Boris Johnson was slapped down by Theresa May yesterday for his comments about Saudi Arabia. And the Foreign Secretary earns himself a similar rebuke in the Guardian this morning. The paper describes his remarks as ‘plain speaking without a purpose’ and says that ‘he frequently shoots from the hip or goes off half-cocked’. It warns that while speaking out of turn as a columnist could be ‘embarrassing’, now the ‘potential consequences are far graver’. But if so, why is Theresa May still tolerating Boris? In the eyes of the Guardian’s editorial, it’s because the PM thinks that ‘a cannon that misfires so often is less dangerous in front of her than on the benches behind her’. But how long will the PM’s patience persist?
The Daily Telegraph offers a kinder assessment of its former columnist’s remarks in its editorial today. The paper says that ‘speaking bluntly’ is what Boris is famous for, and it goes on to argue that his wayward comments are part of the reason that so many voters like Boris in the first place. And for those wondering why Theresa May put him in the Foreign Office, the paper suggests the answer is obvious: ‘Mr Johnson brings authenticity to the Government’ and it’s clear that the Foreign Secretary is ‘critical’ to the appeal of the Government. But while Boris is praised for speaking honestly, there’s criticism for Theresa May after Downing Street publicly rebuked Boris. This is no time for Tory infighting, the Telegraph’s editorial suggests – adding that it was ‘unwise’ of the Prime Minister to respond to Boris’s comments by criticising him ‘in such a harsh way’.
The investigation by police in Northern Ireland into the hundreds of people who died at the hands of the British Army is the subject of a lengthy editorial in the Daily Mail. The paper calls on this ‘shameful witch hunt’ to be stopped immediately. And the Mail suggests the ‘scales of justice’ are ‘skewed’ if IRA terrorists handed immunity can ‘sleep soundly in their beds at night while soldiers they would merrily have murdered could be put on trial’. The paper has been an ardent supporter of Theresa May, which makes its words of warning to the Prime Minister today even more forceful. It says that while this ‘fresh outrage’ originated before May made it to Downing Street, ‘she must do everything in her power to bring it to an end’.
The decision of McDonalds to move a large chunk of its tax base to the UK from Luxembourg is the subject of discussion in the Times. The paper says that before Brexit we were warned there would be a ‘drift of business investment’ away from the UK. And while it’s too early to tell if that’s going to be the case, yesterday’s decision was part of a pattern of ‘hopeful signs’ it might not be. The Times says it’s clear that the ‘ease’ of doing business in the UK is, among other reasons such as our ‘flexible employment laws’, why Britain is such an attractive place to invest. And while the hard work of Brexit is still to come, the Times says the good news is that ‘all of these advantages will remain in place’ after Britain leaves the EU.
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