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Writing in the Times today, Philip Collins makes a
determined bid for the Sour Grapes of the Year award. Headlined, “Reshuffle shows weakness at heart
of No 10, Collins predicts, for example, that Rishi Sunak will not be taken
seriously at the Treasury and will be subjected to mockery in Parliament. Collins lectures that, “the first reshuffle
after an election is meant to show clarity of purpose and point the way
forward.” Quite so Philip, exactly the clarity
of purpose that saw a Conservative landslide at the General Election? In ridiculing the Prime Minister and accusing
him of having, “no real idea what to do,” Collins betrays the real reason
behind his discomfort. A strong leader
surrounded by similarly motivated lieutenants focussed on delivering a promised
agenda is a complete anathema to sore losers and, particularly, those in the
media who are ideologically committed to a cosy form of consensus politics hammered
out by diversely balanced committees and taking account of every balmy minority
interest. In contrast we have a Boris
team that showed it had nerve and clarity of purpose when faced with the threat from an emerging Brexit Party - they stood firm
and neutralised them rather than cobbling together an electoral accommodation that
would have ended in tears. And we are
already seeing other tricky issues being dealt with rather than deferred for
further consultation as Mrs May was so lamentably inclined to do. As someone once quoted, in much more trying
times than these:
"And not by
eastern windows only,
When daylight comes, comes in the light;
In front the sun climbs slow, how slowly,
But westward, look, the land is bright."
When daylight comes, comes in the light;
In front the sun climbs slow, how slowly,
But westward, look, the land is bright."
