The people's government

14th January 2020

One thing you can say about Dominic Cummings' government is that they aren't easily embarrassed, no matter how cringe-worthy their propaganda.

"The People's Government" doesn't refer to the puppet cabinet installed by the Soviet Union in Lithuania in 1940, but that might be the inspiration, who knows? It has echoes, too, of the DDR. In any case, it's creepy.

Let's be clear: Johnson's party won 43% of the vote. If you treat it as the Conservative & Brexit Party, it got 45% - still significantly less than half the vote. We have a skewed electoral system that gives Johnson more power than he deserves or can be trusted with, but claiming to represent "the people" is dishonest.

In reality, it's more of the nasty, divisive politics that have been the Tories' trademark for at least the last 4 years. They know perfectly well that they don't represent all the people, or even half the people.

The meaning of their slogan is, 'if you didn't vote for us, you're not a "people"'. It's not just that your vote didn't count, or that your views are ignored; it's  that your very existence is denied.

This is confirmed when ministers announce policies by writing articles in the Daily Mail. They are talking to some of their supporters, and making no attempt to communicate with those of us who don't and won't read the Daily Mail.

It's not a healthy state for a country: bitterly divided, with a government determined to pour salt into the wounds.

The only option left to us is to stand up for ourselves. We have to hold Johnson's rabble to account wherever possible, and in 5 years' time vote in an honest, principled Prime Minister; a Prime Minister with a sense of purpose and an interest in other people; someone who cares about more than his own vanity and career.