Curse of Boris Johnson looks set to scupper Sunak’s election chances

After the week of Dominic Raab’s resignation as Deputy PM following the bullying claims report, this week it’s another resignation linked to the Conservative hierarchy that has dominated many headlines.

Humza Yousaf, who coincidentally met Mr Sunak this week, must be delighted that the media’s gimlet eye is, for once, focused elsewhere. However, it probably won’t be long before it returns to the Nationalist travails.

A sense of dread must wash over Tory HQ every time Mr Johnson’s name is mentioned; nowhere more so than in Scotland, where the party’s electoral fortunes are looking decidedly dire in spite of the SNP’s continuing woes.

Of course, diehard Johnsonites are likely to emerge from the shadows after next week’s local elections in England when the Conservatives are forecast to take a drubbing. There will doubtless be some high Tories calling for Bozza to be replanted into Downing St. Pure fantasy.

Yet remarkably this week, Greg Hands, the party Chairman, suggested Mr Johnson was “still an asset,” who could be deployed in a campaigning role. An asset like a pinless hand-grenade perhaps.

However, a bad election result for the Tories next Thursday has been priced in for so long that if the Conservative loss of council seats is below the 1,000-mark, then there will be some Sunak loyalists, who will put a rosy gloss on matters, saying the result could have been much worse and so regard it as some sort of triumph. Such is politics.

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As with the SNP drama, the Sharp saga has cast the spotlight on transparency or, rather, the lack of it. Politicians of all stripes proudly extol the importance of openness but it’s amazing how often they fail to practise it.

Sir Peter Riddell, the ex-Commissioner for Public Appointments, suggested Mr Johnson’s own involvement in the appointments process, which was outwith the remit of the Sharp review, should be examined; not least the £800,000 loan guarantee he received to cover his personal costs while in Downing St.

“Big questions remain,” insisted Sir Peter, noting: “Should he have recused himself from the appointment given he knew about Richard Sharp helping him out on this loan?” Indeed.

As Adam Heppinstall KC’s report pointed out how Number 10 nudged people towards Mr Sharp, telling MPs during the interviewing process he “looked like a strong candidate,” former Tory minister Lord Vaizey noted: “The last Government certainly gave the impression these jobs would be given to favoured candidates and the process was almost irrelevant.”

With MPs from all sides demanding an independent and transparent system for choosing the BBC Chairman, Mr Sunak was asked if Mr Sharp’s replacement should be a non-political appointment.

His response at the Scottish Conservatives’ conference was telling; he told reporters he was “focused on delivering for the British people”. So, that’s clear then.

At times, transparency appeared reluctant to make an appearance at the blue rosette gathering in Glasgow as HM Press became miffed over a planned Q&A with the PM.

Some six newspapers had been invited, most of which, like the Telegraph, Mail and Express, are pro-Tory. Among those out in the cold were The Herald and the Scotsman. But the outcasts entered the allotted press conference room anyway. After Downing St threatened to cancel the whole thing, it relented and let everyone in.

When the PM finally turned up, it was suggested he had only conceded to the presser because of the journalists’ protests, to which he replied: “That’s just completely wrong.”

Later, none other than Douglas Ross piped up to support the hack-pack, saying reporters had been “rightly upset” and pledged to make the “strongest possible representations to Number 10 about it”.

Douglas Ross

However, the journalists’ friend was practising his own form of transparency by being transparently disingenuous when he again flatly denied he had ever called for tactical voting at the next General Election.

It may be remembered Mr Ross urged Tory voters to “do what is best for the country” and support the “strongest candidate to beat the SNP” in their constituency.

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Indeed, a Scottish Conservative source spelled it out, saying Mr Yousaf’s election as SNP leader provided a clear opportunity to “end Nationalist dominance at next year’s General Election”.

The party insider told The Times this would mean that Scots voting “smart to maximise tactical voting,” adding: “For example, Conservative voters in Glasgow backing Labour while Labour voters in Aberdeenshire vote for the Conservatives.”

Then Stephen Kerr, the Scottish Tories’ Shadow Education Secretary, went on TV to deliver a nudge-nudge, wink-wink message to viewers, not denying the tactical voting suggestion and stressing how Scots would “know how to vote to get rid of this nationalist government”.

After Number 10 went bananas, insisting this was “emphatically not” the Conservative way, Mr Ross initiated - to use a journalistic term - a reverse-ferret, declaring that he had only ever urged people to vote Tory.

Denying he had ever for one moment suggested Conservative voters should back Labour in some seats to get rid of those nasty Nationalists, the Moray MP emphasised how he was on the same page as Mr Sunak, declaring: “I’m Scottish Conservative leader and I will always encourage people to vote Scottish Conservative.”

As the PM and Tory HQ nervously await next week’s results in England, Mr Johnson will be pondering his options. He has, of course, already been responsible for helping to bring down three Conservative prime ministers: David Cameron; Theresa May and…himself.

Mr Sunak will know there is still enough time ahead of the next UK election for our dear friend, transparency, to produce further revelations linked to the blonde Beatle and so help bring down another one.