The 'Peter Principle' is a concept in management theory that people in a hierarchy are promoted until they reach a level at which they are no longer competent to fulfil their role. Theresa May seems to be a perfect example of this principle in action.
Following 6 years of relative success as Home Secretary, Mrs May found herself propelled upwards in July 2016, at least partly as she was seen as being the least divisive option to succeed David Cameron as leader of her party and Prime Minister. Ever since, she has presided over nothing but a decline of party, government and her own position as she has failed miserably to get to grips with the increased responsibilities of her elevated office. Her initial procrastination over the matter of the 'Article 50' notice and the calling of an unnecessary general election, for which the Conservative campaign was horrendously mismanaged, presaged nothing but calamity. May's approach in the election campaign miraculously snatched defeat from the jaws of a certain crushing victory, setting up the basis for the current situation.
Media reports have made it clear that she has failed to delegate effectively and has attempted to micro-manage the most problematic issue of her premiership, Brexit. Those appointed to the post of Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, have found themselves side lined and ignored; 2 have resigned, David Davis and Dominic Raab, in protest. Assorted junior ministers have also left that department as Mrs May established her own 'Brexit office' under her own direct control.
As if this wasn't enough, Mrs May then proceeded to agree to various terms dictated by the European Union which she must have known would be unacceptable to many of her own supporters. She attempted, 3 times, to bludgeon this agreement through both her cabinet and Parliament, losing still more senior ministers along the way - Boris Johnson, Esther McVey and now Andrea Leadsom - plus a host of junior ministers, mostly as a result of her handling of the Brexit question.
Her government is now in a state of collapse, her party is in danger of being wiped out in today's elections for the European Parliament, elections which simply should not be taking place in the UK, and her own authority is non-existent. Her MPs are in open revolt and her days, even hours, are numbered.
Given such a catastrophic situation, how is it that she has lasted so long ? There has never been any real prospect of her withdrawal agreement gaining parliamentary approval and yet she has stubbornly pressed on; even the most massive defeats in parliamentary history have not deterred her and yet she has remained in office. Why ? How ?
The truth is that her fellow Conservative MPs have simply not been able to find an alternative leader and none has had the guts to really stir things up. There seems to be greater enthusiasm for a 'Stop Boris' campaign than for anything else. There have been occasional, but fruitless, attempts to make something happen but, until now, these have petered out and May has been allowed to soldier on. Instead of acting decisively, the pretenders to Mrs May's throne have fiddled, tinkered, talked without saying anything meaningful and generally failed to achieve anything. There has been plenty of rhetoric and much bombast but very little has come of any of it. The result is probably the most almighty mess in which this country has ever found itself.
Even now, when Mrs May's tenure is over in all but name, there is delay and procrastination. It's reported that the 1922 Committee of Conservative backbench MPs has held a vote about what to do next, but the result is a secret and won't be revealed until some future, unknown, date. Andrea Leadsom's resignation last night could have been the signal for real action but it's been followed with more nothingness. Currently, we're told that Mrs May is to meet the chairman of the 1922 Committee on Friday, but to what end is unknow. There are suggestions that May will resign, possibly on Friday, possibly on Monday once the results of what is certain to be a calamitous Euro election are known, and possibly by June 10th. This simply isn't good enough.
Members of Parliament are playing politics at a time of national humiliation, paralysis and crisis. The Euro elections are already a lost cause so why wait ? If anything, acting yesterday might have helped to boost the Conservative vote today, even if only marginally. As things are, the electorate have a choice between a hopelessly divided and incompetent Conservative government, a Marxist led opposition, a bunch of pro-Remain parties each out for their own, largely socialist, interests, and the Brexit party which threatens to knock the rest into a cocked hat and could even morph in to a replacement, and real, Conservative party in due course.
If Conservative MPs don't act decisively in the next 48 hours then the sad truth is that not one of them is fit for promotion to the office o First Lord of the Treasury. Leaders act and act ruthlessly, whatever the short term consequences may be, for long term good. It is high time for some one to show true leadership qualities and take action, rather than waiting around for someone else to start the ball rolling. In 1940, when the Cabinet wanted Lord Halifax, a pacifist and appeaser, to replace Neville Chamberlain as Prime Minister, the King took charge and called for Winston Churchill. Today's crisis may not be quite that grave, yet, but similar action is called for. If that means Boris Johnson at Number 10, so be it; anyone will be better than the present incumbent.
Mrs May has to go and has to go now. Who will step up to the plate and make it happen ? Who will be the modern day King ? Who, our modern day Churchill ?
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