John McDonnell is right – Boris Johnson IS a liability for Britain. So is Theresa May
Boris Johnson during the EU conference on Syria in Brussels, Belgium [Image: Depo Photos/REX/Shutterstock].
Labour has called Boris Johnson a liability for the UK who “undermines our credibility” after the foreign secretary failed to gain the backing of fellow G7 foreign ministers to penalise Russia and Syria over last week’s chemical weapons attack.
Downing Street had insisted Theresa May fully backs Johnson after the 30-page communique from the two-day G7 summit in Italy failed to make any mention of Johnson’s proposal of imposing sanctions on key military personnel.
A No 10 source said the prime minister was pleased with the clear signal from the summit that the Bashar al-Assad regime could not be part of the political future of Syria – a point repeatedly made in the past by David Cameron – and its push for a formal investigation into the attack.
But speaking on Wednesday, Labour’s shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, said Johnson had erred in cancelling at the last minute a planned trip to Moscow to see his counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, and instead focusing on the G7 meeting.
McDonnell argued that May, who is on a walking holiday in Wales, should have considered taking full charge of the situation.
“I don’t begrudge anyone a break every now and again, but you’ve got to either recognise the seriousness of the situation and put your full attention to it – and I think that’s what the prime minister should be doing – or you’ve got to have confidence in the person that you send out to deal with the situation,” he said.
“What we’ve got at the moment is neither a prime minister properly engaged nor someone who anybody, even on Tory backbenches and, from what we understand, even the government’s own cabinet, has confidence in, with regard to Boris Johnson. I think we’re in the worst of all worlds as a result.”
Source: Boris Johnson is a liability for Britain, says John McDonnell | Politics | The Guardian
Join the Vox Political Facebook page.
If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!
Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:
Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.
The Livingstone Presumption is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:
Not only is Johnson a liability, but he is fast becoming a complete laughing stock. The false façade of buffoonery which he has used to cover up his incompetence and laziness has now fallen apart and he can be seen for what he is, a very sub-standard politician.
Boris needs some kind of medication!
i am sorry to say but the con party has no ones interests but there own corporate interests as is repeatedly seen threw there persistant lies and self serving polices Westminster is nothimg more than a punch and judy thearter full of bad actors and corrupt puppet masters pulling there strings
The Tories are as awful as they have ever been in my memory and yet miles ahead of Labour in every poll. What the heck is going on? Why isn’t Labour miles ahead of the Conservatives?
Opinion polls tend to be run by joint-stock marketing companies. None carry the imprimatur of either the NAO or the Government Statistician.
Perhaps it will pay us to reflect upon these facts.
When people start saying stuff like this and invoking conspiracy theories to explain away abysmal poll rating I worry even more than usual because Labour cannot afford such complacency.
Its called the PLP and Blairite effect , where have you been the last 18 months ?
Take a look back through the archive material here on this site and on Skwawkbox or the Canary for the reasons why Labour are so far behind . Not to mention a rabid right wing nut job MSM
Bur Corbyn has NEVER been popular and is becoming LESS popular even among Labour voters as time goes on. This trend absolutely CANNOT be attributable solely to unfavourable media and black propaganda. Even if it was true Corbyn does not seem to have the skill or the mettle to take it on and turn it around in which case Labour loses because of his inadequacy whichever way you look at it because if the media are responsible there’s no reason why they will let up.
I personally see no leadership qualities in Corbyn. He seems like a sincere and well-meaning but rather pedestrian and dull witted elderly gentleman, bereft of the intellect, energy, magnetism, persuasiveness, flair and oratorical skills needed to advance the position of a party, already far behind in the polls, into a position where it will win more seats let alone win power in a general election. I would bet the famr that Labour will have FEWER MPs after the next general election and the Conservatives MORE thanks in no small part to Jezza’s inadequacy.
So you would support the McDonnell amendment then?
The reason for THAT, is partly due to the lies printed in the MSM, that the stupid public keep believing!
Yea. And my dad was the third gunman on the grassy knoll.
Rose – I reckon Corbyn is a bit like Columbo (you remember, the TV detective).
Why do I say that? Well, he strikes me as the sort of person that people think of as being a bit dim, laid back, doesn’t have a clue etc. But underneath, he’s smarter, vastly more knowledgeable and far more intelligent than you ever will be!
The false facade of buffoonery turns out to be real after all.Studied at the Benny Hill School of stupidity.
I like your comment, Sir.
The nicest think I can say about Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is that he is a blithering nincompoop….
Very true and yet when asked who is the best leader in unbiased polls May gets 55% support and Jeremy Corbyn a miserable 18% approval rating, i.e., three time more people asked give May the thumb’s up than Corbyn. A majority of Labour voters also say that Corbyn is inadequate and will never be Prime Minister.
How long can the Labour party go on like this?
After the next general election it looks as if we are going to end up even less significant and influential than we are now – the weakest Labour opposition to one of the most extreme right-wing Conservative governments ever. Corbynistas may get their egos stroked while he remains Labour leader ut it shouldn’t be about factions and vanities but the people Labour is supposed to be helping and making life fairer and better for. If we don’t get elected we can’t do anything and Corbynite Labour is unelectable.
We are actively betraying the people who need us most.