The prime minister has gambled away the trust of many Britons.
(Photo: AP)
The Daily Telegraph summed up all the madness in one headline. “Don’t go to the office, but to parties,” the conservative newspaper headlined its report on the new corona rules in England.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson presented his “Plan B” on Wednesday: Because of the new Omikron variant, the English are now supposed to work in the home office again, and the 3G rule will apply from now on when visiting major events. The head of government emphasized that you don’t have to cancel your Christmas celebrations.
The plan is so half-hearted that it is unlikely to slow down the spread of the new corona variant. According to political observers, that was not what Johnson was primarily interested in. Rather, he urgently needed an announcement to get the Downing Street Christmas party scandal out of the headlines.
This is also supported by the fact that the corona rules were originally not supposed to be checked until next week. Johnson now hastily preferred it – to the great surprise of his ministers.
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The fact that Johnson no longer even shrinks from using the corona measures for his own purposes shows how politically he is. The revelation that his staff was partying a year ago while the rest of the country was locked down struck a nerve in the population.
Johnson’s plan could work
According to a survey, 54 percent of the British are even calling for his resignation. Even party friends are increasingly turning away from Johnson.
The plan to regain control of the debate with Plan B could work. Apparently decisive action is ultimately rewarded in the pandemic. Many British people no longer listen to what their head of government says. Johnson has long since gambled away the most important capital in a pandemic: trust is gone.
More: Christmas elves becomes a state affair for Boris Johnson