Scandals in Tory Land, Clegg & Trump, Ukraine Gets Tanks

Sunak’s Sleaze-Storm

New Year, same old, same old. Rishi Sunak finds himself enmeshed in 1990s-style Major-esque sleaze scandals. There seems to be no let up in the calamities, the latest being to involve Nadhim Zahawi, current Tory Party Chairman and formerly a Johnson Berlin-Bunker Chancellor of the Exchequer. It was in the latter role that he coughed up millions in unpaid tax which just compounds the image of the Conservatives as tax-dodging out of touch millionaires. Sunak is awaiting the report of an inquiry into Zahawi’s behaviour, despite the growing clamour on his own backbenches for the Minister without Portfolio to go. He has put off what many see the inevitable by kicking the issue into the medium length grass. Sunak is an intelligent man and knows Zahawi probably should have resigned last week. He’s stuck with him for now.

It would be churlish to say Sunak has the same moral failings as Johnson, but he has shown himself to be exactly what Labour’s Starmer called him; weak. Tony Blair used the same word to describe John Major and the Leader of the Opposition believes the label will stick. It will do so because, politically, it’s true. From Johnson’s arrogance, to the disastrous spell of Liz Truss, the Tories have been on the slide. Sunak looks like being the hapless leader who’ll be unable to turn this oil tanker around. There’s been a mood change among the English electorate. William Hague recently stated the next election could be like 1992. This looks highly unlikely. Zahawi may go soon, but the Conservative’s malaise will linger on. Next year’s election, currently, should be a sea-change one. Brexit has hobbled Great Britain – Northern Ireland has a fighting chance of growth with the protocol. It needs new leadership. Next year’s election may not be 1997 all over again, but barring a bizarre turn of events, Keir Starmer will be the next Prime Minister.

Clegg’s Lack of ‘Moderation’

Nick Clegg must have thought he’d landed on his feet when he parachuted into Facebook. A very well paid job, a sunny California base, and travel to exotic climes. He may now, since his promotion to President of Global Affairs, be cursing his good fortune. He had a big call to make in deciding to readmit Donald Trump onto Facebook, and is standing by his decision, insisting guardrails are in place should the fascist wannabe go off-piste. The word should not be ‘should’ but ‘when’. Trump is a chaos merchant, and Clegg has taken an enormous risk in allowing the instigator of the January 6^th Insurrection to raise money for more coup-ing. Clegg knows better. He’s not some ignorant tech-bro, and that’s why his decision is even more injudicious. Musk has shown everyone exactly who he is since taking over Twitter.

Nick Clegg is no Elon Musk. He’s at heart an ‘Orange Book’ Liberal Democrat, whereas Musk is Dystopian Pirate Billionaire. But the effect of both men’s decisions to let Trump back on to their social media platforms has potentially turbo boosted the Mango Tyrant’s 2024 Presidential Campaign. As this commentator has constantly refrained, Trump is still the favourite to be the GOP nominee. The Republican Party base loves him, and the insane Primary system in the USA that leads to a candidate being anointed will work in his favour. We’ve already had a Beer Hall Putsch moment; are we really comfortable with taking a gamble that the next step won’t be the burning of the Reichstag? American Democracy is still in peril, and crossing your fingers and hoping the main instigator of that turmoil will suddenly change his ways is at best naive and at worst recklessness of an unforgiveable kind.

Tanks on the Way

The decision – finally – from Olaf Scholz to allow the supply of Leopard Tanks to Ukraine has provided a much needed morale and military boost to Kiev. This, coupled with the supply of Abrams Tanks from the US, has given Volodymyr Zelenskyy a shot in the arm.  There were some perfectly good reasons for a German Chancellor to fear escalation and approach this issue with extreme caution. Scholz has been brought to ‘yes’ by the Biden administration and the realization that there can never be rapprochement with Putin while the latter occupies Ukraine.

Russia and Putin cannot be appeased as they’ll come back looking for more concessions and will act even more outrageously. The ‘West’ – for want of a better term – has, for now, decided that going down the negotiation route would be a fool’s errand. That line is holding for now. Despite attempts by the nationalist far right and the dirtbag left, Zelenskyy is still held in good stead. His recent anti-corruption drive is to be welcomed. He is fighting for the values we should all hold dear and long may he have our support. Ukraine is on the frontline of a clash in civilizations, we are all Ukrainians now.