Priti Patel was last night weighing up whether to become the 12th Conservative MP to join the race to replace Boris Johnson.
It would be apt if a Dirty Dozen was left to fight it out to take control of a party that seems intent on demolishing what remains of the Welfare State. For the second time in three years, the general public is left watching a leadership contest in which only around 100,000 Tory members have a say.
The vast majority of people in the UK are not Conservatives nor do they vote for the party. But broadcast news and social media will be full of the uncosted fantasies that leadership wannabees shout for attention. Suella Braverman, a politician so ludicrous even most Conservatives can’t take her seriously, claimed she would tackle people who “refuse” to work.
She also claimed she would slash government spending at a time many public services already can’t meet demand. Meanwhile, Nadhim Zahawi claimed he would remove VAT from energy bills and hand businesses massive tax cuts.
This tosh only has one purpose – to win votes from backbench MPs. These chancers have nothing to say on inflation or the price of food and fuel.
Answers to difficult questions are not something they are concerned about. They promise a right-wing nirvana to the tiny amount of card-carrying Tories scattered around Britain.
The reality is almost all of these leadership candidates kept Boris Johnson propped up in government. They are only interested in advancing themselves.
Back on track
It’s been a summer to forget for anyone who has had cause to rely on ScotRail to get around.
A dispute between bosses and train drivers over pay meant a temporary timetable was introduced in May and hundreds of services were slashed. Late night trains vanished from departure boards just as hospitality businesses were looking forward to their first uninterrupted summer since 2019.
So it’s welcome that members of the Aslef union yesterday accepted a revised pay offer from ScotRail. The union, which represents drivers, said it would now work with the franchise to restore a full service.
But that won’t happen overnight and it could take another 10 days before the network is back to something approaching normality. It’s in everyone’s interests to get more trains running again and quickly.
Passengers should not have to endure the miserable temporary timetable any longer than is absolutely necessary.
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