After Brexit Comes Borexit
Finally, I wrote a blog again after long hiatus since November 2021. But, there is so many things happened in the world during my hiatus in Thoughts from the Closet blog. From Russian invasion to Ukraine in February 2022, House Select Committee on January 6th Attack and recent event of Britain government crisis when Boris Johnson was resigned as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom after series of conflict among his cabinet members, the Conservative Party and the Parliament.
I must say that I support Boris Johnson after Theresa May resign as Prime Minister. The main reason why I support Johnson was that he could deliver the promise to make United Kingdom totally left the European Union — or as we called Brexit — without any more delays from British government. And Johnson finally delivering Brexit promises in the end of October 2019. But, after Brexit, my days of supporting Prime Minister Johnson become sour after I read about Partygate scandal.
The Partygate scandal hits Boris Johnson government during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 and 2021. In summary, the Partygate scandal involves series of breaching the lockdown protocol rules that was initiated by Prime Minister Johnson himself and it took place inside 10 Downing Street area including the garden and other government buildings. The scandal came into public after the investigation report was published by Second Permanent Secretary to the Cabinet Office by Sue Gray — known as Sue Gray report — on May 25, 2022. And then, everything come into the light and the British public known about the breaching committed by Johnson and several cabinet members.
The British media dubbed these gatherings during COVID-19 pandemic known as Partygate and from that moment, Johnson ability to govern came into the questions. From inability to handle the economy crisis caused by COVID-19, the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine and another sexual scandal inside Conservative Party that involved one of its members, Chris Pincher who was served as Deputy Chief Whip of the Party, along with Conservative defeat in 2021–2022 by-elections which creates distrust among Conservatives members in Parliament including Johnson cabinet members. This led to the massive resignation by government ministers, parliament private secretaries and trade envoys under Johnson government.
On July 5, 2022, two top-cabinet members in Boris Johnson government, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid, resigned from the cabinet. Their resignation also triggers other cabinet members to resign along with several members of parliament who also resign from Conservative Party leadership. The next two days, there are 63 members in Boris Johnson government who are resign from their post and the final blow was delivered during Prime Minister Questions (PMQs) which was held on Wednesday, July 6, 2022 in House of Commons.
Leader of the Opposition and Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer along with Labour MPs are lambasting Boris Johnson along with the rest of cabinet members during PMQs and asking him to resign as Prime Minister. I am also watching that PMQ and funny thing is even in the government benches and backbenchers are not supporting Boris Johnson anymore. I am very surprised that the entire Conservative MPs even his own cabinet members doesn’t give any defense or counterattack from the opposition bench. From that moment, I began to understand that his government was already collapsed, even there is several cabinet members and staffs who are still supporting Johnson. Later that day, on 10 Downing Street, several cabinet members such as Home Secretary Priti Patel, newly-appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer Nadhim Zahawi and Cultural Secretary Nadine Dorries are gathered inside urging to call Johnson to resign as prime minister.
After the Prime Minister Questions (PMQs) which was full of reproach by the opposition benches and no support from the government benches, Prime Minister Boris Johnson still must face another hearing session with Liaison Committee. At this session, it was revealed that the whole Johnson cabinet already called for his resignation (Patel, Zahawi, Dorries and other cabinet members gathering in 10 Downing Street) and that moment also give the confirmation that Johnson government is collapsed. In 24 hours, on July 7, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announcing his resignation after he was persuaded by Chancellor of the Exchequer Nadhim Zahawi, but he will remained as prime minister until Conservative Party leadership election which is gonna be held on October 2022.
The big question now is who is the replacement for Boris Johnson as the next person who enter 10 Downing Street? This big question came with several reasons especially the bad performance by Conservative Party during 2021–2022 by-election which was resulted with huge defeat and the loss of prominent seats such as in Chesham and Amersham; North Shropshire; Tiverton and Honiton; and Wakefield. Another defeat of Conservative Party was happened during 2022 local elections which resulted with the Labour Party gained the popular votes of 35% and Conservatives only gained 30%.
According to the sources from The Guardian and BBC, there are 15 candidates and contenders who bid for the Conservative Party leader before the party conference held in October 2022. But, I’m gonna only mention several prominent candidates who have the big chances for the upcoming Conservative Party leadership election. Let’s start with Rishi Sunak, former Chancellor of the Exchequer, who was appointed by Boris Johnson and also got involved in lockdown protocol breaching in 2021 along several 10 Downing Street staff members which known as Partygate scandal. However, Sunak reputation wasn’t ruined by Partygate, but instead he still popular and to be considered as the successor of Boris Johnson. Sunak also the person who was praised for overseeing the financial response during COVID-19 pandemic hit the United Kingdom.
Rishi Sunak is also the first person who resigned from Boris Johnson cabinet which triggers another members to follow the suit. Although Sunak was involved in Partygate and another tax affairs scandal involving his wife, he’s still become the main front runner as the next leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in polls. Next candidate is Foreign Secretary Liz Truss who still remained in Boris Johnson cabinet. She is known for the political ambition to become the next person lived in 10 Downing Street. Truss political ambition is shaped by her team which to be considered as her own campaign team who were ensuring Liz Truss could take the seat as the next party leader and British prime minister. However, due to recent government crisis that tarnished Boris Johnson premiership, all of his cabinet members who still remained with Johnson have a damage impact on their own reputation, which makes Truss path to be a party leader and prime minister a little bit rough road. Still, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss also to be considered as the second front runner for the party leadership amidst her current service under Johnson administration.
Another candidate is Trade Minister Penny Mordaunt. She is known as the first female Defense Secretary in Britain under Prime Minister Theresa May and also known in entertainment world as magician assistant and appears in ITV celebrity diving show Splash! Her bid for Conservative Party leadership still uncertain although the polls shows that she is to be considered as the popular candidate along with Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss. The next candidate is former Health Secretary Sajid Javid who were following to resign after Rishi Sunak. He was known for bidding Conservative Party leader seat in 2019, but dropped in the fourth ballot and decided to endorse Boris Johnson.
Previously, Sajid Javid also served as Home Secretary under Prime Minister Theresa May in 2018 and Chancellor of the Exchequer in 2019 at the early premiership of Boris Johnson before he was succeeded by Rishi Sunak, and the final post was Health Secretary until his resignation in July 2022. Javid also delivering his resignation speech during Prime Minister Questions last Wednesday, which to be considered as his announcement to run as the candidate for the Conservative Party leader. Javid to be considered as the third front-runner in Conservatives leadership election after Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss.
Another candidate who bid for the Conservative Party leader is Defense Secretary Ben Wallace. Former soldier who become politician as MP for Wyre and Preston North (formerly Lancaster and Wyre) in 2005, he is appointed as Defense Secretary by Prime Minister Boris Johnson in 2019. Wallace is known for his leadership and handling Russia invasion in Ukraine in 2022. However, several polls in Conservative Party indicated that he also become the fourth front-runner candidate for party leader although Wallace still not confirmed whether he will bid for the party leadership or not. However, as yesterday, Ben Wallace was announced that he will not seek a bid for the party leadership. There are many candidates and contenders who were confirmed or nominated for their bid as the next Conservative Party leader such as Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Michael Gove (I know, a traitor for David Cameron and ally for Boris Johnson); Minister of State for Local Government, Faith and Communities Kemi Badenoch; Home Secretary Priti Patel; Chancellor of the Exchequer Nadhim Zahawi; Transport Secretary Grant Shapps; Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab; Attorney General Suella Braverman and Conservative MPs such as Jeremy Hunt, Steve Baker and Tom Tugendhat.
Personally, for me, I have some reservation among several names who’s running for Conservative leader. I’m starting from Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Michael Gove. Yeah, we all knew him for the “famous betrayal” during Brexit referendum campaign in 2016 when Gove switching his allegiance from Prime Minister David Cameron who support Vote Remain to Mayor of London Boris Johnson who are fiercely to support Vote Leave campaign. After Brexit referendum and the resignation of David Cameron in 2016, Gove was starting a run for the Conservative leadership against Boris Johnson which he called it “as a mistake” quoting from CNN. Gove is unfit to run as the Conservative Party leader given his treachery action towards David Cameron who are appointing him as Education Secretary and his close friend.
Next is Home Secretary Priti Patel. Just as same with Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, both of them are sharing something in common: both of them are in the top-level cabinet members and have an ambition for 10 Downing Street. However, their difference is Priti Patel capability to run as a candidate for Conservative leadership become my question. I’m not saying that Patel are unfit to run as a candidate, but Patel aren’t popular enough among her fellow Conservative MPs as she is surrounded by many issues such as her failure treatment on civil servants such as “shouting and swearing them”, especially in Home Office and then her handling on immigration issue which came into protests by the British public. This is the reason why I doubted Priti Patel capability to run as Conservative leader candidate.
And the last is Chancellor of the Exchequer Nadhim Zahawi. I know, I know. He is the one who came into spotlight in recent days as the person who told Boris Johnson to resign as prime minister. I must say that according to his track record, he is achieving a good reputation as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of COVID-19 Deployment to which he successfully distribute AstraZeneca vaccine either in Great Britain and international. Many of his Conservative colleagues also praised Zahawi that even he is appointed by Johnson, his reputation are not tarnished by the association. He is to be considered by his fellow Conservative members as a moderate. Personally, for me, I viewed Nadhim Zahawi also not suitable to run as a candidate for Conservative Party leader given the fast rising among the ranks in the cabinet. Apart from his achievement as Vaccines Minister, he is literally a “newbie” in the government which he must build up again during his new tenure as Chancellor of the Exchequer. For your information, Nadhim Zahawi is the richest cabinet member in Johnson government.
After we look several prominent names who bid for the Conservative Party leader, we can start to understand which candidates who are more competent and are able to restore the public confidence of Conservative government. But, until the Conservative Party Conference which will be held on October 2–5, 2022 in Birmingham, the next question is does the Conservative Party under the new leadership and Britain under new government and the new prime minister, will handle the issues such as high prices on oil and foods, the ongoing Russia invasion in Ukraine, healthcare crisis and repairing Britain’s economy aftermath COVID-19 pandemic much more better than Boris Johnson even after the Partygate scandal and the government crisis caused by him?
For my personal answer, I don’t know for sure. The Labour Party under the leadership of Sir Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner were gained a momentum during 2022 local election and have the grand political opportunities to gain public confidence to lead the government. If Johnson gonna called for election, I will pretty sure that Conservatives will be defeated easily by Labours. However, the Conservative still gained an advantage due to Johnson and the Parliament not calling for a new election, which this time is a momentum for the Conservative to choose the new party leader and prime minister and restore the party confidence along with the public confidence that the Conservative Party still able to resolved the national issues and international relations. The decision for the future of the Great Britain is in the hands of the Conservative Party members and let’s make sure that they are not gonna make the same mistake again or otherwise the Labour Party will take over the government through a new election before the Conservative Party Conference in October 2022.
Well, this is my Thoughts from the Closet.
