Speculation about how long the prime minister can endure is ultimately pointless. The course of future events has not yet been formed. Mr Johnson has the right to give the government a fresh start. He deserves this opportunity when you see everything he has done for the country since he became prime minister. But it must move forward. The inquiry by the Committee on Privileges is still ongoing – it could easily reach difficult conclusions and face real problems if our MPs, our party and our voters can not by then see a new positive agenda that would justify staying together. as Prime Minister. “Keeping the job,” he told the cabinet this week, will not be enough if the new job is the same as the old one. If so, the new boss will not be the same as the old boss. It is the most difficult thing in the world to change the fundamental principles of one’s instinct and behavior, especially under pressure. I understand why many say that the Prime Minister will not be able to do that. But I know that he is a remarkable man and very different from other politicians. We must not assume that change is impossible until it is proven. Every prime minister has weaknesses and blind spots. The question is whether they are able to compensate by having the right people, taking good advice and setting a clear policy direction with broad support. Mr. Johnson probably already has to show at the party conference that he can do that. The main concern I hear from party members and potential Tory voters is not the partygate. For better or worse, people have decided on this. It is that they do not understand what the government is trying to do and why. Worst of all, as far as they understand, they do not particularly like it. They understand that the government is facing many difficult problems. They are willing to relax a little. But they want to know how he will try to solve them, and they want to do it in a conservative way, not in a high-cost collectivist way. At the moment, the Government is in danger of appearing shocked by crises. Like the cockpit of an airplane that crashes, the dashboard lights blink all red. The government has to decide what problems need to be addressed now and what can be left for later. This means plan: strategy. I hope the Prime Minister will do three things now. First, as a matter of urgency, stop the plane from hitting the ground. Reverse tax increases and commit reliably to future cuts. Start fracking, be clear that North Sea gas is fundamental for the future and deduct VAT from energy bills. Announce a Brexit Opportunity Bill that removes large chunks of EU legislation. Eliminate most UK duties immediately and eliminate the rest within three years. And complete the online bill for damages: promote only the indisputable elements and do not kill the freedom of speech and our technology industry with the rest. Second, make the plane navigable again and create a productivity and growth strategy, a 10-year Conservative plan to restore the British state viability, based on freedom and individual freedom rather than reasoning: smaller government, freer housing market , an energy strategy that reduces carbon emissions but prioritizes security of supply, reformed education, modernized NSS, bonuses paid only to those who need them, rewards for those who save, including pensions, reformed Public Service and a stronger Public Service. All this obviously can not be done on the hoof. It takes a serious strategy, with proper preparation, to deliver it. It will take some time. We should aim for a positive proposal in the next manifesto that will be addressed to those who can see that the country is facing serious problems and want a serious plan to address them. Finally, stop arguing with the plane’s crew. The new No. 10 team has improved things, but is still not working well. Mr. Johnson should focus on what he is good at – selling and explaining, as chairman of the board – and have a serious deputy, either chief of staff or deputy prime minister, who can design and implement the strategy. The ministerial group needs a renewal, but once that is done, ministers should be allowed to continue their work, as part of the overall strategy, and to stand or fall behind in the results – in the achievements, not in whether they performed well in the program. This morning. This is ambitious. I understand why many believe that the Prime Minister can not do that. He does not like to upset people. But any serious plan means making choices. Many of us still want him to succeed and we will support him if he shows a sense of purpose. But it must show that things will be different now. If this Conservative Government and its leadership do not want to be one with Nineveh and Tire, it must move and fast.
