Conservatives re-write the Ministerial Code

Just when you think you have seen everything that is wrong with politics today, this Conservative Government pull another rabbit out of the hat!

According to the Ministerial Code Ministers must be 'accurate and truthful' in their dealings with Parliament and comply with the principle of collective responsibility. Failure to do either would be expected to result in resignation. (I'm trying not to fall off my chair laughing). They should abide by the 7 Principles of Public Life:- Selflessness, Integrity, Objectivity, Accountability, Openness, Honesty & Leadership. (Has anyone actually told them this?)

The reason for my heavy sarcasm & cynicism is the current pandemic purge of senior civil servants:-

• Jonathan Slater - Education
• Sally Collier - Ofqual
• Mark Sedwill - Cabinet Secretary
• Simon McDonald - Foreign office
• Sir Philip Rutnam - Home Office
• Sir Richard Heaton - Justice
• Sir Jonathan Jones - Legal - Resigned today 08.09.20  over the government proposing to back out of last year’s Brexit Treaty

 

Boris Johnson with Mark Sedwill last year. Dominic Cummings, right, wants to shakeup Whitehall.

It looks as though the UK is heading towards the American model where the most senior advisers are brought in with each new government. Hasn't anyone told them that America is a basket case?

https://theconversation.com/why-it-matters-that-so-many-senior-civil-servants-are-quitting-under-boris-johnson-145257

The thing is that senior civil servants have a wealth of experience acquired over years of different governments.They advise elected Politicians who often know s.. all about their brief. The theory is that the Politician then makes an informed decision on what is best for the country. Having made that decision, the Politician is responsible and accountable for it.

The civil servants are not meant to be the fall guys for ministerial incompetence. They aren't meant to be expendable. But that is how this government is treating them.

Gavin Williamson - Education & Chris (Failing) Grayling - Justice, shadow Home Secretary, Transport, are recent cases in point. The latter has made so many c... ups it's really hard to see how he has managed to survive in politics at all. He has:-

• Rushed through privatisation of Probation - now restored to public ownership
• Said that B&B owners should be able to ban gay couples
• Unlawfully banned books for prisoners
• Awarded a big ferry contract to Seabourne, who didn't own any ships, costing millions
• Allowed a change to rail timetables causing chaos
• Oversaw significant cuts & changes to Legal Aid causing victims to be forced to confront their abuser & specified a very narrow range of official documents providing proof

You have to ask yourself why cabinet ministers like this are not made to resign immediately, when civil servants are. Indeed how are these incompetents, with no intelligence or moral compass, chosen in the first place? I have to conclude that our dear Prime Minister just want sycophants & yes men who will unquestioningly do his bidding. Or rather do the bidding of Dominic Cummings, because he is the Machiavelli behind all this & is our de facto prime minister.

So the ultimate question is - are any of them fit for purpose? I wonder what Queenie thinks?