The mayhem in Parliament last night was indicative of where the Government finds itself at this moment. Such were the chaotic scenes that the resignation of the Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, was quickly relegated to the B-plot in the storyline.
Indeed, there were reports that the Chief Whip, Wendy Morton, had resigned alongside her deputy. Allegations of physical and verbal harassment to corral Conservative MPs to vote with the Government. And Tory backbenchers defying not only a three-line whip, but a matter which had been made an effective vote of confidence.
Though even this morning, it remains unclear as to whether it is still being treated as such, given the number of Tory MPs who abstained. A WhatsApp message from the Chief Whip, sent at the unsociable hour of 1.33am, has scarcely cleared the matter up.
Clearly, the ructions in Parliament mirror the instability at the top of Government. It is difficult to make any vote one of confidence when your position is already under question. And on an issue such as fracking, where many MPs face substantial pressure from their own constituents to rebel, a huge risk.
The challenge now for the Prime Minister is to demonstrate she can get a grip and reassert her authority. There is a 75-seat Conservative majority somewhere in this Parliament. And countless pressing issues, from the cost of living to war in Ukraine, that need addressing.
Childhoods ruined
A near decade-long independent inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse has produced an historic final report following a wide-ranging investigation into scandals in schools, care homes and churches.
It sets out just how badly some of the most vulnerable young people in our society were failed at multiple junctures. How a culture of not reporting abuse, thereby allowing it to persist, was allowed to carry on for years. And how when some individuals were caught, many were simply allowed to move on to other institutions to abuse again.
Given the scale of the failings, it feels insufficient to say that lessons must be learned. They must be seared into all parts of public life. The 107 recommendations of the report include a new law to bring in the mandatory reporting of child abuse, and a threat of prosecution for any who witness such crimes and fail to report it without good reason. This must be enacted.
It is not only the state that has a duty to protect. Individuals, empowered by their positions, do too. So many childhoods have been ruined, and adult lives crushed by the memory of abuse. We must do all we can to ensure it is never allowed to happen again.
Museum remixed
It’s the dance classic remix we’ve all been waiting for. Two city institutions, the Museum of London and music venue Fabric, have teamed up to become the world’s first “nightclub in residence”. This mash-up will commence as the two become neighbours when the museum moves to Smithfield.
Their partnership kicks off with a performance at Fabric of a new show by artist Tai Shani, inspired by the museum’s move, and the exhibition about executions at its venue in Docklands. A flavour of things to come.
