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27-05-2020, 10:14 AM
21

Re: Boris Johnson to face grilling by senior MPs next week

Originally Posted by Omah ->
Boris Johnson to face minimal questions on Cummings’ conduct

https://www.theguardian.com/politics...mmings-conduct



Not exactly a "grilling", is it .....
Shouldn't even be taking place.
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27-05-2020, 03:33 PM
22

Re: Boris Johnson to face grilling by senior MPs next week

Trust the Grauniad to try and stir the pot and make out Sir Bernard's appointment was controversial. This is a quote from the BBC News' website dated 21 May:

Quote:
"Sir Bernard was appointed to his new role on Wednesday, despite a cross-party attempt to block it after a dispute over the procedure.

He had been nominated to chair the committee by the government, even though he no longer chairs a committee of his own.

The committee, which has held scrutiny sessions with prime ministers since 2002, normally puts forward a chair from among its own members.
Previous no-show

Sir Bernard previously chaired the Public Administration Committee throughout the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition and up to the last election.

Mr Johnson has previously been accused of dodging scrutiny after pulling out of an appearance at the Liaison Committee last October.

At the time, Mr Johnson justified the decision by saying he had to "focus on delivering Brexit".

The committee was subsequently disbanded when Parliament was dissolved for December's election and met for the first time on Thursday since reforming. " EoQ.

There is nothing there that suggests his appointment is controversial to me.
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27-05-2020, 03:54 PM
23

Re: Boris Johnson to face grilling by senior MPs next week

Originally Posted by Percy Vere ->
There is nothing there that suggests his appointment is controversial to me.
This item is helpful:

Role of PM's inquisitor to be decided

20 May 2020

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-52731364

When the Liaison Committee was a largely internal affair,
adjudicating turf battles between committees and deciding humdrum matters like travel budgets, this would have seemed a rather uninteresting piece of SW1 gossip; now it is the forum for interrogating the prime minister, it's a bit more significant.

In truth, those PM hearings rarely discomforted Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, David Cameron or Theresa May (Boris Johnson has yet to appear before them) and at the start they were almost comically bland.

But they have gradually ratcheted up in effectiveness, with a conscious decision to focus on a few areas of questions and to move away from a Buggins turn approach, which gave every member a chance to enjoy the limelight.

And the last two chairs in particular, the independent minded Tory, Andrew Tyrie, and the Conservative turned Lib Dem Sarah Wollaston, did give the sessions a bit more bite.

Hence, perhaps, the government's apparent concern that another awkward squaddie might take the chair this time round. Names like Tom Tugendhat, the chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, and even Jeremy Hunt, the long-serving former health secretary were touted as possible contenders, and would have had an important platform if they had won the job.

Instead, the government has put down a motion that Sir Bernard be a member, and chair of Liaison.

Historically, he has not been anybody's stooge, making his name as a Maastricht rebel in the Major years, and later making himself unpopular with the Cameron government by pushing for a parliamentary commission to reform the Civil Service. He did not enjoy the prime ministerial brush off that idea received.

But the issue here is not so much the personality as the process. For 10 years the chair of Liaison was chosen without (direct) government involvement, but now the government has put up a candidate and will presumably whip its troops to vote the motion through. (The Tory committee chairs will mostly grit their teeth and follow their whip, but they won't like it and they won't forget.)

And that will put Sir Bernard in an unenviable position; every move he makes will be analysed in terms of placeman or rebel.

There are alternative ideas in play. Labour's Harriet Harman, now a veteran of the committee corridor, wants to go back to allowing the Liaison Committee to choose its own chair, from amongst its own members - essentially baking in the status quo.

The Conservative MP Peter Bone proposes allowing the whole House to choose a member of the government party to lead Liaison.

This would mean that the Chair would not have a committee of their own to worry about, and couldn't be accused of bias, but more than that, it would create a powerful parliamentary player, elected by all MPs, who would then be a kind of shop steward for the committee system, and perhaps, ultimately for backbenchers, too, while also questioning the PM with extra authority.

And on the principle that governments try to avoid manufacturing rods for their own back, that seems unlikely to be allowed to happen.
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27-05-2020, 05:12 PM
24

Re: Boris Johnson to face grilling by senior MPs next week

The Grilling - Boris on Cummings
Bernard Jenkin, saying it has been 12 months since a prime minister has appeared before the committee. He asks Johnson to commit to attending regularly, including before the Commons breaks for the summer. The PM says : "Can I possibly get back to you on that, there is a lot on at the moment."

Sir Bernard says the committee is "extremely concerned" about the issue of Dominic Cummings and asks if it has undermined the moral authority of the government. Boris Johnson says: "I have commented on it, people know my views, I don't propose to add to it.

Asked why he has not launched an inquiry into the issue, Johnson says: "Quite frankly, I am not certain right now that an inquiry into that matter is an efficient use of time. What we need to do is move on and to get on with how we are going to sort out coronavirus."

SNP MP Pete Wishart now takes over the questioning. Boris Johnson tells him that "a lot of what was written was false" and suggests Mr Wishart is making "party political points". He adds that it is "time to move on".

Labour's Meg Hillier asks the PM about whether he had seen the evidence about so-called "false" allegations by the media on Dominic Cummings. After Johnson says he has seen the evidence, she asks if it should be published or handed to the cabinet secretary. Johnson says: "I would not be doing my job if I were now to shuffle this problem into the hands of officials... who are working flat out to deal with coronavirus. I have said what I have said about the whole business and it would be much better if we could move on."

Home Affairs Committee chair Yvette Cooper asks the PM for his advice to parents who may have the virus but need childcare, given the recent controversy over Mr Cummings in the last few days. Boris Johnson says the clear advice is to stay at home and adds "if you have exceptional problems that may cause you to vary your arrangements". Yvette Cooper continues to repeat her question while Mr Johnson insists "you would have to look at each individual case". "The reason you are not giving a straight answer is because you are trying to protect Dominic Cummings and you don't want to apologise for him," says Ms Cooper.

Tory MP Simon Hoare comes back in to say Cummings is now a "distraction" and he doesn't understand why he is so "pivotal" to Johnson. Johnson says the public wants politicians to "focus on them and their needs rather than a political ding dong".

Science and Technology chair Greg Clark asks if it will be compulsory for someone to stay at home if they have come into contact with an infected person, under the new test-and-trace system. Boris Johnson says staying at home in that situation would be good "not just for them but also good for the population". "We wanted to make it clear that people must stay at home," the PM says.

Will it be the law or just advice, Clark wants to know. "We will be asking people to stay at home - if they don't follow that advice, we will consider what sanctions may be necessary," says Johnson. "By the police?" "Whatever is appropriate," says the PM.
Some contradictory messages there (stay at home, unless, sanctions) amongst the refusals to look back on the Cummings' affair - "let's move on" and the attempts to make public indignation a political issue .....
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27-05-2020, 06:45 PM
25

Re: Boris Johnson to face grilling by senior MPs next week

Summary: Boris Johnson urges UK to 'move on' from Cummings row

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politi...eporting-story

Boris Johnson has ruled out an inquiry into the conduct of his top adviser at the height of lockdown, insisting it was time to "move on" from the row.

The prime minister rejected claims he had damaged his own authority and the government's coronavirus message by not sacking Mr Cummings.

He said the public had had enough of the "political ding dong" over it.

Around 40 Tory MPs have called for Mr Cummings to resign or be fired after his 260-mile journey came to light.

At an appearance before the Commons Liaison Committee, Mr Johnson said he "did not propose to add" to his previous statements on Mr Cummings - or what he described as the "autobiography" the aide delivered on Monday.

The prime minister used the phrase "move on" five times in 20 minutes, as he faced hostile questions from select committee chairs.

Wednesday's session was the first time the prime minister has faced questions from MPs since the allegations against Mr Cummings emerged at the end of last week.

He used his appearance at the committee to announce that NHS England's test and trace system would be up and running from Thursday.

He was also quizzed about testing, PPE, schools and the economy.
 
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