Invicta Vlogs
Rule of Law: Choices and Consequences
WHEN THE LAW MAKERS BECOME LAW BREAKERS
From ‘party gate’ to ‘beer gate’, the House of Commons seems inundated with sleaze and scandal. In November 2021, reports in the media emerged of a supposed Conservative lockdown party and since then both Labour and Conservative have suffered the consequences of supposed and confirmed breaches of law.
Boris Johnson - the Prime Minister that likes to party
The media alongside many people have condemned Boris Johnson and the Conservative’s actions. Yet despite criticism, some people have justified his actions by labelling them as a “mistake” and by acknowledging the fact that many people bent the rules in order to preserve a humanity to their lives. This party culture has led to fines and plummeting popularity of the conservatives, as shown in the recent local elections, however Boris Johnson has escaped the ultimate consequence as he has remained party leader.
Matt Hancock - the man that shocked the nation (and his wife).
Matt Hancock became one of the most prominent members of the cabinet during the pandemic due to his position as Secretary of State for health, however his final days in the cabinet were a humiliating embarrassment for his family, the conservatives and himself.
In June 2021, a video of Mr Hancock and Gina Coladangelo was released explicitly breaking social distancing regulations. His actions were heavily criticised not only legally but also morally thus on the 26th of June 2021 he resigned, although arguably if he didn’t, he would have likely been fired.
Dominic Cummings - the puppet master of government during outbreak of COVID. Dominic Cummings was the chief advisor to Boris Johnson during the early stages of the pandemic and at the heart of Number Ten Downing street; he was heavily criticised in the media for driving to Durham, breaching lockdown travel rules. Following heavy criticism in the media, Mr Cummings left his position due to the irony of working to establish lockdown rules yet also breaking them.
Keir Starmer - the man who likes a beer whilst “working”
On 30 April 2021, more than a year ago, pictures have been revealed of Keir Starmer drinking a beer with Labour workers in a party office in Durham. Since the ‘beergate’ scandal emerged, Starmer has been called hypocritical due to the irony in his attack against Boris Johnson and the Conservatives for ‘partygate’. Although Keir Starmer has pledged that if he is fined he will resign, previously he called for Boris Johnson to resign just for being investigated, undermining the principle of ‘innocent until proven guilty’. Do you think Keir Starmer is principled or hypocritical?
Should the law breakers remain law makers? As the ‘partygate’ scandal shocked the nation and damaged the Conservative’s popularity, the party has resorted to self-preservation in order to maintain power, whilst critics called for Boris Johnson’s resignation. Arguably, Boris Johnson’s administration should not have survived the plethora of scandals emerging from the executive, as it is an example of injustice in a democracy. Conversely, it could be deemed just that Boris Johnson has retained his position as prime minister due to his continued sufficient support. Is Britain really “one of the best democracies in the world” if our law makers are law breakers?
The COVID 19 pandemic has exposed politics to be a child’s game of secrets and lies fuelled by the media creating consequences for careless choices.
Never before has it been so important for all people who are old enough to vote to use their voice to help shape the country we live in and fight for what is important to them, no matter what their political stance. If we want our future to be better and more democratic, then it is up to us to insist that is and use the voice that we have.
Laura Hooker
Senior Prefect
