Dishonesty ultimately brought down Boris Johnson. Apparently, however, the candidates for his successor have no interest in setting a better example.
Was it a threat, a reckoning? In any case, it was remarkable words that Boris Johnson chose for his resignation in installments in front of the seat of government at 10 Downing Street.
When “the herd” of the party moves, said Johnson on Thursday, she was now almost unstoppable. That’s sad, after all, he’s now giving up the “best job in the world”. But nobody is irreplaceable, the “Darwinian system” will produce a new party leader.
In other words, only the fittest survive.
Now that the race to succeed him has formally begun, Johnson’s words could almost be read as a well-intentioned warning. In his conservative Tory party there are signs of a mudslinging over the party leadership, which leads straight to the office of prime minister – and is obviously being beaten with hard bandages.
There are defamatory dossiers circulating about candidates, applicants are branded anonymously in the media, and unpleasant piercings are said to reduce chances of success.
There’s no question: that’s not good style. What is particularly significant, however, is that the mudslinging is apparently being fought among those politicians who just a few days ago accused the prime minister of a lack of decency – and thus in some cases declared their resignation (although they had shortly before still wordy support).
Against this background, it is hardly surprising that the British Minister for Culture, Nadine Dorries, with a view to the successor aspirants and their cool opportunism, from the “Times” quoted with the words: “They will tear themselves to pieces in the media. It will be a bloodbath.”
The “Dirty Dossiers”
It remains to be seen whether the martial language image is resilient. On the other hand, it seems certain that the election campaign will be at least ugly. Just three days after Johnson’s statement on his withdrawal reported the “Sunday Times” of “dirty dossiers”circulating in Westminster.
According to the report, at least two rival campaign teams from the opposition Labor Party have handed over a dirty digital file containing a series of lurid and compromising allegations about potential Tory opponents. Potentially because: While many Tory politicians have expressed an interest in becoming party leaders, the official selection process only started on Tuesday. In this respect, the “dirty dossiers”, as the newspaper headlined, were intended to cause unrest in advance.
It is said to be about questionable financial arrangements, but also “widespread rumors about candidates” would find their place, the paper quoted a senior Tory politician, who spoke of “sado-masochism”, “bondage”, “inappropriate relationships” and “explicit photos ” spoke. “It was even alleged that one of the candidates asked staff to bring him his government papers while he was in the bath.”
The calculation is obvious: the rival Conservatives throw dirt at each other in the hope that some of the dirt will stick – and the other’s chances of success will be diminished. The focus of the mudslinging are therefore also those names that are currently being traded the hottest in the polls for the Johnson successor.
Good chances are about Penny Mordaunt attributed to just the top spot in the poll of conservatives “Conversational Home” holds. The Secretary of Commerce is trying to present herself as Johnson’s counter-model – and is already being denigrated as a “penny dormant”, so to speak, as a sleeping pill that has done “absolutely nothing” in the government and left it up to others to saw off Johnson.
Also Rishi Sunak is already getting his fat off. Former finance minister was among the first to resign in protest – and is now getting the tit-for-tat from alleged supporters of Johnson. So-called insiders, who are close to the prime minister, let themselves be in the “Financial Times” as saying Sunak was “a treacherous bastard” and had virtually no idea about his job. On top of that, dirty dossiers were also circulating in conservative WhatsApp groups, among others, reported “Guardians”in which he is accused of lies and opportunism.
To name just two specific examples.
This should only be the beginning
Another factor in the dirt campaign could also be Dominic Cummings, the former top adviser to Johnson who fell out of favor and who was also harsh on his former boss. Apparently, the mastermind behind the Brexit campaign also has a score to settle with the Tory hopefuls.
Cummings wrote on Friday in a tweetthat “at least three current candidates are even worse than Boris”. “At least one is more insane than (Secretary of State Liz) Truss, clearly unfit to be around nuclear codes.” He later added in another tweetto have knowledge about sexual relations. He did not mention names. Not yet.
And all of this should only be the beginning. The official selection process for Johnson’s successor has only just begun, and the candidates were called on Tuesday to submit their applications by the evening. So far, around a dozen have expressed their interest in advance. It is elected according to the knockout system, so to speak, until only two aspirants face each other in a final vote.
The successor should be clarified quickly by September 5th. With these prospects, the desire for a quick procedure seems understandable.