Prime Minister

UK Prime Minister: An impossible job

I write this on 29th April 2026, at the end of two weeks of stressful chatter in our news media. Was the UK parliament going to accuse the Prime Minister of 'lying to parliament', a fatal accusation if they decided to make it? In the end they did not. But we heard too much of this unfortunate kerfuffle; surely there was other news! 

It has been borne in on me that the job of being Prime Minister in the UK has become well-nigh impossible. A case of job-inflation, starting perhaps with Margaret Thatcher, and pushed forward by Tony Blair. Our prime minister used to be Primus inter pares, not the solitary decision maker that he has become. He is not our President, our chief executive; he is only convenor and chair of the Cabinet. 

I do not think the BBC helped. Indeed, I think the BBC exacerbated the problem. They puggled and worried the ministers; they stoked the blaze. (I expect some newspapers were as bad, but my only exposure to 'the media' is the BBC, our quasi-independent-dependent broadcasting company!) I think the U-turn jeering could even be said to have caused errors, such as Sir Keir Starmer's peremptory sacking of Sir Oliver Robbins (Olly Robbins to 'the media').

I do not think Keir Starmer should have sacked Oliver Robbins, though I understand his momentary anger. I understand that there were two errors involved: I doubt Keir Starmer was aware that Sir Oliver was, himself, not privy to the text of the vetting; but the latter could have explained, if not the content, at least the process. 

In any case, I do not think Keir Starmer did sack Sir Oliver, for I do not think he could sack him; Keir Starmer did not employ him; so it was not in his power to un-employ him. (See my point above, about job inflation.) Many other people have made mistakes on the route to here. 

I think Sir Oliver Robbins should be re-instated.