Just-in-time Sleaze buster: Boris Johnson, the part-time prime minister
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has finally plucked up the courage to speak about the sleaze row that has shaken through Parliament.
Unfortunately, he hasn’t said much. Johnson commented on the poor performance of Sir Geoffrey Cox, who has spent most of last year advising the British Virgin Island for the modest sum of £1m. The PM said that MPs should be “visible in their constituency”, advising them to do – well, exactly what they’re paid to do.
Johnson should change tactics. Missing a Commons debate on standards while hanging around in King’s Cross on Monday was a bad call. It left a vacuum for Keir Starmer to fill with more accusations of sleaze. Johnson seems to believe this mess – that he created in the first place with his attempt to overhaul the standards system – will just sort itself out. It is not very reassuring to know that the Prime Minister believes the best way to solve a political problem is ignoring it.