A NEW poll has found that voters believe the Tory Party is “institutionally corrupt”. And now even Tory voters are turning away from Brexit.
The Omnisis poll for Byline Supplement also found that voters believe that senior members of the Government are more interested in “personal gain’” than helping the country.
Only 22% of all voters and a slim majority of 55% of Tory voters agree that the Prime Minister is meeting his pledge to restore integrity to government. Rishi Sunak’s own ratings are abysmal. Just 27% of voters approve of the way he is doing his job, compared with 47% who disapprove.
Pollsters YouGov found that 72% believe Sunak will not be PM after the next election, while 67% say he is doing badly on improving the economy. A massive 78% say he is doing badly on improving the NHS and 72% say he’s doing badly on strikes.
READ MORE: What connects airline food and Westminster ethics? Both are oxymorons
The moral vacuum at Westminster registers abroad too.
Transparency International reports the UK has fallen sharply down the global corruption league table after its report warned of “woeful inadequacies” in upholding political integrity. Britain fell seven places to 20th on their Corruption Index – representing the biggest fall among the G7 countries. The report said there was a “growing list of problems” in the UK.
It cited the awarding of lucrative contracts awarded for protective equipment to people with connections to the Conservatives, including Michelle Mone, the Tory peer. It also highlighted the appointment of politically connected people to public sector roles.
“If the government is truly committed to restoring trust in politics, it needs to overhaul how the standards and conduct of elected representatives are regulated to stop the slide,” Transparency International said.
Incidentally, why does a PM committed to “integrity” need someone to tell him right from wrong? It’s almost like he lives in an ethics-free environment, surrounded by people who are likewise debauched. Of course, there is another explanation. He knows very well how moral or otherwise his behaviour is but thinks he can get away with it.
Despite this clear warning from Transparency International, Westminster corruption continues unabated. So, it comes as no surprise to learn that the Government’s ethics adviser has recused himself from investigating the appointment of the BBC head and Tory donor, Richard Sharp because he now somewhat belatedly recalls his dealings with him.
And ex-BBC newscaster, Jon Sopel, added: “I understand that Richard Sharp was on the panel to select the head of BBC News. I also understand there was unhappiness about his inclusion on the panel at the highest levels of the corporation.”
Scots broadcast star, Armando Iannucci, insists: “It’s vital the BBC is independent and seen to be independent. Appointing the Prime Minister’s financial broker as its chair throws that independence in the bin.”
You may recall that on his appointment and subsequently, Sharp – and the BBC – insisted his role was purely supervisory and he would not be involved in executive decisions. That fiction is now exposed for what it is.
We’ll have more to say about the BBC in future columns. For the moment let’s turn to another grade one shambles – Brexit.
Three years after Brexit, only Government ministers and British columnists are still rooting for it. In the real world, the rest of us are trying to cope with soaring inflation, growing interest rates, plus sky-high prices for heating and food. It is estimated that Brexit will cost the UK billions of pounds every year for the foreseeable future.
The weakest in the land are under continuous attack. As Stephanie Flanders of Bloomberg News points out: “The poorest fifth of the population are now much poorer in the UK than most of the poorest countries in central and eastern Europe.”
She added: “They would be better off in poor countries in the European Union.”
READ MORE: Could a Brexit referendum come before a Scottish independence vote?
And this is not to say the UK administration was a beacon of excellence prior to Brexit. Indeed, another monument to British Government incompetence is the so-called High-Speed rail link from London to the “north” that doesn’t quite reach central London and doesn’t quite reach intended bits of the “north” either.
(Of course, Scotland and Wales are still required to pay for this monstrosity while deriving little direct benefit from the huge expenditure involved.) More and more people now accept the British state is doomed. It was killed by a range of factors, principally, but not solely, Brexit. As a matter of urgency, we now need to deal with what ought to replace it in Scotland. At a minimum, this means not repeating Westminster’s many flaws.
The TNT show has a real treat for you this week. Professor Danny Dorling, author of Rule Britannia – Brexit And The End Of Empire. Joins us at 7pm on Wednesday
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel