KYIV, UKRAINE - FEBRUARY 01: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson attends a joint news conference ... [+]
An important part of trying to bounce back from a crisis is having the plans, staff and resources that are needed to help stage a recovery as soon as possible.
In the aftermath of the release last week of the initial government investigation into Partygate, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has started to fill staff vacancies that were created by the resignation of senior advisors and to make good on his promise to address the issues that caused the crisis.
But there are no guarantees that his efforts will succeed.
On Friday, the Washington Post reported that Johnson was “... hit by five resignations in less than 24 hours. His communications director, chief of staff, private secretary and policy director all announced their departures on Thursday, with Elena Narozanski, his special adviser on women and equalities, following on Friday.”
Quoting Disney Film
“The beleaguered leader attempted to rally his staffer— the ones who are left—by quoting Disney. ‘As Rafiki in The Lion King says, change is good, and change is necessary even though it’s tough,’ he told them, according to a Downing Street spokeswoman...”
Yesterday, Global News said that Johnson hired a new chief of staff “as he rebuilds his top team following a series of scandals and resignations among staffers that have left him fighting to shore up his authority.
“Cabinet minister Steve Barclay, formerly Brexit minister under Theresa May’s administration, will head Johnson’s staff, Downing Street said.”
Promising Change
In a statement, Johnson said: “This week I promised change, so that we can get on with the job the British public elected us to do.
“We need to continue our recovery from the pandemic, help hundreds of thousands more people into work, and deliver our ambitious agenda to level up the entire country, improving people’s opportunities regardless of where they’re from.
“The changes I’m announcing to my senior team today will improve how No. 10 operates, strengthen the role of my Cabinet and backbench colleagues, and accelerate our defining mission to level up the country.”
“More announcements are expected in the coming days with what No. 10 said would be a ‘particular focus on improving engagement and liaison with MPs.”
Challenges
Johnson faces many challenges in trying to mount a comeback, including his standing in the polls and skepticism in the media.
According to the results of a new public opinion poll published by The Sun newspaper yesterday:
- More than eight in ten voters (83%) say they have lost trust in the prime minister because of Partygate
- Nearly two-thirds believe he has broken the rules and lost the right to govern.
- The overwhelming majority are rapidly losing confidence in Johnson’s ability to improve their lives.
- Most think Johnson is incapable of easing the cost of living crisis—seen as the biggest issue facing the nation today.
- His reputation has collapsed so badly that even his biggest two successes—delivering Brexit and tackling the pandemic—are dismissed as failures.
Allegations Of Dysfunctionality
Writing today in The Guardian (Boris Johnson’s claim that he is capable of change is just his latest falsehood) political commentator Andrew Rawnsley said that, “In a ruse to try to make himself sound serious about doing things differently, Mr. Johnson says he want to create an Office of the Prime Minister, an institution all his predecessors managed to do without.
“A new brass plate won’t remove the fundamental source of the dysfunctionality in Downing Street because he is the fundamental source. From the lethal mishandling of many aspects of the pandemic to Wallpapergate and much else besides, all the scandals and follies that have been spawned in Number 10 during his time there have one common denominator: him.
“Whitehall understands this. Senior civil servants who have been tipped as potential permanent secretaries for the new Office of the Prime Minister have told colleagues that they have absolutely no interest in working in proximity to the lord of misrule at Number 10.”
