Still problems for Boris Johnson: the sex scandal is growing and truck drivers block the routes

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was again embroiled in another simultaneous crisis with his Conservative party for not acting “in the face of sexual misconduct” Conservative MP Chis Pincher groping other lawmakers drunk.

Added to this was the operation of thousands of trucks, which left on the route to Bristol, blocking the motorways to protest diesel prices and were stopped by the police. More Brexit. 64% of Brits believe that “Brexit is going badly,” according to a YouGOV poll.

The misconduct allegations against the Conservative MP and “whip” (member of a political party whose job is to ensure party discipline) Conservative MP, Chris Pincher, are inherently serious. But they also risk further loosening Boris Johnson’s fragile grip on Downing Street.

The immediate cause of this is the Prime Minister’s slow response to Pincher’s resignation as Tory whip in the House of Commons on Thursday night, less than 24 hours after he was accused of groping two men at the Carlton Club. From London.

It quickly became clear to almost everyone in Westminster that Pincher would not be able to keep the conservative whip. It was apparently not obvious to Johnson, who sent Simon Hart, the Welsh secretary, to the media on Friday morning, apparently. with instructions to put an end to the matter.

Hart was visibly uncomfortable with his orders. He soon walked away, suggesting “we might have a very different conversation as the day goes on”. He added: “I know what I’d like to see happen.”

they have run out of patience

It earned Hart waves of praise from conservative groups of WhatsApp peers, who were “baffled” that Downing Street also failed to see the inevitability that Pincher, who deny the wrongthey will remove the whisk.

The biggest risk for Johnson is that his Conservative MPs see the last few days not as a miscommunication, but as a reflection of deeper flaws in his judgment. The Downing St party saga was ignited by the initially noncommittal response from Johnson and his team.

But the reason it went on for so long was because the parties took place when they shouldn’t have. Likewise, Johnson could have been quicker to remove Pincher’s whip. But the bigger question is why did you appoint him as deputy director of Whip? this year, when it is said that in 2020 he expressed his doubts.

Just as Johnson couldn’t shut down the holidays on Downing St during the pandemic, he couldn’t stop Pincher’s appointment.

Now he can only answer the questions about what he knew as frankly as possible and hope his conservative parliamentary skeptics believe him. He does so at a time when they have little good will and tolerance for the prime minister.

known behavior

Pincher’s conduct was a secret of Pulcinella in the House of Commons and the prime minister did not deign to put a stop to us, he was not just anyone. He was the “whip” of the party, promoting and forcing votes. The problem Boris faces today is that he knew and did nothing. There was tolerance and acceptance of their behavior.

June 29 pincher He was accused of “groping” to two men at the Carlton Club in St James. One of the defendants made a formal protest and the prime minister had to act and remove the deputy whip status.

Today Boris is under severe pressure to explain what he previously knew of Pincher’s conduct when he named him Whip number two in February.

Pincher, a 52-year-old MP and representative from Tamworth, said so on Saturday you were looking for “professional medical support” for your problem, before you return to your district, to complete your tasks as quickly as possible. But The times of Sunday reported Sunday that the deputy had “tried” two more Conservative lawmakers, in 2017 and 2018.

As in the days of John Major

The atmosphere in the British parliament has become similar to the years Conservative Prime Minister John Major ruled, whose sex scandals of his peers forced him to resign.

One of Pincher’s abused men said he was “shocked that Johnson did not immediately remove him from office.” One of the whips who was supposed to work with Pincher quit because “I didn’t want to face his alleged behavior.”

Downing St, the premier’s residence, admitted Johnson was aware of some misconduct allegations against Chris Pincher before appointing him whip deputy chief in February.

But the prime minister’s spokesman said so “It was not considered appropriate to block” the appointment of Pincher as deputy head of the whips on the basis of “unfounded accusations”.

Boris Johnson will have to answer a long list of questions about Deputy Pincher’s behavior. Nobody believes he didn’t know about his sexual behaviors before naming him. If you don’t give concrete answers, it can turn into another scandal like the Party Gate on Downing St during Covid. This time it could cost him his job, in the hands of his own deputies.

“Bad Brexit”

But the stability of Boris Johnson he is also threatened by his Brexit promises and the expectations of public opinion.

For the first time, most Brits believe that “Brexit is going very badly”. A YouGOV poll today shows that 64% of Brits think it’s “bad”. 16 per cent who “are doing well” and 20 per cent “don’t know”.

Polls emerge when Labor they said they will not accept a return to freedom of movement between Europe and the kingdom, as required by the European single market, if they want to overcome their problems of supply and shortage of manpower in Great Britain.

Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer ruled out a return to the European Union when he launched his Brexit plan. He said Britain must move forward and divisions cannot be reopened.

“We are not going back, we will not reopen those divisions. We will not go back to the EU, nor to the single market, nor to the customs union, nor to freedom of movement, “said Sir Keir, in an interview with Sky News.” Not reopening these old wounds and not going back will help us in that mission to lead the economy, “said the Labor leader.

But he admitted that “the current Brexit deal is not good business” and that “it was causing problems in Northern Ireland and that the services and security arrangements were not good.”

“This is a plan to look forward. It is not a plan to return to the European Union, “she said.

Labor is preparing to position itself in an eventual early election in Britain should Boris Johnson fall and the Tories decide the only way is early elections.

Conservatives reminded Labor leader Keir Starmer that he had voted 48 times to block Brexit and wanted a second referendum on leaving the EU.

The trucks

Rising diesel prices in Britain have forced trucks, motorists and small carriers to hit the road and block roads in parts of England and South Wales. Police arrested many of them for driving too slowly. and plug the routes First consequences of the war in Ukraine and the increase in the cost of living.

Trucks, vans, tractors, cars took to the streets to protest. There were at least 12 inmates at the Prince of Wales Bridge. Route 4 is interrupted in both directions.

The protests spread to western Englanda, South Wales, Essex, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. There was also a lock on the road to Aberdeen in Scotland.

Many of those who protested in their vehicles said they were forced to quit their jobs because they didn’t have enough money to drive, the only means of transport. Welder Richard Dite said it cost him £ 300 a week to fill his tank and he couldn’t make enough money to fill it at work.

PB