As soon as Kemi Badenoch had evidence that the ghastly Jenrick was going to defect she sacked him. It signified strength & self confidence. It was risky as she was in a precarious position. But it worked. That is leadership.
As soon as Starmer had evidence that Streeting was on manoeuvres. He did nothing. He should have sacked him. If Streeting bottles it today despite his minions briefing that the Ilford Messiah was going to trigger a leadership election, his ambitions will be as dead as his political career and Starmer would have been wise to sack him.
But what seems to be coming out of the Streeting camp is that ‘things are shifting’. This either means their numbers are increasing or it means that the whips have done their job and it’s all over. As someone who was involved in a few rebellions in the Thatcher years I learned two things. Only shoot to kill, never to wound. And don’t trust everyone who whispers in your ear that they are with you as most will be picked off by the whips. As I am writing this the Streeting camp is now claiming that they have the numbers but they are holding back. Bollocks. This is straight out of the Boris Johnson play book. What a bloody fool. Leadership is about making a decision and sticking to it. Streeting will be a laughing stock and Downing Street elves will be briefing that he is a ditherer. The Bottler.
Foolishly, Al Cairns, the Rambo candidate, has been sucked into this mess. He will be regarded as at best unhelpful and at worst disloyal. He will be booted out at the next reshuffle. And Ange? She will be weeping into her Prosecco. Heavens
Nevertheless Streeter elves are briefing that Cabinet ministers will be marching on Downing Street Street.Well they were this seems to have changed as cabinet ministers are lining up to deny that this is going to happen. Maybe this is a cunning plan. More likely it is an omnishamble shit show.
Now Streeting has resigned. So he has a bit of moral highground. But not much. I suspect that he wants to be Andy Burnham’s John the Baptist. But will he be blocked? Will the party have the stomach for the chaos?
But whatever happens Starmer is holed below the water line. His cabinet, his party and the country have no confidence in him. There is a whiff of fear amongst the 2024 intake that they will be one term wonders. They may have flown in on a magic carpet but they might leave in a body bag.
Whatever happens there is only one winner; Kemi Badenoch, the smiling assassin who as Shakespeare might not have said, ‘bestrides the chamber like a colossus’. To be fair she commands the place. The Gracious Speech address was a masterclass in how to inflict really serious bodily harm on anyone foolish enough to get in the way of her line of sight. Nobody was spared. Even Emily Thornberry a self made woman who worships her creator and if made of chocolate would eat herself, was swatted away like an irritating gnat. Kemi will never be forgiven for pricking the pomposity of the Hyacinth Bucket of the Commons.
If Starmer stays he will inhabit a living hell. If he goes his successor will be subjected to punishment beatings every Wednesday.
And let us not forget dear old Nigel who didn’t think it was necessary to declare a five million pound donation as it was personal. Politics is getting interesting again and Kemi has given the conservatives a gift that they haven’t had for years. Hope.
the fun has just begun.