On Monday evening, a BBC ‘Breaking News’ notification popped up on my phone with reports that a birthday event was held for Boris Johnson on 19 June 2020, during the first lockdown. Unfortunately, this news wasn’t as ‘breaking’ as it should have been, given that I had received around five of the same headlines over the past month.
The excuses get poorer with each revealed incident. With Johnson first denying that such parties ever took place, then acknowledging they took place but without his knowledge, then saying the parties were work gatherings, and at last finally claiming nobody told him the rules, the Prime Minister appears to be taking the public for idiots.
Yes, the parties are infuriating and insulting given how closely the vast majority of the UK have been abiding by Covid-19 restrictions and guidelines; and yes, I find the treatment of the public particularly insulting, especially given the sacrifices so many of us have made over the past two years, to the point where people were not allowed to say goodbye to loved ones.
However, for me, the worst part is that there never seem to be any consequences for people in such positions of power, beyond obvious discussions about whether Boris Johnson should resign. My question is: why aren’t there already procedures in place to handle this kind of situation, if the Prime Minister is not adhering to the very rules he/she laid out? The fact that senior politicians can lie about the existence of parties (which everyone knows took place) and receive no formal admonishment astonishes me.
However, this behaviour is nothing new. It comes from people in highly privileged positions who have never had to accept consequences for any of their actions. Even when the Prime Minister was at school, his privilege was such that he could avoid any sort of repercussions for his behaviour. A report from Johnson’s Eton Classics master said, “I think he honestly believes that it is churlish of us not to regard him as an exception, one who should be free of the network of obligation that binds everyone else.”
And it’s not just politicians who can weasel their way out of accepting responsibility for their actions. The ongoing investigation involving Prince Andrew has shown how privilege can protect those in powerful positions from facing consequences, even if their actions are criminal. I appreciate that this is a slightly different case. Firstly, possible repercussions are difficult to enact given that Andrew is a UK citizen, and the court case is based in the US. Furthermore, the prince has faced some consequences, including the removal of his royal title, ‘HRH’. However, the press revealed Andrew’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein eleven years ago. Since then, he has avoided any formal reprimand and has consistently denied any claims of illegal activity.
That said, there there is some positive action being taken, as society becomes increasingly vocal in its condemnation of privilege for power. In the case of Prince Andrew, the public have refused to allow allegations to be brushed under the carpet. A US judge has ruled in favour of a civil case, negating the validity of Andrew’s lawyers’ objections.
Others have called for the resignation of Boris Johnson, with MP Christian Wakeford even defecting to the Labour party in protest. While we will have to wait and see what Sue Gray’s report says before we can say with any certainty whether such privileged politicians are truly untouchable, the fact that the investigation is being undertaken at all is a positive step. Perhaps we are finally approaching a stage where people are held accountable, regardless of their social position.