent of Johnson agreed: “It’s a scorched earth strategy.”
Again, as many have forecasted, The Times says Dominic Cummings has hinted that more revelations about the prime minister’s chaotic administration are likely to emerge as long as he remains in post. How long he will be able to cling on is anyone's guess but in the meantime he's doing a lot of damage to the Tory party for which we can all be grateful.
STRAP by the way is apparently a code word for the most secret and sensitive intelligence material.
Cummings is said to have been ‘dismayed’ that Carrie could see all this top secret stuff and also potentially her journalist friends and other guests when they were invited to the flat and Chequers. It is being suggested there has been a series of leaks of national security issues related to it.
This weekend two sources have revealed that in early 2020 Cummings ordered a crackdown on highly classified intelligence papers being put in Johnson’s ministerial red box after finding highly classified material, easily identifiable because it is printed on pink paper, lying around where it could be read by any visitor. It was also found in the upstairs quarters at Chequers.
One source compared the scene, where Carrie Johnson entertained friends, to “a frat house” which is I believe a student house where members of a college fraternity live, hold meetings, and throw parties. In other words a bit of a chaotic mess.
Cummings and Martin Reynolds, Johnson’s PPS, agreed the prime minister should only be given sensitive papers for signature in his office to prevent sensitive papers finding their way into the flat or upstairs at Chequers. A former No 10 source said. “Instead material was to be shown to the PM downstairs in No 10 or Chequers then immediately returned to safekeeping.”
Another source said Johnson’s ministerial box was left outside the door of the flat on Saturdays. “It would be there in the morning and often still there in the evening,” the official said. “He wouldn’t have touched it.” I don't think anybody can be surprised at this. He's lazy and doesn't care about anyone else or anything else as long as he personally is OK.
There are also more damaging revelations about his affair with the American Jennifer Arcuri. Johnson has always denied having a relationship with the tech entrepreneur but she is now cooperating with the Greater London Authority (GLA) to provide more details of the affair.
The Guardian say:
“Arcuri is also said to be cooperating fully with a separate investigation by the GLA’s ethics watchdog that raises the prospect of Johnson facing an investigation for a potential criminal offence of misconduct in public office.
"City Hall sources said that Arcuri was 'in current dialogue' with the GLA monitoring officer and is understood to have offered hundreds of fresh pages of notes and text messages chronicling her affair with Johnson when he was London mayor.
A spokesperson for the GLA confirmed the officer was 'continuing to gather information in order to assess the complaint' regarding Johnson’s dealings with Arcuri and would report 'in due course'."
As we head into 2022 there is only one thing you can be sure of and that is ever more damaging leaks about the PM and his entourage and a developing schism inside the Tory party as his supporters and opponents engage in low level skirmishing until a full scale civil war breaks out.
This could get very messy indeed and exactly what happens when you elect a venal, lying narcissist as leader. Johnson cares nothing for the Tory brand or the country, they are simple props in his own hedonistic pursuit of personal aggrandisement and pleasure.
And today we learn the Sunak has triumphed over the hike in NI and all the tax increases will go ahead as planned.
Boris Johnson has confirmed he will be breaking his manifesto pledge not to put up taxes by hiking taxes to a 70 year high to help fund the NHS - many will be wondering what happened to the extra £350m a week he promised if the country voted for Brexit pic.twitter.com/bYxz90eBWh
— Peter Stefanovic (@PeterStefanovi2) January 30, 2022
Is this likely to strengthen Johnson's position among the party faithful and in the polls?
In a word. No.
