If the next pandemic is 10% more deadly than COVID we as a species are absolutely screwed and it will all be the fault of opportunistic politicians who don’t understand that ‘leadership’ is a thing we expect from them
Thanks, really enjoyed that. It’s another example of the muddle Sunak has got into because he doesn’t have a strategy (he seems not to understand leadership). Thatcher was a highly effective PM because she had a clear strategy. Cummings helped Johnson a lot because, for all his (Cummings) flaws, he understands strategy. PMs have to take difficult decisions - knowing what your strategy is makes that easier, not knowing gets you into a mess.
I think his first mistake was appointing Braverman Home Sec. I know he did a deal with her, but I think a sharper political operator with a clear sense of strategy would have just screwed her over. Risky, but political enemies tend to respect ruthlessness.
I disagree slightly on this. I think that Sunak does have a strategy, he's just going about it wrong (largely because the Conservatives have convinced themselves of something that is false).
The strategy is fairly obviously meant to be a re-run of Cameron - Sunak is 'a nice man' and 'good son-in-law material'. He won't rock the boat and will being stability and win back the heartlands - Surrey, Berkshire, 'the Blue Wall etc'.
As a strategy goes it's fine and very much in the comfort zone. Unfortunately, it isn't enough to win (probably), so you also have to keep (some of) the Red Wall. This is where the problem comes in. Because the Conservative Party (and to be honest, most of the media etc) think that anyone north of Watford is a knuckle-dragging dinosaur, they have also convinced themselves that they need the Braverman/Anderson/Gullis win to win Red Wall seats.
I think this is the original sin. I haven't seen any reason why, e.g. the people of Derbyshire won't respond to competent centre-right Government with, perhaps, some looser Treasury purse strings. They don't need "performative" stuff like Anderson offers.
I'd love to understand how McVey's efforts to intervene in the various areas you listed (Transport, Energy, Transport and FCDO) plays out at Cabinet, Perm Sec and officer level - I'm guessing Ms McVey spends quite a lot of her time sitting in her office not doing very much of anything.
Following on from your previous post, what segment of the electorate is her remit meant to appeal to? Sounds like preaching to the converted rather than swing voters etc.
If the next pandemic is 10% more deadly than COVID we as a species are absolutely screwed and it will all be the fault of opportunistic politicians who don’t understand that ‘leadership’ is a thing we expect from them
You should be proud of that joke in Footnote 1!
Thanks, really enjoyed that. It’s another example of the muddle Sunak has got into because he doesn’t have a strategy (he seems not to understand leadership). Thatcher was a highly effective PM because she had a clear strategy. Cummings helped Johnson a lot because, for all his (Cummings) flaws, he understands strategy. PMs have to take difficult decisions - knowing what your strategy is makes that easier, not knowing gets you into a mess.
I think his first mistake was appointing Braverman Home Sec. I know he did a deal with her, but I think a sharper political operator with a clear sense of strategy would have just screwed her over. Risky, but political enemies tend to respect ruthlessness.
I disagree slightly on this. I think that Sunak does have a strategy, he's just going about it wrong (largely because the Conservatives have convinced themselves of something that is false).
The strategy is fairly obviously meant to be a re-run of Cameron - Sunak is 'a nice man' and 'good son-in-law material'. He won't rock the boat and will being stability and win back the heartlands - Surrey, Berkshire, 'the Blue Wall etc'.
As a strategy goes it's fine and very much in the comfort zone. Unfortunately, it isn't enough to win (probably), so you also have to keep (some of) the Red Wall. This is where the problem comes in. Because the Conservative Party (and to be honest, most of the media etc) think that anyone north of Watford is a knuckle-dragging dinosaur, they have also convinced themselves that they need the Braverman/Anderson/Gullis win to win Red Wall seats.
I think this is the original sin. I haven't seen any reason why, e.g. the people of Derbyshire won't respond to competent centre-right Government with, perhaps, some looser Treasury purse strings. They don't need "performative" stuff like Anderson offers.
I'd love to understand how McVey's efforts to intervene in the various areas you listed (Transport, Energy, Transport and FCDO) plays out at Cabinet, Perm Sec and officer level - I'm guessing Ms McVey spends quite a lot of her time sitting in her office not doing very much of anything.
Following on from your previous post, what segment of the electorate is her remit meant to appeal to? Sounds like preaching to the converted rather than swing voters etc.