High Court showdown for Johnson over his claim that Priti Patel is not a bully
Priti Patel and Boris Johnson: allies against the civil service?
At a time when Boris Johnson is mired in accusations of corruption, he is being forced to defend, in court, his corrupt support for a bullying cabinet minister.
Priti Patel was found to have bullied civil servants in three government departments by the then-government adviser on ministerial standards, Alex Allan, last year.
But Johnson, as Prime Minister, had the final say on whether she could be said to have breached the ministerial code and – despite clear evidence that she had – cleared her.
If he had found against her, she would have had to resign as Home Secretary. But he said any impression of bullying felt by civil servants was unintential, and Patel supported the assertion.
This was not good enough for the FDA – the union representing senior civil servants – and the High Court will hold a judicial review of the matter on Wednesday and Thursday next week (November 17 and 18).
The FDA’s claim is that the assertion that Patel’s actions were unintentional could allow other ministers “to avoid the consequences of their behaviour in future by pleading that it should be the intent of their actions which is important, not the consequences”.
And there could be wider constitutional implications, with the government arguing that the ministerial code should remain separate from the courts and overseen by an elected politician.
It is an untenable position. By corruptly abusing his position of oversight, Johnson has brought the application of the ministerial code into disrepute; he is unfit to manage it.
That’s what This Writer expects the High Court to say.
Johnson will reject the ruling and then he’ll have precipitated another constitutional crisis.
What then? Fun and games…
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It is for the courts to interpret the law independently of politics and not a Tory Politician to act in this way
Little fascist dictator duck johnson will I predict, ignore outcome of the Judicial Review concerning that corrupt puppet Priti Patel! Laws don’t apply to the fascist tories and their corrupt minions!
This is why little england is now a failed state and also a fascist dictatorship! Laws only apply to us peasants and the fascist tories know this which is why they can get away with systemic corruption!!
Meanwhile we peasants continue to sleep on – refusing to see little england is a fascist dictatorship!