I’m sitting here on a Tuesday evening, mopping my brow and trying not to melt. I see this as my other job, you see. Getting something written for the edification and reading pleasure of others. It’s muggy enough to mean I need swigs of a cool drink, thoughts of going on holiday float around in my mind.
There’s someone else who thought about a holiday. But he didn’t just think about one, he booked it and is going on it. Our prime minister, Andy Burnham. After two weeks in the job.
Holidays are nice. We all need them. As much as I don’t like politics or politicians, I accept that even they need a holiday. But, in the private sector, good luck starting a new job, then sodding off on holiday two weeks later. But that’s what “our Andy” has done. To me, that’s not far short of a dereliction of duty. There’s one or two issues he ought to be addressing.
What do I know? I’m an ordinary bloke in a Midland city. But there’s being clever and there’s taking the piss. He came into office, made a flurry of announcements about bus fares, VAT on fuel, made a half-hearted attempt at cross-party talks on social care and muttered something about being “relentless” in tackling the not-so-small boat crossings.
Now, he’s buggering off on holiday. As though he’s worked hard enough to justify it. Well, mate, let me tell you, you bloody haven’t. Nowhere close.
I tell you this, not for some sort of hero status. There will be many people doing the same as me. I get reminders to book holiday because I have a lot of days left from my entitlement. I get the reminders because I’m in a responsible role that I treat with sufficient gravitas. What I don’t do is say: ‘Ah sod it, I’m going on holiday. Stuff what is going on in the business.” Nor do thousands of other people. Yet the King of the North seems to think it’s fine.
Ah, I hear you say, he also formed No.10 North. He’s been busy with that. Right, yep. A pointless exercise that’s cost the taxpayer who knows how much. And giving yourself a new office is not work is it? When I swapped my desk for a desk I could stand up at, I assembled it in my lunch break and resumed working straight after. You know, like many people would who take their jobs seriously.
Here’s the worst bit. He’s not even having a holiday in the UK. He’s going somewhere abroad. Like he’s said: “Nah, there’s nowhere nice enough, let’s go overseas!” So, all these venues and publicans he supposedly helped out with a cut in business rates, won’t be serving him a holiday pint, will they?
I know, I know. He’s as entitled to a holiday as anyone else. That’s what many folk will be saying. I get it, I do. But he’s not working in Accounts, is he? Or on shift in an Amazon warehouse. He’s the prime minister. So, it seems reasonable he’d put a shift in for a small bit longer before going on holiday.
Right, I’ll finish there. I’m getting tired and I’ve got work tomorrow. Unlike some people. I’ll dream of going on holiday tonight.