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Normally, the conservative-leaning media turned against Boris Johnson on Monday amid mounting anger at the government’s handling of the coronavirus crisis and the belated decision to effectively cancel Christmas.
These are some of the comments they made …
Daily Mail: ‘The principal Minister have any idea what he’s doing?
Johnson’s earlier message, “Have a merry Christmas,” has been transformed into another popular song with a very different tone: “Lonely this Christmas.”
Carefully and lovingly laid plans for the families to meet for the first time in months were thwarted at a stroke. Overnight, the season of goodwill evaporated. And, after another 180 degree turn, the question on many lips is: does the prime minister have any idea what he is doing or where he is going? Is there a coherent Covid strategy?
Or is it all at sea, the captain of a rudderless ship controlled by currents instead of following a constant course?
Rather than meekly accept every scientific scary story, Johnson must interrogate each one and come to measured conclusions based on a balance of risks. That’s what political leadership is all about. Take control of events or, sure as shooting, they will take control of you.
Daily Telegraph Leader: “This sad pattern of promising one thing and delivering another …”
Conservative MPs criticizing the lockdown measures question whether this decision was deliberately delayed until the Commons rose for recess on Friday, thus avoiding a possible secondary revolt.
This is denied by ministers who say they were not fully alerted to the spread of the new variant of the virus until Friday night and that action could no longer be postponed. We admit these are tough times for government, but this depressing pattern of promising one thing and delivering another is hardly designed to bolster public faith and confidence in the way this crisis is being handled.
The Times: ‘The mother of all U-turns …’
I worked with Johnson for years. I don’t think it is intended to be misleading or misleading. He’s desperate to please, a trait that is desperately incompatible with leading a country at such a time.
The weekend mother of all U-turns should drive him and those around him to reject his approach to date. In the days and weeks to come, sober caution must overcome reckless optimism. Rather than gleeful promises and encouraging Britain’s greatness, we need the government to think pessimistically, act early and act decisively. For once, you must anticipate events, on three fronts.
Clare Foges, columnist
The Sun: “Boris Johnson has certainly done things like a pig recently …”
There is no doubt that Boris Johnson has done things like a pig recently. Troubled families who wake up at level 4 this morning will long remember how their holiday gatherings were canceled at the 11th hour, after the cash had been spent.
But we applaud the prime minister for standing up to cabinet colleagues who pushed for even more ruinous restrictions. And it’s clear to all but the most ardent conservative haters that he’s at least acting in good faith: his agonizing turnaround at Christmas is proof that the heartbreaking decision was not made lightly.
