Normally when a Prime Minister goes on the attack in the Commons, it’s the opposition in his sights. Not so today, when Boris Johnson accidentally attacked his own MPs, including former prime minister Theresa May, for being ‘lefty’ propagandists. He was responding to questions from SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford about the cuts in foreign aid spending from 0.7 per cent to 0.5 per cent, and said: ‘We are in very very difficult financial times but you shouldn’t believe the lefty propaganda that you’re hearing from the people opposite.’ Blackford was amused by this and quipped that he’d never expected to hear May referred to as a leftist.
On the matter of whether there should be a vote, Johnson had a line which he used both in response to Blackford and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, which was that if people want a vote on the matter, they just need to look at the local election results last month which he argued was a validation of the government’s approach.
Starmer had a piecemeal approach to the session, and it was hard not to conclude that he was as focused on addressing his own weaknesses as he was on the government’s problems.
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in