DAILY MAIL COMMENT: Labour can't give out lectures on vile abuse
DAILY MAIL COMMENT: Labour can’t give out lectures on vile abuse
When a major organisation is seen to fail, who bears the responsibility?
Sir Keir Starmer is in no doubt when it concerns Downing Street: The fault lies squarely at the top.
For weeks, the Labour leader has launched bitter personal attacks on the Prime Minister for his perceived lack of leadership over Partygate. But when it comes to being held to account for his own shortcomings while director of public prosecutions, he throws an indignant fit.
Boris Johnson’s caustic jibe that Sir Keir failed to prosecute paedophile Jimmy Savile might have been made at an ill-judged moment when he was supposed to be showing contrition over rule-breaking gatherings among his staff.
However, the substance of what he said was far from unreasonable. He was pointing out that Sir Keir’s own leadership qualities were far from perfect.
Sir Keir Starmer is in no doubt when it concerns Downing Street: The fault lies squarely at the top
Indeed, as head of the Crown Prosecution Service, he issued an abject apology for his organisation’s failure to bring Savile to justice. There were other grievous errors on his watch too, notably not prosecuting Asian grooming gangs and blocking some charges against taxi rapist John Worboys.
Yet Mr Johnson’s attempt to hold him to account has spiralled into a political storm. On Monday, an ugly crowd of anti-vaxx demonstrators harangued and jostled Sir Keir outside Parliament, shouting ‘traitor’ and ‘paedophile protector’.
As a result, Labour (and, of course, the Boris-hating BBC) accuse the PM of having incited this violence. But did he?
This deranged mob which hangs around Westminster has set upon several prominent politicians before, including Tory ministers Michael Gove and Jacob Rees-Mogg.
Yet senior Labour MP Chris Bryant (pictured) condemned Mr Johnson’s ‘inflammatory language’, accusing him of pouring poison into the well of public debate
Yet senior Labour MP Chris Bryant condemned Mr Johnson’s ‘inflammatory language’, accusing him of pouring poison into the well of public debate.
When it comes to incitement and abusive language, the Tories need take no lectures from his party.
From former shadow chancellor John McDonnell who said of Conservative minister Esther McVey ‘lynch the b****’, to deputy leader Angela Rayner who branded all Tories ‘scum’, they have made foul political vilification into an art form.
Labour happily dish it out. But when brickbats come their way they clutch their pearls in horror. What hypocrites!
Having secured an extra £12billion from hard-pressed taxpayers to tackle the record backlog of patients, it was assumed the NHS would get to work with gusto.
Sadly, however, managers are steadfastly refusing to sign up to meaningful targets.
So waiting lists won’t begin to fall for another two years, and millions will suffer even longer delays for treatment to alleviate often painful conditions.
The longer the backlog goes on, the more money the NHS will suck up – and the longer social care will be starved of the funds it so desperately needs.
With wearisome predictability, the bureaucratic behemoth is looking after itself – not the long-suffering public.
Having secured an extra £12billion from hard-pressed taxpayers to tackle the record backlog of patients, it was assumed the NHS would get to work with gusto (stock image)
Good sense on energy
In an outbreak of common sense, ministers are starting to realise that the conversion to green energy can’t be achieved overnight.
By committing to the development of new North Sea oil and gas fields, they are bowing to the inevitable. We will need fossil fuels to secure our energy supplies for years to come. Otherwise bills will continue to soar. The poorest will be hardest hit. People will tire of the green revolution.
And we will be at the mercy of tyrants like Vladimir Putin. At last, the scales seem to be dropping from ministers’ eyes on energy security. Frankly, it’s about time.
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