Johnson forces out Chancellor and sets course to challenge and weaken the Courts

IT'S ALL ABOUT ME, AS JOHNSON SURROUNDS HIMSELF WITH 'YES' PEOPLE

By Jon James -14th February 2020

Having been urged by his Guru, Dominic Cummings to ditch the Chancellor and capture the Treasury, Boris couldn't see his way to getting rid of his uncooperative neighbour and his hands on the county's purse strings. Difficult to be seen sacking a recently appointed Chancellor days before a Budget; he gave his own precious Gollum* the green light and sanctioned the cursory dismissal of his neighbour's staff, thus undermining the Chancellor's Treasury power base and the future credibility of the financial Department of State.

Exit yet another angry Chancellor to the back benches..

Having used smoke and mirrors to fool the DUP and draw a Brexit line down the Irish sea, Boris quickly moved to dispose of a 'not quite on board over Brexit', but apparently popular Northern Ireland Secretary, Julian Smith, days after he managed to get the warring NI parties in Government talking again, to be replaced by a compliant Tory party Chair from Great Yarmouth.

So who else didn't quite come up to the job of getting 'Brexit Done' and censure the Judges for making 'Yours Truly' look a fool over the trifling matter of the unlawful suspension of parliament? Why, the Attorney General Geoffrey Cox - he of the theatrical, booming Commons voice.

So who to replace dear Geoffrey? No shortage of part time lawyers on the Tory Green benches faithfully waiting to boost their CVs. Step up to the plate, none other than Suella Braverman, former chair of the European Research Group (ERG) of pro Brexit MPs. The passionate Brexiter, who has threatened to "take back control" from an interfering judiciary.

The Liberal Democrats have labelled Suella Braverman as "unfit to serve as Attorney General" and "the latest shocking step in Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings' assault on the rule of law." Braverman has recently argued that "the concept of 'fundamental' human rights has been stretched beyond recognition" and that "the explosion of judicial review and judicial activism has led to a censoriousness and litigiousness in our society".

Responding to the appointment, Liberal Democrat Justice Spokesperson Daisy Cooper said:

"The appointment of someone who is intent on weakening our courts as the Government's chief legal adviser is the latest shocking step in Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings' assault on the rule of law.

"Like Johnson and Cummings, Suella Braverman clearly believes that Tory Ministers should be above the law. That makes her unfit to serve as Attorney General.

"Liberal Democrats will not allow this dangerous, authoritarian Conservative Government to undermine the rule of law and erode individual rights and freedoms.

So as the nation awaits the next storm from the west, the UK is left with a PM unchallenged and surrounded by a team of acolytes awaiting his masters (and his assistants) voice including:

The 'dynamic' Liz Truss left to forge new post Brexit Trade deals around the world.

Our very own Welfare Secretary Therese Coffey, who did such a fine job holding back the nation's flood waters and now left to ponder over the travesty which is the roll out of Universal Credit. Don't hold your breath awaiting a reply.

A Home Secretary who still presides over her predecessors 'hostile environment' with the self satisfied grin of a cat toying with its prey.

Foreign Affairs are now residing in No 10, so Raab remains untouched by anything of significance and left to ponder the UK's new found status in splendid isolation. Master Gove remains safely secured away in his non job in the Cabinet Office and the Mogg is left to lie on the Commons benches and dream of empire.

So as we await Boris's promise to lay down in front of Heathrow's new runway diggers, what next?

A new bridge perhaps between two potentially independent nations, Scotland and a United Ireland and built on top of a world war arms dump. Somehow, like this Government, there was another £43m bridge that went nowhere, but was a useful distraction..

*Gollum is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He was introduced in the 1937 fantasy novel The Hobbit, and became an important character in its sequel, The Lord of the Rings.

END