Boris Johnson Copes With Scandal Amid Climate Conference


GLASGOW, Scotland — Prime Minister Boris Johnson returned to the United Nations climate summit on Wednesday to persuade countries to make more meaningful commitments to curb global warming. But his splashy return to the global stage has been almost overshadowed by a growing scandal over lucrative business deals from Conservative Party lawmakers.

Mr. Johnson is not the only world leader whose global ambitions are teeming with local distractions. Some, like President Biden, have been disrupted by political conflicts in their homes. Others, such as Chinese President Xi Jinping, have not appeared as they grapple with the pandemic and other challenges.

But as host, Mr Johnson’s split-screen moment was particularly unforgivable: Instead of receiving praise for his diplomacy on climate change, as he had hoped, he endured a whole bunch of unflattering revelations about Conservative Members of Parliament. The latest embarrassment was a report from the Westminster office of a former attorney general that he had done legal work for the British Virgin Islands in violation of the House of Commons rules.

On Wednesday, Mr. Johnson did his best to change the subject.

“We need to pull back all the stops if we’re going to do what we came here to do,” he said at a press conference before the final two days of the climate conference known as COP26. Mr Johnson insisted that a landmark deal was within reach, despite warnings that many countries were failing to meet the necessary commitments.

“Are you going to help us seize this opportunity or are you going to hinder it?” said. “Risk of slipping back would be an absolute disaster.”

Even in Glasgow, Mr Johnson faced many questions about the scandal as well as about his efforts to combat climate change. He was asked whether it was appropriate for lawmakers to put their private interests before their constituents (he said he wasn’t) and whether he would apologize for the damage done to the country’s reputation (he didn’t). On stage, he found himself defending Britain’s dignity while attempting to project his statesmanship to a global audience.

“I truly believe that the UK is not a corrupt country, I do not believe that our institutions are corrupt either,” said Mr Johnson.

The most recent politician to come under scrutiny for Moonlight is Geoffrey Cox, a lawyer who defended the British Virgin Islands in a corruption investigation brought by the British government. While Mr Cox is not barred from practicing law, the Times of London has released a video suggesting that he was advising clients while he was recessing to vote in Parliament.

Angela Rayner, deputy leader of the opposition Labor Party, said Mr Cox referred her case to the Parliamentary commissioner for standards, calling it a “terrible, brazen violation of the rules”.

In a statement, Mr. Cox denied any wrongdoing and said it should be up to his voters to decide “whether they vote for someone who is and still is a distinguished professional in his field”.

Mr Johnson on Wednesday defended lawmakers’ ability to work as lawyers, doctors or firefighters, but added that “the most important thing is that those who break the rules must be investigated and punished.”

For the prime minister, it was the latest in a web of ethical traps that have trapped him and his party, from lucrative no-show contracts for companies during the pandemic, to questions about whether a party donor had paid to redecorate the prime minister’s Downing Street apartment. (Mr Johnson later took the tab himself).

Mr Johnson’s position is secure for now, with a 79-seat majority in parliament. But analysts said he risks alienating members of his party, largely through a crisis of his own making. This stemmed from his government’s misguided attempt to protect another embattled Conservative MP, Owen Paterson, last week by forcing Tory lawmakers to vote in favor of rewriting Parliament’s code of ethics.

When this sparked a storm of opposition and media anger, the government was forced to back down and Mr. Paterson resigned. The spotlight quickly shifted to other Conservative lawmakers, a few of whom earn more than $1 million a year from consulting contracts and other business deals.

“The question is all about how to implement this,” said Bronwen Maddox, director of the Institute of Government at the London research institute. “The current system will work if the government does not dismantle it.”

The scandal is hurting Mr Johnson’s popularity, which has fallen to its lowest levels since his landslide victory in 2019. In a recent poll by the firm of Ipsos Mori, the Labor Party beat the Conservative Party by a single percentage point, 36 to 35 percent. “Apologies for the mess, prime minister,” said the normally loyal Daily Express.

“It’s really problematic for him that this goes beyond Johnson and that Johnson is involved in it,” said Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London. “It allows the opposition to establish this pattern of behavior for both the leader and his troops.”

It’s also a huge distraction at a time when Mr Johnson may be working on foreign officials in Glasgow. Rather than stay for the conference, the prime minister left Scotland last week just two days after it started. Downing Street said it was delaying its return visit by several days and was lobbying by phone with stubborn leaders, including Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Mr Johnson, who was criticized for flying to London on a private jet last week, took a train to Glasgow this time. But critics have repeatedly said that his closed participation was typical of his approach in the months leading up to the meeting. Mr Johnson left most of the diplomatic burden on Alok Sharma, a former business minister, whom he appointed as head of COP26.

“The Prime Minister has had a lack of attention from the start,” said Tom Burke, a former government adviser and head of environmental research group E3G. “He should have gone to some of the critical countries himself.”

Indeed, when the most notable announcement came on Wednesday, it was not Mr Johnson who made it. The US and China said they agreed Doing more to reduce emissions this decade, as a result of nearly 30 meetings between the two countries, according to John Kerry, Mr. Biden’s climate ambassador.

Mr Johnson is not the only leader to encounter distractions. Mr. Biden arrived in Glasgow while Democrats were still negotiating over the shape of climate legislation. In trying to reflect a renewed message of American engagement, experts said other countries understandably harbor doubts about its ability to implement it.

“The US influence on the world stage is waning, among other global leaders, due to uncertainty over whether President Biden can get the money to fund his growing ambition through Congress,” said John P. Holdren, a former scientific adviser to President Barack Obama.

At least Mr. Biden has reached Glasgow. Mr. Xi from China, Russian President Vladimir V. Putin and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro did not attend the meeting, which climate experts say makes their countries less likely to make a substantial commitment even if they send large numbers of delegations to Scotland.

While the political storms in London were hardly on the agenda in the corridors or boardrooms of Glasgow, Mr Burke said he would confirm some of the other leaders’ prejudices that Mr Johnson was not a credible counterpart. This could reduce incentives to make broader climate commitments.

“In my opinion, he’s seen as a mild-mannered person and other leaders don’t get the joke,” said Mr. Burke.

Stephen Castle contributed news from London.



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