Tory sleaze allegations give Labour a six-point lead.

Tory sleaze allegations are turning Boris Johnson into a political liability. An Opinium poll on behalf of 'The Observer', now gives the Labour Party a six point lead over the Conservatives and suggests that Johnson's personal ratings are plummeting. 

An analysis of the MP's register of interest, has revealed that more than a quarter of Tory MP's have second jobs worth more than £4m a year. Chris Grayling, the former Conservative Transport Secretary, is one of the best paid MP's with a £100,000 a year advisory role with Hutcheson Ports Europe. Another big earner, is the Conservative MP, Andrew Mitchell, who draws an income of £180,000 from multi-jobbing while being an MP. Indeed, it's claimed that half of all Boris Johnson's ex-ministers have taken up jobs linked to their government roles.

Although an MP's salary (£82,000) plus expenses, is nearly triple the national average wage, some MP's like the Conservative MP Peter Bottomley, consider it a poverty wage. While some critics argue that a parliamentarian should have one full-time job, being an MP,  and one constituency, others in the House of Commons have defended multi-jobbing - which is not illegal- on the grounds that the House is much richer for having members do other things - like lining their pockets. Another argument says that banning MP's from taking other jobs, will deter "high caliber" people from standing for Parliament which enables MP's to stay in touch with the world outside of Westminster. 

Yet, as 'The Observer' columnist, Andrew Rawnsley, recently pointed out, there are other ways for MP's to stay in touch with the hoi polloi and the world of work. Rawnsley says that no MP's list 'street cleaning' as an outside interest or serving the community as care workers, supply teachers, or bus drivers. However, some MP's like Dr Rosena Allin-Khan, the Labour MP for Tooting, continue to work as doctors. 

When he sought the safe Conservative seat of Henley which he won in 2001, Boris Johnson told Andrew Mitchell, that he couldn't live on an MP's salary. Johnson told the recent Cop26 summit in Glasgow, that the UK is not "remotely a corrupt country"." Yet, the Conservatives, and Boris Johnson, are facing a number of investigations and the fiasco over the former minister, Owen Paterson, has made Johnson and his government a laughing stock. Johnson has been investigated over alleged free holidays in Mustique and Marbella and the awarding of public contracts to Tory insiders, which have been dubbed the 'Chumocracy'. While we're told that there's nothing bent about this, many people might wonder why anyone would want to give you a free holiday or pay to have your house done up, if there was nothing in it, like being given a peerage. As Lord Northcliffe said, "When I want a peerage I shall buy it like an honest man."

In 2020, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), said it would not be launching a criminal inquiry into whether Boris Johnson had abused his position as Mayor of London to "Benefit and reward" his ex-lover Jennifer Arcuri, who received £126,000 of public money in the form of grants for her technology business. However, the IOPC did declare that Johnson's conflict of interest may have breached the Greater London Assembly (GLA) code of conduct. According to extracts taken from Acuri's diary which have been published in the press, Johnson complimented her on her "amazing body" and was obsessed with having sex with her, while appearing to offer help with her business as an inducement. In October 2012, the diary records that Johnson told her - "How can I be the thrust - the throttle - your mere footstep as to make your career? Tell me? how can I help you? Seemingly, Arcuri was so impressed with the Mayor that she dubbed him "Alex the Great."

Although Johnson's great political hero is Winston Churchill, he is in my view, more comparable to the populist Edwardian shyster politician, Horatio Bottomley, who was also priapic and had numerous mistresses. A former MP, Bottomley was the editor of a weekly magazine called 'John Bull', and he had the ability to charm the public even while swindling them. A self-deprecating man, Bottomley described himself as "more or less honourable." In 1922, Bottomley was sentenced to seven years penal servitude for fraud and finished up sewing mailbags in Wormwood Scrubs.

It might be tempting to think that that it's only the Tories who are sleazy bastards, but we all know differently. The philosopher Bertrand Russell, in an essay on Thomas Hobbs (1588-1679) pointed out that all government's are inclined to tyranny and will try to make themselves personally irremovable. More pertinently, he wrote that they will all try to enrich themselves and their friends at the public expense. And according to Russell, what keeps them in check, is the fear of rebellion. I might also add, and a free press that isn't in their pockets.