UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak (Tayfun Salci/Anadolu/Getty)


The UK’s Johnson Government is embroiled in scandals from its attempted cover-up of sleaze among Conservative MPs to Christmas parties which broke Coronavirus restrictions.

What to do? Feed The Times with a front-page diversion on a tax cut proposal from Chancellor Rishi Sunak.

The leak also served another purpose: promote Sunak in a contest with Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has cloaked himself in tax-fueled spending on social care, for control of 10 Downing Street.

I spoke with talkRADIO’s Claudia-Liza Vanderpuije on Saturday about the tactic — and why it quickly failed.

Listen from 22:29 in 1700-1730 Segment

See also The Conservative Party’s “Dead Cat” Strategy of Diversion and Deception

We also discuss the ongoing cutoff of electricity in Scotland from Storm Arwen, and the state of UK electoral politics following the Conservative victory with a reduced majority in the Bexley by-election.