This was a particularly brutal form of an opinion survey. All VIPs arriving at St Paul’s Cathedral for the Queen’s Service of Thanksgiving on Friday were subjected to an impromptu chorus of approval or disapproval by the waiting crowds. The biggest cheers were reserved for Kate and William, and – contrary to expectations – Meghan and Harry. Sir Keir Starmer was silent as he walked up to the top of the stairs.
The most notable public response was then. Boris Johnson, Carrie Johnson and others were met with booing which was drowned by a few cheers.
The Queen, Monarchy and country have all enjoyed the Platinum Jubilee. But for Britain’s political class, it has proved a chastening experience. It has actually exposed them cruelly.
Honour. Dignity. Consistency. Selflessness. These watchwords of Her Majesty’s 70 years of service stand as a rebuke to her 14th Prime Minister and current Leader of her Opposition.
The boos echoing off the steps of St Paul’s suggest Boris has secured significant cut-through. This is the most horrible kind.
St Keir’s lack of authenticity has been highlighted by the recent events. Last week he told the British people it was their ‘patriotic duty’ to embrace the celebrations. In a message to council leaders he added: ‘That Britain has at every juncture rejected extremism is in no small part due to our idea of who we are as a people: an idea borne of a sense of stability that cannot exist without strong institutions.’
What a contrast to Keir Starmer. He was recorded in 2005 confessing that he used to support the abolishment of the Monarchy. And who, last year, ran to unite himself with Meghan Markle, when she stated to be a victim to crude Royal racism.
This cynical pragmatic approach to Labour politics is a welcomed escape from the Corbyn ideological straitjacket many Labour MPs were subjected to. And Labour’s leader has told allies he sees his party’s realignment with the patriotic instincts of Northern Red Wall voters as a key element of his electoral strategy.
But the problem is those Red Wall voters – and the country at large – see it, too. They’re not stupid. They know Starmer’s dramatic transformation into the John Bull of the liberal Left is a product of opportunism, rather than genuine patriotism. Starmer is being perceived as someone who can abandon, disown or discard any principle or belief in order to gain power.
Boris Johnson is not able to do the same for Sir Keir, who may be struggling with voters. The boos echoing off the steps of St Paul’s suggest he has secured significant cut-through. This is the most horrible kind.
Inside No10 there was a hope the Jubilee celebrations would act as a ‘firebreak’ on the PM’s travails. The extended national party, which is also under Partygate lockdown, would provide an important distraction from the crisis in cost-of-living.
But the reality is that the festival of thanks for the Queen’s decades of dedicated service could not have come at a worse time. It was a striking contrast to the ethos of Downing Street workers and residents.
The most graphic comparison relates to the period of mourning Her Majesty and the nation observed on the eve of Prince Philip’s funeral – as Sue Gray’s report forensically detailed when she outlined the way some in No10 had respected the Queen’s loss.
‘Shortly before 21.30, there were over 20 people present in the garden, with a number of bottles of alcohol… a number of individuals gathered near a child’s swing/slide in the garden, damaging it by leaning on and playing with it… Some individuals remained in the building and carried on drinking alcohol until the early hours… Some left after midnight and others between 01.45-02.45. Two members of staff stayed later still, with one leaving at 03.11 and the last leaving at 04.20.’
Boris – who was not present at the time – was forced to apologise publicly to Her Majesty. It was unknown how Boris’ contrition was received until Friday.
St Keir’s authenticity has been reaffirmed by the recent events.
But at St Paul’s, he was given by Buckingham Palace an extract from the New Testament which focused on the theme of integrity to read out in front of the watching millions on TV. Taken from Philippians 4:8, it said: ‘Whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.’
Notice the word ‘honourable’.
Conservative MPs certainly saw it this weekend. The boos that were directed at the leader who can reach areas of the electorate where other Tories cannot are not shared with him.
‘It would be odd if people who had gone to St Paul’s were raging republican socialists,’ one rebel observed. ‘Those boos weren’t coming from the usual suspects. It’s not a good look when the PM is affecting the Jubilee.’ Another MP said: ‘I’m not sure it’s Remainers and socialists who attend Royal events.’
It certainly isn’t. That is why Tory MPs have begun to plan to take action against their leader.
It’s widely expected that when the Commons returns tomorrow, Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs, will announce the threshold of 54 letters to trigger a leadership contest has been met.
‘I think we’ve got the numbers now,’ one coup leader told me. ‘By my figures, we’ve got 67 people prepared to submit a letter. I think it’s now just a question of timing.’
However, there’s still a possibility the plotters may again stay their hands. As one told me: ‘Some people want to move now. Some others believe we should wait until after-elections [in Wakefield and Tiverton & Honiton on June 23]. The thinking is that when we lose both seats, it’s going to be impossible for Boris and his allies to pretend he’s still an asset on the doorsteps.’
However, everyone agrees that the Rubicon is likely to cross this week. One Red Waller, who had previously dismissed talk of a contest, told me: ‘The plotting and backstabbing is the worst since I entered Parliament. I don’t see a way out.’
We are almost at the Jubilee Coup.
As I said last week, it may be best for all. It’s clear there is no other way of drawing a line under Partygate – or internal Tory discontent about the broader direction of the Government – without having some sort of reckoning.
This may not be the case for everyone, but it is possible.
As one former Cabinet Minister told me: ‘We couldn’t be playing for higher stakes. If Boris wins a leadership vote, but there’s a big vote against him, he’ll know people are going to come back for him in a year. Then, I’m told, he’ll say, “OK, I haven’t got a big mandate from the party. So I’m going to ask for one from the British people.” And he’ll call a snap Election.’
This would represent a huge gamble. Boris Johnson was willing to gamble when he rolled a dice and hit a double 6 against Jeremy Corbyn. Even though the 2019 Election was held against very different background and with very different opponents, it saw the defeat of Brexit saboteurs as well as a Labour Party that is led by someone who does not shy away from his socialist hard principles.
A different Boris Johnson fought it.
The Prime Minister, like his political colleagues can utter words from the Bible about integrity and honour. They have a long way to go before they are able to live upto them.