Holmsey

Losing faith in politicians

I can’t remember a time when I was more dissatisfied with the state of politics in the White House. Biden seems at least as awful as Trump. The world’s most powerful man can’t answer questions from the press pack – because, apparently, he’s unable to think on his feet!

Let that sink in – the man we depend on to defend the free world is incapable of responding to journalists’ questions. How then can he be trusted to take decisive action against the Russians or Chinese? Worryingly, he’s only just been elected, we have years of his dithering to look forward to. Was he really the best candidate America could find?

Boris Johnson is ace at responding to journalists’ questions; unfortunately he’s even better then Biden at failing to answer them. I don’t usually watch CNN, but because of Boris’s Washington visit, I tuned in and caught US border patrol officers lassoing and rounding up immigrants like cattle. If their cowboy act were happening under Donald’s watch, the left wing in Britain would be yelling from the rooftops, demanding his arrest and impeachment for human rights abuses, yet Sleepy Joe just gets away with it. Honestly, I’ve not seen a word of criticism uttered anywhere in our media.

I supported Boris’s bid to be PM; I felt he deserved a go after the disastrous Theresa May premiership. We know it wasn’t all her fault – a Remainer parliament with Speaker Bercow in the chair, dead set against implementing our Brexit vote – made her job impossible. It was infuriating and painful in equal measure. I haven’t completely lost faith with BoJo yet, but I sense it can’t be too far off. He’s now been forced to U-turn on his ban on foreign lorry drivers – a problem that was totally foreseeable.

Poland, Germany and most other EU countries are short of lorry drivers too, but they’ve managed to avoid the manic panic-buying seen at the UK’s filling stations. Factually, petrol and diesel were only in short supply at a handful of south-east England garages last week, but that didn’t stop idiot drivers going in to panic mode. I think it’s because the government doesn’t enjoy the peoples’ trust – Boris always appears on the back foot, making it up as he goes along.

Despite having the likeable Richard Quigley here on the Island, nationally Labour has zero credibility. The opposition should look like a government in waiting, but this lot don’t. As Peter Mandelson said: “The history of our [Labour] party over the past 47 years is lose, lose, lose, Blair, Blair, Blair, lose, lose, lose.” It’s an astute observation. The present Tory government seems tired and clueless. Priti Patel must be the worst Home Secretary in modern history; how many promises can she break and still keep her job? With the Tories in disarray and the Liberals all washed up, Britain badly needs a credible opposition party, so where is it?

Despite what you heard from conference, Keir Starmer isn’t being allowed to lead his party: they prefer division to election success – they won’t win when the election comes. Britain is suffering shortages and fast-rising fuel prices; we really need a competent government. Some commentators blame it all on leaving the EU, but cargo ships are struggling to unload containers in Los Angeles, we’re short of Canadian and Scandinavian lumber, and even CO2 gas – is that all Brexit? It’s true, some European lorry drivers did return home, but with UK wage rates rising so fast, I reckon those who had settled UK status could be regretting it.