Rishi Sunak really needs some help on how to manage, manage the government’s media image that is.
Dominic Raab should have been fired, the report was clear and he had to go. But by allowing him to resign Mr Raab gets to set the agenda. He gets to write a letter in which he can try to claim there was a conspiracy against him, everyone is a snowflake, and that the country is unmanageable if ministers aren’t allowed scream and shout.
If the PM had seized the nettle firmly he could have fired Raab, he could have given interviews saying that such behaviour is s unacceptable, that he was shocked to hear how bad Raab had been, and that the rumours and stories he had dismissed as an attempt to smear the DPM turned out to be true. The Civil Service was safe in his hands and were a fine bunch of people.
Then Raab’s whinging resignation letter would have looked even more pathetic, the far right media would not have been able to rally round Raab and protest about a deep state conspiracy against the government.
But Mr Sunak didn’t do that, he lost the chance to set the terms of debate, lost the moral high ground because he didn’t act quickly and lost the ability to appear as if he is in charge.
The real damage Raab is doing to the government and will continue to do is convince the right wing of the party that they are being thwarted by the woke, remainer, treasonous, liberal elite.
Sunak was having some success rowing back on that ridiculous paranoid agenda, he was trying to be sensible, notably with the Windsor Framework.
He has now allowed the right to make a hero out of a bully, to let Raab appear a victim, given Raab the leadership of the rebels and lost the political momentum.
All because he was too weak to kick out a Cabinet minister, who didn’t deserve to be allowed to fall on his sword.
Economics, trade and Brexit, not necessarily in that order but the dog always comes first.
By Jonty Bloom Media
All obvious to those unblinkered by the weird religion which is the Tory party. Lets hope the cult dwindles away soon!
Fascistic bullies led by a donkey - what a combination