Just keep calm
NOBODY wants to see a public war between the Government which set up a public inquiry and the judge it appointed to run it.
Yet that has been the extraordinary situation unfolding over recent days.
It was right for Lady Hallett, chair of the Covid Inquiry, to take some of the heat out of the situation by extending her deadline for tens of thousands of documents to be handed over.
Calm heads are needed ahead of what will be a lengthy and costly exploration of the pandemic and decisions taken at the very top.
But a blanket request for every single WhatsApp message of ministers and officials appears to be over the top.
Asking for every scrap of information – much of it personal or private – will surely lead the inquiry down rabbit holes of unnecessary speculation and gossip rather than the truth it seeks.
It would be unprecedented for the Cabinet Office to end up in a court battle with Lady Hallett.
We hope a sensible compromise can be found.
Whitehall coup
PARTS of the Civil Service are now effectively trying to mount a coup.
If that sounds fanciful then listen to leaders of the PCS union which represents Government workers.
Paul O’Connor says his members who work in the Home Office may refuse to implement immigration policy.
Chief among their targets is the Rwanda scheme.
The union won’t rule out taking strike action rather than process the removal of illegal migrants.
Such a defiance of the process of elected Government is a disgrace.
Voters will have their say on Rwanda and much else at the ballot box, probably next year.
It is not for unelected officials to continually attempt to thwart democracy in such a blatant way.
If ultra woke staff in the Home Office don’t like it, they should quit.
Yes, that works
HARD up families will finally get childcare costs paid upfront after a Sun campaign.
It’s a great boost for parents who are desperate to get back into work or increase their hours.
Also good news is a Government plan to get more childminders working in the sector, too, which will help ease crippling costs.
It’s vital ministers take action like this to tackle our bloated benefits budget.
The country simply cannot afford to have five million people currently out of work and contributing nothing.
Former PM David Cameron’s successful reforms have been largely forgotten since the pandemic.
It’s time to replace welfare with work.
