SAFE AS HOUSES : Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab is proving as big a failure in the vital office of state as his boss. Mr Johnson’s most notable act was extending the prison time of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe by years. Mr Raab has managed to yawn through months of warnings about Afghanistan and go to the beach.
Calls to sack Raab and replace him with someone competent, who actually wants to work the long hours occupying one of the great offices of state requires, are persistent. As yet his boss Boris has resisted. Partially because he’s already bored of Afghanistan, which like Brexit and the Pandemic seem determined to ruin his fun as PM. And partially because you can’t give in and do what the plebs want, until the focus grouping forces you to.
“It’s also related to the depth of talent in the Tory parliamentary party,” a 10 Downing Street source told LCD Views. “It’s all clapping seals and nodding dogs, all the way down. That’s exactly how Johnson wants it. Anyone with the capacity for independent thought and pushback was kicked out early in Johnson’s tenure as PM. As such the talent pool is especially shallow and it’s just floaters bobbing about on top. Bumping into each other and bobbing off. Mostly on holiday to Europe. But other international destinations are available. Which is why the travel rules regarding the pandemic change so frequently. It’s bloody difficult keeping track of everyone’s movements.”
So Dominic Raab is safe for now. Maybe. Until the next YouGov poll. All the talent is already in post. Also because the deep sense of entitlement he has wouldn’t take being fired lightly. Johnson has enough enemies circling at his back, waiting to plunge in the political knives.
By the way, anyone seen Gove? He could choose a really good cabinet.