Alastair Stewart: The job of SPADS is to advise ministers, lobbying for a new boss, isn’t

Alastair Stewart: The job of SPADS is to advise ministers, lobbying for a new boss, isn’t
Alastair Stewart

By Alastair Stewart


Published: 04/02/2022

- 20:22

Updated: 29/03/2023

- 12:32

The crisis at the heart of Government is being played out on TV, radio and across the newspapers.

The crisis at the heart of Government is being played out on TV, radio and across the newspapers.

It finds its echo in the opinion polls.


‘Meltdown’ and ‘exodus' it cries: the game is up.

'Like the last days of Rome’ says one TV programme - ‘no, that was more fun’, replies a Minister.

In the midst of all this, there was a by-election yesterday in Southend West, caused by the tragic killing of Sir David Amess.

As an act of respect, neither Labour nor the Lib Dems stood.

But other fringe parties did field candidates who voters were as free to support as they were the Tory candidate.

Normally a by-election is an opportunity for ordinary folk to demonstrate their anger, concern, sense of resignation or out-right fury.

What’s more, in the context of a parliamentary majority still approaching 8, they can do it without toppling Government many of them helped elect in 2019.

So what actually happened?

Turnout in Southend was 24% - one of the lowest for a Westminster by-election since World War Two.

The number of spoilt ballot papers rose to more than 1,000 - about 7% of the 14,858 votes cast and higher than many of the minority candidates attracted.

In the early hours of this morning the Conservative candidate, Anna Firth, was duly elected with 12,792 votes - an 86.10% share.

Jason Pille of the Psychedelic Movement was second with 512 and Steve Laws for UKIP was third with 400.

You could argue the circumstances were such that it isn’t indicative of what is going on nationally.

But it strikes me that the fury and resignation over Boris Johnson’s premiership might - even should - have seen a different outcome.

I’d have expected a much bigger protest vote - either for other candidates or through spit ballots.

But that didn’t happen.

Add to the fury at what went on in No10 - and the subsequent denials of parties, cover-ups, contradictions and the rest of it - the bleak economic news that unfolded on polling day.

Energy prices, confirmation that National Insurance rises would go ahead and that interest rates rose an will rise faster to address inflation hurtling towards 7%.

If ever people were going to press their fury home democratically, yesterday was the day - and a by-election was the prefect vehicle - to do it.

Might it just be that the fury is over gilded by those with a vested interest in promoting it?

When the resignation of Munira Mirza broke all hell broke loose.

he was a long standing ally of the PM - his brain some even said.

But one tweet caught my eye:

“It's all very fishy. Her (Mirza’s) husband works for Sunak. James Forsyth, (of the Spectator) who broke the story was at Winchester College with Sunak who was best man at his wedding to Allegra Stratton, (the PM’s former Communications director who resigned over that infamous press conference rehersal).”

The tweet went on: “Further Spectator connections include Mary Wakefield Cumming's wife I'm not usually a conspiracy theorist…..”.

In the papers there is much about Operation Rishi having been launched.

The man himself took the opportunity to distance himself from the PM by saying, of Johnson’s charge against Starmer over Jimmy Savile, “I wouldn’t have said it”.

He subsequently declared his loyalty and support for the PM but it does seem the games afoot, should 54, and more, Tory MPs call for a vote of confidence in Boris Johnson.

The voters of Southend may not have signalled that that is what they want - yet - but Camp Sunak seem to.

And the Chancellor’s allies - well placed in the media and widely found among the Masters and Mistresses of the universe who run policy and in effect Government in the unelected shadows of our democracy - are well into it.

The ‘SPADS’ and their friends in the media are fully engaged.

What a way to run a country.

Labour want him out: that is not only their right, it is their job.

For the media and for partisan advisors, it is not.

The job of the media is to report, objectively, the facts not lobby for a particular narrative let alone out come.

The job of SPADS is to advise and guide Ministers.

Lobbying for a new boss and, presumably, a new job with that new boss, isn’t.

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