Welcome back to Blog 3 of McGuck’s Weekly Digest, and what a week it has been in the world of Politics! We have had a veritable smorgasbord of headlines to choose from in N.I., U.K. and U.S. politics, but I’ll try my best to pick out the ones that have exercised/annoyed/entertained/disturbed me the most! Not an easy task!
As usual, let’s start with our very own little, stagnant political backwater! It’s been an eventful week up at good ship Stormont with one thing and another. In the by now well worn, choreographed routine, the big two of SF and DUP had to find a convenient excuse to put recent difficulties to one side, without anyone losing face, due to the realisation that there was actually more important stuff that they had to be seen to be dealing with – and dealing with it together!
So, faced with rising COVID-19 infections and a need to present a united front against this common threat, Arlene had to drop her insistence that there would be no more joint press calls with Michelle until she apologised for breaches of the COVID regulations at the funeral of veteran republican, Bobby Storey, some weeks back! Michelle made a statement about her ‘regret’ in relation to the incident, but there was no fulsome apology forthcoming. Clearly, this was all we, or Arlene, were going to get, and it would have to suffice! The resumption of the joint F&DFM press briefing was to deal with a worrying rise in COVID infection numbers and to announce a raft of new restrictions for particular, worst affected post code areas in NI.The range of new restrictions were strangely presented alongside the announcement of dates for the further easing of other restrictions, causing some consternation and confusion for many. It may have been important, therefore, when presenting such seemingly conflicting advice, and when seeking the public’s continued compliance, that the messengers have retained a sufficient degree of credibility, moral authority and trust with the public? Um, yep! I’ll leave you to work out whether this is the case for Arlene and Michelle, or not!
Most of this week’s big news has been over in the Westminster bubble, however. Firstly, Boris Johnson has been under mounting pressure to backtrack over the appointment of ex-Aussie PM, Tony Abbott as a post-Brexit Trade Adviser, amid growing condemnation of his misogynistic and homophobic comments and his record of climate crisis scepticism.
It came after the Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, raised ‘serious concerns’ regarding Abbott’s suitability for the role – this was echoed by human rights groups Amnesty International and Liberty, the TUC, women’s equality body the Fawcett Society, and environmental campaigners Greenpeace. Anyway, why would you want a trade envoy whose idea of diplomacy is threatening Vladimir Putin with an Aussie rules tackle, as Abbott did when he was Australian PM? That clearly wouldn’t end well – for Abbott, obvs! Despite the furore, Abbott’s appointment has been confirmed! Watch this space!
The biggest news of the week, however, must be Boris’ & Co’s decision to table an amendment to the previously agreed EU Withdrawal Agreement that he freely signed and used to win over voters with his “Oven Ready Brexit Deal’ slogan back in December. To do so, however, would be an illegal breach of international law! We had the unedifying spectacle, therefore, of the NI Secretary, Brandon Lewis, standing at the dispatch box in the Commons, openly admitting that the UK Government would be reneging on parts of the Withdrawal Agreement, saying…”yes, this does break international law, but only in a very specific and limited way.” Ah, well, that’s okay then, isn’t it? Does this mean that we, too, can break laws, as long as it’s only in very specific and limited ways? I’m sure the judge will be more than sympathetic! What an appalling example for the government to set! Any credibility or trust they may have had with their EU negotiating counterparts has surely evaporated with this shenanigans!
Lewis was the unfortunate messenger because this has everything to do with the NI related parts of the Withdrawal Agreement, and is an attempt to roll back on the dawning realities of an effective customs border down the Irish Sea! Unfortunately, it is also being perceived as an attack on the sanctity of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement and a potential threat to the peace process itself! None other than Nanci Pelosi, Democrat Leader in the US Congress, has stated that any attempt by the UK Government to alter the terms of the historic peace agreement would mean that there would be no chance of a UK-US trade deal!
The stakes couldn’t be higher for Boris, as he attempts to play high stakes poker with the EU in order to secure the most advantageous post-Brexit trade deal. I fear he may have over played his hand this time, however!
Another significant consequence of the government’s actions was that Jonathan Jones, the head of the UK’s government legal department quit his post in disgust only hours later, Rowena Collins Rice – Director General at the Attorney General’s Office – announced she was also quitting. You see, lawyers have a professional duty not to be law-breakers or to facilitate law-breaking, believe it or not! Embarrassingly, these were just the latest in a number of senior civil servants to walk out on the Tory government since March.
Speaking of Brexit, it’s not all bad, as the first trade deal of the post-Brexit era has been struck, which ensures that 99% of British goods can enter Japan without tariffs, or extra charges. However, this deal was largely an easy cut and paste job, mostly reflecting the agreement that already existed between the EU and Japan. The expected boost to GDP of 0.07% over the long term is a tiny fraction of what might be lost from leaving the EU.There is also a good reason why Japan was so keen to ensure this deal was secured in record time. It stands to benefit from 80% of the total estimated £15bn boost to trade for both countries. Seems fair! Although, there will be a significant boost to the UK cheese producing industry, apparently! Blessed are the cheese makers, then, eh?
And so to America, where they are being consumed by devastating fires in California and Oregon, where the fires of race riots and ongoing protests still burn strongly, and where the COVID death toll creeps inexorably towards the 200,000 mark! Yes, you read that correctly! Donald Trump is continuing to take a political battering for his alleged gross mismanagement of the Covid Crisis, in particular. A new book being published by none other than Bob Woodward, one half of the famous journalistic duo who exposed the Watergate scandal and brought down the presidency of Richard Nixon, has shone a piercing light on Trump’s presidential failings! In the book, entitled ‘Rage’, it has been revealed by Trump himself, in exclusive, recorded interviews with Woodward, that he knew about the potential impact of the devastating COVID-19 pandemic on the US as early as the beginning of February, but chose to do nothing to mitigate against it. He has effectively admitted that he failed to carry out his most essential duty as President, to protect US citizens from harm! There are plenty of other fascinating and potentially highly damaging revelations in the book, too, and all from the horses mouth, as it were! Hence, proving the old adage, ‘give him enough rope and he’ll hang himself!’
In other US news, it has been revealed that there are currently a number of lawsuits in process against the Director General of the US Postal Service (USPS), for his alleged deliberate denigration of the service and of sorting offices, in particular. Significant quantities of mechanical sorting machines have been removed or taken out of service, for example. This is being seen as a deliberate act of electoral sabotage by the Trump appointee, according to many on the Democrat side of the political divide. Trump has been pedalling the narrative that the USPS won’t be able to cope with upsurge in postal votes during the forthcoming election and claims that it is wide open to abuse and voter fraud. Ironically, he has ordered the downgrading of the service, precisely as an act of voter suppression in some Democrat controlled Districts, allegedly. He’s really pushing the envelope there, isn’t he? This is a developing story, so I’ll try to keep you all posted! Oh dear!
Well,that’s all I have for you this week. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading and maybe even learned something you didn’t know already! Stay safe everyone, especially if you’re living in one of the named and shamed postcodes!
The Weekly Politics Digest! 