Sunday exclusives

The Sunday press today, when not going overboard with their ‘Megxit’ rampage are ramping up a story that the government is considering moving the House of Lords to York, as some kind of sop to Johnson’s new northern Tory ‘heartlands.’ Apparently, a site has even been identified not far from York railway station. This is all part of a plan to bring democracy ‘closer to the people’ and it’s all bollocks of course, no more credible as the ‘big society’ and every other Tory commitment 'to the people' ever is. If there is any truth in it, it would only happen to assist in the further de-democratisation of the UK.

That’s not because the Lords is a democratic institution, but because it does at least have a majority of non-Tory peers. Move them away from the centre of power and their influence will diminish. Then there’s the suggestion that the Commons itself could move around the country in some peripatetic caravan. This could all begin happening by 2025 we’re told, when the Palace of Westminster is closed for its multi-billion refurbishment. Once again, get MPs away from Whitehall—and the attention will increasingly focus on No. 10—another step on our road to a fully fledged presidency. Move the elected element away from the seat of power. That’s the intention, but I suspect it won’t happen. The logistical challenges are enormous. Even those Coalition efforts to show the people real democracy in action, with PR stunt ‘Cabinet’ meetings held in places like Leeds fizzled out. But such talk now helps embed the idea that Johnson actually cares.

The formula is the same as Osborn’s in 2010, which is to promote a false narrative whilst Labour involves itself in a period of self-reflection with a leadership battle. This plays out this time around as ’look at us, we care about you compared to them (Labour) who only care about themselves.’