The Twisted Machinations of Government

Oh the twisted machinations of government. James Cleverly was the 3rd Foreign Secretary since 2019 in a role where stability and consistency are key, he has been deemed not up to the job by the man who appointed him and has pushed sideways to Home Secretary. Unbelievably this in the middle of conflicts on the Middle East and Ukraine. Out of the 365 Tory MPs elected in 2019 Sunak clearly concluded that not one of them is up to the job of Foreign Secretary and we have the shocking news that David Cameron has been appointed despite lobbying for the subsequently bankrupt company Greensill. As The Times wrote at the time: “David Cameron received about $10 million (£7.2 million) in cash and benefits within two and a half years from the controversial finance firm that paid him to lobby the government, it was claimed last night".

Why does that matter? Because, although found not to have broken any Westminster code, it still left an unpleasant taste that with the Tory Government it only mattered who you knew and how you used those contacts. COVID was a tragedy for everyone and Companies with direct contacts to the Tory government lobbied endlessly for lucrative contracts for PPE etc. Millions of pounds washed around whilst the NHS was brought to its knees, literally. As The Times further said: “Cameron contacted Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, urging him to back a move by Greensill to participate in a government Covid bailout scheme."

Memories are short in Tory circles. Cameron left politics in 2016, after his 'brilliant' idea of a Brexit referendum, so wasn't eligible to serve in a ministerial post. But Hey Presto! he is made Lord Cameron, a life peer, and he can return. No election, no participation of the common punter in this appointment, just an easy transfer of power from one elite to another. Lib Dems are vocal in their opposition to this appointment. 

James Cleverly, deemed by Sunak not good enough to be Foreign Secretary, is going to have a very conflicted first week in post. One of Suella Braverman's key policies was pushing through housing for 1,700 asylum seekers in former RAF Wethersfield. Guess who, as the local MP for Braintree told constituents he would oppose it? Yes, you've guessed it ..Mr Cleverly himself. So he is either going to be wriggling and twisting fit to be on Strictly come Dancing, to kick that particular can down the road or do a vault over his constituents' heads to push it through. You could almost pity him, but that doesn't seem to be a sentiment that the Home Office encouraged of late.

With the Supreme Court ruling yesterday on Rwanda it remains to be seen if the Government will simply break the law as encouraged to do so by Lee Anderson. We will be watching Cleverly’s every move on this issue.