liz truss x priti patel: the complete story

25. May-June 2022

The early weeks of May were relentless.

First were the local elections, taking place to elect over 4300 councillors around the country, a litmus test of the Tories' stability.

The counted results made for grim reading. The Tories had lost 400 council seats, had their worst result in Scotland in a decade, and their only Welsh council obliterated. Even Westminster, which they'd held for 50 years, was lost. But the picture for Labour wasn't as triumphant as expected, a comforting fact which the Tories held close.

Then the Met investigation concluded, with over 126 fines being issued to Downing Street, and allowing the Sue Gray report to be published. By 10am on Wednesday, hard copies of the 37-page report had appeared in No10. Downing Street staff scanned the report anxiously for their own names, journalists began writing new pieces, and MPs, either with glee or anxiety, looked to see the scope of the damage.

The PM's day was full, with PMQs followed by a statement on the report. But Boris was hardly worried. The report had been a huge anti-climax, its contents limited by the Met investigation, and the flat party, which would've caused him the most problems, mysteriously left un-investigated. Those who were named and shamed were largely unfamiliar, and aside from the few the PM was in, the pictures showed groups of blurred out faces, hardly front page material.

PMQs was surprisingly mild, with some Tories preferring silence over accountability. The opposition MPs didn't hold back, but Starmer was saving his vitriol for the imminent statement. Boris stood.

"Mr Speaker. I want to begin today by renewing my apology to the House and to the whole country for the short-" He couldn't resist the excuse. "-lunchtime gathering on 19 June 2020 in the Cabinet Room for which I received a fixed penalty notice. I also want to say, above all, that I take full responsibility for everything that took place on my watch. But-" Here we go. "-since these investigations have now come to an end, I want to explain my understanding of what happened. I am trying to set out the context, not to mitigate or to absolve myself in any way."

He went on to express no guilt about the leaving do's - in fact, such gatherings apparently helped the government in improving morale! - and that, he didn't lie to the house in saying he broke no rules, because the rule breaking only began after he left!

"I want to conclude by saying that I am humbled," A sight as likely as pigs flying. "-and I have learned a lesson. Now we must get our country through the aftershocks of Covid, and I hope that we will be able to move on and focus on the priorities of the British people."

Then, Starmer spoke, his speech powerful, evocative, calling on the reports' most damning findings, and the fundamental pillars of British democracy, as Boris looked down.

"The public needs to know that not all politicians put themselves above their country—and that honesty, integrity and accountability matter." The unusually quiet Commons erupted in cheers as he said this. Then, Starmer appealed to the opposite benches. "Conservative Members now also need to show leadership. They can hide in the back seat, eyes covered, praying for a miracle, or they can act to stop this out-of-touch, out-of-control Prime Minister driving Britain towards disaster. We waited for the Sue Gray report. The country cannot wait any longer. Members opposite must finally do their bit. They must tell their leader that the game is up. Only then can we restore the dignity of that great office and the democracy that it represents."

But as Boris rose to reply, any shred of dignity he had shown now evaporated, as he returned to the same tired attacks at the opposition. As always, any hope generated by a brief show of humility was unravelled minutes later, and everyone knew the PM wasn't sorry, and never would be.

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