Working from home, having parties in the office?

Hardly has a week passed by, when I wrote about the diversionary tactics to distract attention of the public, as a tenet in today’s “World of Politics" both in the UK and elsewhere.

Imagine the indignation on both sides of the House of Commons, about the Christmas Party row now in progress and the "political heat" generated. But it was an impossible task for everyone including politicians to follow the guidelines, which changed from day to day, with the change in the spread of the virus. The apparent intention of the guidelines was to "avoid superspreaders".  

The Brits are a very unemotionable people, quintessentially stoic, yet humorous. We witnessed the rumpus over the evacuation of live animals from Kabul in Afghanistan in August this year, while humans were dying of COVID-19 in Care Homes in England and relatives unable to bid farewell.  Anger, is never visible, but for once it is "on show, or was it?                                             

The pandemic has uprooted the sequence of living life and so-called planned preparation of death in Britain, which is what the "Care Home" is?

There is considerable anger from both sides of the House, as reported by The Times, that the Conservatives held seven (7) parties in November and December 2020, while the rules of Coronavirus was a mandatory requirement to be observed by the general public. They say there is “one rule for the rulers and one for the ruled”, which has never been an accepted norm of life, which they call “their democracy”, or so it seems.

Boris Johnson has been under severe pressure over the past few months, shall I say ever since his stars changed, with one scare after another, one calamity after another, not only about his role as Prime Minister, but also with his Cabinet and his Ministers all falling prey to accusations of mismanagement, being too liberal with the truth, and accepting party donations for doing up his No. 10 Downing Street flat, a refurbishment long overdue.

Besides, it was Boris and his third wife, Carrie who was affected, in that both she and Boris were saddened by their miscarriage as well as the death of his mother. 

Unfortunately, it appears Boris had “Cummings & Goings”, but did not have a soothsayer, like Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, to be comforted. Could we presume, his brother, Basil Rajapaksa seems to have failed to consult an Oracle, perhaps, before is two day inauspicious recent visit to New Delhi, when India reports state that this was "auspicious" to read the “Riot Act” to neighbouring Lanka, a sovereign nation.

But is there anything different between politicians the world over and in the UK.? Every politician wants to show that they represent the views of their constituents, but in this process perhaps, there is exaggerated feeling that politicians must be "whiter than white," when they are all frail and human.

It is understandable that COVID-19 rules were not taken as seriously as they should have been. But up to now,nodoby has brought up the issue of whether there were parties held by anyone else, including the Labour Opposition during the last Christmas season. Today, we are told that there were parties held by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak. 

The core issue is whether the Christmas party row was again a diversionary tactic to "cover up" something else. We will never come to know for some time what was the real aim of this distraction.                                            

Anger will not fade or flee

The Christmas Party row anger will not go away.

But fortunately, Boris and Carrie Johnson have announced (9 December 2021)glad tidings of the birth of their second child,since Boris became Prime Minister, a “rainbow baby,” a daughter to accompany Wilfred, their one year old son.  Our best wishes to the family, for a fresh breath of fortune,unserevedly welcome. 

For those in Sri Lanka who are not sure of the term, " rainbow baby, it is referred to in Britain, for a child born after miscarriage”.

How to placate anger?

We are told that a fine of £17,800 has been levied on the Conservative Party, by the investigatory body, for the refurbishment of 10 Downing Street.

We are also told that the first victim of the Downing Street anger is PM’s Former Press Secretary, Allegra Stratton, has quit offering her profound apologies, and rightly so, after a video showed her laughing about a party in a Mock Press Conference.

My readers would note that part of the anger saga started in August 2021 when former Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab was holidaying abroad, while Afghanistan "was burning". People’s wrath had hardly subdued, even with the Cabinet reshuffle moving Secretary Raab to the a post of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice and Lord Chancellor.

Civil Servant, Cabinet Secretary, Simon Chase has now been appointed to investigate and report his findings to the Met (Metropolitan Police) in the hope of quelling the anger.

It is beginning now to look a lot like a non-Christmas for many with all the precautions taken well in advance.

Nothing better than a Non-Apology-Apology will  somwhat sooth the burning anger, as everybody in Westminster and the public seem to take Omicron seriously.

As Boris Johnson has stated today: “Voters have every right to cast me down and out,” as he championed the benefits of having a democracy in Britain.

Down Under, England’s hopes for the First Ashes Test 2021/22 at the Gabba in Brisbane, seem nearly over after Aussie Travis Head celebrated his century during day two of the Cricket Test. But neither the "Poms" nor the "Brits" will easily give up.

Anger always resides both in politics and in Cricket, and is always drowned with a couple of pints of good fine ale. 

 Victor Cherubim