Johnson calls for a ‘no bullying’ cabinet and the response is spot on

Boris Johnson called for “no bullying and no harassment” when he published his new ministerial code of conduct on 23 August. He also called for “the very highest standards of propriety”.

Johnson said this despite discussing the beating up of a fellow journalist and lying when he worked as a journalist. He was also part of the Vote Leave campaign that is under investigation. And he’s also created a cabinet with a track record of indiscipline.

Hypocrite

In 1990, Johnson discussed giving “a couple of black eyes” and a “cracked rib” to journalist Stuart Collier. He discussed this with his friend Darius Guppy. Johnson agreed to help supply Collier’s address.

The Times sacked Johnson as a journalist for making up a quote. Johnson’s track record even prompted one BBC presenter to call him a “nasty piece of work”. People on social media didn’t take long to point out this glaring contradiction. And they made their feelings very clear:

pic.twitter.com/kGiMjm8FXp

— 🌝 (@Littlecub647) August 23, 2019

But lying is okay, yah

— Marcus Van Jam First (@MarcusVanHalen) August 23, 2019

https://twitter.com/hckrieck/status/1165139840658300928?s=20

Undisciplined cabinet

If Johnson’s own record wasn’t bad enough, he’s built a cabinet of undisciplined politicians around him. Home secretary Priti Patel was forced to resign as international development secretary in 2017. She failed to declare secret meetings with Israeli ministers, business people, and lobbyists. One person was quick to point this out:

https://twitter.com/robotmummy/status/1165132099675992064?s=20

Theresa May fired secretary of defence Gavin Williamson on 1 May this year for allegedly leaking information from a national security council meeting. He’s now Johnson’s education secretary. Another person on social media couldn’t believe the glaring contradiction:

Yet Williamson & Patel are in his Cabinet, having been sacked from May’s for breaches https://t.co/xk5cAsAzXC

— Prof Richard Barker (@swrb1) August 24, 2019

The solution is simple

The hypocrisy of Johnson’s call is almost too outrageous to challenge. But that’s exactly what we must do. Hypocrisy, even something this obvious, builds cynicism about politics if we ignore it. So we must challenge it and ensure we get someone in No 10 with principles.

Featured image Flickr/Boris Johnson 2012 Campaign