How does Boris Johnson’s cabinet sleep at night with what’s going on in

There’s nothing inherently wrong in deciding on a career in politics at a young age. It’s not the norm, but on the basis your intentions are honourable (making a difference; public service, for starters) it’s okay and ‘twas ever thus. But something’s changed of late – we find ourselves not only with a prime minister who lacks any form of moral compass and a loose affinity with the truth but a cabinet dominated by sycophants and second raters.

Despite findings of bullying her staff, home secretary Priti Patel didn’t even contemplate resigning. So too Robert Jenrick, the communities secretary, in the face of a number of gross errors of judgement.

Dominic Raab has escaped justified calls on him to resign, after lounging on the beach as a catastrophic failure of foreign policy galloped apace in Afghanistan. He was considerably more keen to get a holiday pass from Boris Johnson than call his counterpart in Afghanistan.

Compare and contrast – as others have observed – the actions of Lord Carrington after Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands. Peter Carrington resigned as foreign secretary, taking responsibility for his department’s failure to heed the warnings leading up to events in late March and early April 1982.

Hansard records that the-then defence secretary also offered to resign but Margaret Thatcher refused the request. Compare and contrast, also, Thatcher’s handling of the ensuing crisis to that of Johnson’s. Thatcher immediately sought and got international support notably from the UN.

She consulted her cabinet – not merely listening to all views, but positively courting them. Thatcher didn’t hesitate to assemble Parliament – on a Saturday. Despite her faults, especially towards the end of her tenure, Thatcher appointed her cabinet ministers based on merit; and happily included both Ken Clarke and Keith Joseph from opposite wings of the Conservative Party. Thatcher expected dissent and rigorous debate.

Johnson has decided on a cabinet based on loyalty to him and his version of Brexit. Merit and honour are not on the list of requirements. Matt Hancock not only failed to resign immediately, but enjoyed Johnson’s enthusiastic support. Hancock resigned only because he lost the confidence of backbench Conservatives, many of whom had never liked him for a variety of reasons – including being a George Osborne acolyte.

It’s difficult to imagine any other circumstances in which a member of Johnson’s cabinet would resign. Taking responsibility and acting on principle are anathemas. With the exception of defence secretary Ben Wallace I don’t believe any of them will have lost even an hour’s sleep over the appalling situation in Afghanistan; and the deep betrayal of our servicemen and women and the Afghan people.

The rot in British politics is deep-seated and was first exposed by Brexit – and then the failure of Labour MPs to be true to their convictions during the Corbyn years.

Following the 2016 referendum, remain-supporting Conservative MPs faced a choice. Most decided to keep their heads down. Some begged to get in to government, choosing to bury themselves in ministerial work; it was understandable,…