Conservatives ‘need to stand up and be counted’ - Peterborough Labour leader

They have nowhere to hide, and no one to blame, apart from their own shortcomings.

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The gears of the political system continued to grind and churn despite the festive break; the Prime Minister’s absence from the scene while the situation in the Middle East deteriorated is baffling to say the least. However, this fits into a larger pattern: to avoid questioning, he not only avoided Andrew Neil, he once hid himself away in a fridge. I believe that Johnson is assuming that the public is sick to death of politics and that his absence will neither be noticed nor missed.

This is true up to a point: there is no doubt that the reaction to Brexit was partially responsible for the result of the December 12th election. People simply wanted to get on with their lives. However, we are now faced with something even more serious than ponderous trade negotiations; let’s be clear what is at stake.

Donald Trump initiated the assassination of a government official; the United States hasn’t done such a thing since they sanctioned the killing of the architect of Pearl Harbour, Admiral Yamamoto. As there was a full-blown war going on, we can understand why this was done.

Iran has been engaged in provocative behaviour for years. So why now? Why do this in particular? It looks like lashing out, the consequences of which may not have been fully thought through. President Trump is also apparently unaware of his obligations to international law: attacking cultural sites is illegal. Furthermore, it’s pointless. I submit that if an enemy blew up Big Ben or the Royal Albert Hall, this would not incline Britain to surrender, quite the opposite.

When the sky grows dark, and we hear the rumble of war coming from the horizon, we should be able to look to our leaders to provide reassurance if not guidance. There is no substitute for being there. Hiding in a fridge and hoping for ITV News to disappear is not an option. Leadership needs to be vigorous, credible, and visible. We are apparently getting none of this. Rather, we see a ping pong of rhetoric bounding backwards and forwards on social media, and many are quite rightly concerned.

The public has put the Conservatives in power; however, having won the election, the government should be mindful of the responsibilities it has been granted. Office is not a bauble, an end into itself. It is there for the good that can be achieved on behalf of the public. It is there precisely for moments such as these, when the world is troubled, to stand up, be counted, and to be clear. Alas, this does not appear to be happening; if 2020 does prove to be a difficult year, we will feel this deficit ever more keenly.