THE GUARDIAN – EDITORIAL: The Conservatives have presided over a shrunken British economy, and Rishi Sunak does not have a clue how to make it grow again
“We’re on the up!” claimed the Daily Express about the British economy on Thursday . Sorry, loyal Conservative cheerleaders, but exactly the reverse is true. Instead of being on the up, we’re on the slide. On Thursday, the Office for National Statistics announced that the UK is in fact in recession, with a 0.3% drop in gross domestic product for the last quarter of 2023 to follow a 0.1% drop in the third quarter. The economy is therefore getting smaller. This is a recession. It is a huge national blow, both economically and politically.
It is true that the slide into recession has been a gentle one. Few economists believe that the announcement portends a downward lurch to compare with the recession of 1980 or the one after the financial crisis in 2009, when GDP fell by more than 4%. Do not, though, be misled by talk of a “technical” recession. An economy is either growing or it is not. Ours is not growing. It is shrinking. » | Editorial | Thursday, February 15, 2024
Showing posts with label Guardian editorial. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Guardian editorial. Show all posts
Friday, February 16, 2024
Friday, July 08, 2022
The Guardian View on Boris Johnson’s Resignation: Good Riddance
THE GUARDIAN: The prime minister has bowed to the inevitable, but he remains defiant and petty, and is still a threat to Britain
‘Mr Johnson went grudgingly and without grace. He left with a speech outside No 10 that was at once breezy and bitter.’ Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
The good news is that the worst prime minister in modern British history is going. The bad news is that he has not yet gone. Boris Johnson fought to the end to remain in Downing Street as his reputation and his government collapsed around him. On Thursday, as more ministers resigned, including one who had been in office less than 48 hours, he bowed to the inevitable, resigning as Conservative leader while remaining prime minister until a successor is chosen.
Mr Johnson went grudgingly and without grace. He left with a speech outside No 10 that was at once breezy and bitter. It contained no note of contrition for his own misconduct as prime minister, or any syllable of awareness of why a party that had rushed to embrace him three years ago has rushed to rid itself of him now. His capacity to do damage to his party and the country has not yet ended.
Mr Johnson presided over three turbulent years in Downing Street. Some of the turbulence was wholly predictable from his past behaviour in journalism and politics, and was his own fault. Some was caused by seismic global events that few, including him, saw coming. He traded on his charisma, which helped lead to his election victory in 2019, but his approach to governance was never serious or strategic, as Brexit exemplified. His conduct as prime minister was incompetent, corrupt and shameful. He should have gone months ago. » | Editorial | Thursday, July 7, 2022
The good news is that the worst prime minister in modern British history is going. The bad news is that he has not yet gone. Boris Johnson fought to the end to remain in Downing Street as his reputation and his government collapsed around him. On Thursday, as more ministers resigned, including one who had been in office less than 48 hours, he bowed to the inevitable, resigning as Conservative leader while remaining prime minister until a successor is chosen.
Mr Johnson went grudgingly and without grace. He left with a speech outside No 10 that was at once breezy and bitter. It contained no note of contrition for his own misconduct as prime minister, or any syllable of awareness of why a party that had rushed to embrace him three years ago has rushed to rid itself of him now. His capacity to do damage to his party and the country has not yet ended.
Mr Johnson presided over three turbulent years in Downing Street. Some of the turbulence was wholly predictable from his past behaviour in journalism and politics, and was his own fault. Some was caused by seismic global events that few, including him, saw coming. He traded on his charisma, which helped lead to his election victory in 2019, but his approach to governance was never serious or strategic, as Brexit exemplified. His conduct as prime minister was incompetent, corrupt and shameful. He should have gone months ago. » | Editorial | Thursday, July 7, 2022
Wednesday, July 06, 2022
The Guardian View on Boris Johnson: A Shameful Legacy
THE GUARDIAN – EDITORIAL: Removing the leader is not enough to repair the damage done to British democracy. A thorough regime change is needed
The Tory party subordinated its history, its judgment and its political identity in service of one man’s monstrous ego.’ Photograph: Tolga Akmen/EPA
Fraud is a word that can describe a person and an action; the deception and the deceiver. Boris Johnson is both. He is a serial liar, but also the incarnation of untruths sold to the country by the party that chose to make him their leader.
His resignation would end a dismal and destructive time for British democracy, when the unwritten codes of decency and dignity that are meant to guard against abuse of power have been tested – and found wanting.
There is scant credit available for ministers who decided in recent days that enough was enough. Their resignations performed a useful service in hastening Mr Johnson’s departure, but his unfitness for office was never a secret. Everyone who followed Mr Johnson’s earlier career path could see that it was paved with falsehoods and betrayal. The damage that his narcissistic character has inflicted on the country was foreseeable.
Too many Tory MPs appeared only to realise this in the past week. The tipping point was the case of Chris Pincher, the former deputy chief whip accused of sexual harassment. Specifically, the problem was a sequence of statements issued by Downing Street that were almost immediately found to be false. Loyalists could not keep up with the rate at which dishonesty was spewing out of No 10. » | Editorial | Wednesday, July 6, 2022
All of Boris Johnson’s weaknesses and character flaws have come to the fore now. Nobody can deny that he is simply not up to the job of prime minister.
My followers and regular visitors will be aware that I have stated these facts clearly from the very start. I feel sure you will all remember my criticisms of Alexander Boris De Pfeffel Johnson, aka BoJo!
It is not over yet for him; by some miracle, he is still clinging to power. But his demise must surely be imminent.
My greatest fear is that we will end up with someone even worse. There are not many good people left in the Conservative Party to choose from. BoJo marginalized all the best people in that party, because they were Europhiles.
© Mark Alexander
Royaume-Uni : démissions en cascade dans le gouvernement de Boris Johnson, qui s’accroche à son poste : Au lendemain des départs fracassants des ministres de la santé et des finances, plus de quarante membres de l’exécutif ont à leur tour démissionné mercredi. Michael Gove, pilier du gouvernement, a été limogé par le premier ministre. »
Fraud is a word that can describe a person and an action; the deception and the deceiver. Boris Johnson is both. He is a serial liar, but also the incarnation of untruths sold to the country by the party that chose to make him their leader.
His resignation would end a dismal and destructive time for British democracy, when the unwritten codes of decency and dignity that are meant to guard against abuse of power have been tested – and found wanting.
There is scant credit available for ministers who decided in recent days that enough was enough. Their resignations performed a useful service in hastening Mr Johnson’s departure, but his unfitness for office was never a secret. Everyone who followed Mr Johnson’s earlier career path could see that it was paved with falsehoods and betrayal. The damage that his narcissistic character has inflicted on the country was foreseeable.
Too many Tory MPs appeared only to realise this in the past week. The tipping point was the case of Chris Pincher, the former deputy chief whip accused of sexual harassment. Specifically, the problem was a sequence of statements issued by Downing Street that were almost immediately found to be false. Loyalists could not keep up with the rate at which dishonesty was spewing out of No 10. » | Editorial | Wednesday, July 6, 2022
All of Boris Johnson’s weaknesses and character flaws have come to the fore now. Nobody can deny that he is simply not up to the job of prime minister.
My followers and regular visitors will be aware that I have stated these facts clearly from the very start. I feel sure you will all remember my criticisms of Alexander Boris De Pfeffel Johnson, aka BoJo!
It is not over yet for him; by some miracle, he is still clinging to power. But his demise must surely be imminent.
My greatest fear is that we will end up with someone even worse. There are not many good people left in the Conservative Party to choose from. BoJo marginalized all the best people in that party, because they were Europhiles.
© Mark Alexander
Royaume-Uni : démissions en cascade dans le gouvernement de Boris Johnson, qui s’accroche à son poste : Au lendemain des départs fracassants des ministres de la santé et des finances, plus de quarante membres de l’exécutif ont à leur tour démissionné mercredi. Michael Gove, pilier du gouvernement, a été limogé par le premier ministre. »
Monday, November 16, 2015
L’editorial du Guardian: Nous devons rester fermes après les attaques de Paris
Avant d’évoquer quoi que que soit d’autre, parlons des victimes. Au milieu du bruit qui suit un épouvantable acte de violence, au milieu du vacarme des débats et des argumentaires, il est facile de ne plus entendre la seule douleur de l’événement. Paris déplore la perte d’au moins 132 personnes qui, ce vendredi, se livraient à des activités inoffensives et heureuses: manger ensemble, regarder ensemble un match de football, écouter de la musique ensemble. Ils sont morts aujourd’hui, assassinés dans des circonstances absolument terrifiantes. Les survivants, les blessés, les Français tous ensemble, déjà blessés par les attaques meurtrières de Janvier, sont sous le choc. Dans leur perte, leur deuil, leur douleur, nous sommes avec eux.
Le Président Français a répondu aux tueries parisiennes en les qualifiant de déclaration de guerre. Cela semble incontestable. Parler des tirs et des explosions de vendredi soir comme de simples crimes, comme s’ils n’étaient qu’une suite de meurtres commis par des gangs urbains, passe à côté de quelque chose d’important. Ces meurtres ont été coordonnés, méticuleusement planifiés et, selon des témoins visuels, effectués avec une précision froide et militaire. François Hollande n’a pas, pour rien, parlé de confrontation avec « l’armée » d’EI (Etat islamique). » | Monday, November 16, 2015
Read this editorial in English »
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