Why I love the Dyson texts

​I love those Dyson texts. The greatest PR coup out of No.10 I have ever seen.
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It shows unbelievably that in Boris Johnson we actually have a Prime Minister on the case. Texting to get things done like an entrepreneur running a start-up business. Not some political windbag. How unusual is that? Back in March last year this country was desperate for hospital ventilators as Covid ripped across the nation. There could be no hanging about.

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Boris asked Sir James Dyson- famous for his bagless cleaners- if his company, based in Singapore, could make the ventilators. He said yes immediately but didn’t want there to be tax issues arising from the manufacture. Quite right . After all it would cost Dyson’s firm £20million but he was happy to make the sacrifice for a good cause but sought assurance there would no tax issue about being a foreign company.

First he went to the Treasury over the issue and then sent a text to Boris who replied; “I will fix it.”  In another exchange Boris says; “ Rishi (the Chancellor) says its fixed. We need you here.”

​Finally when Sir James needed further assurance Boris said; “I am the First Lord of the treasury and you can take it that we are backing you to do what you need.”

Two weeks later Sunak announced that the tax status of people who came to the UK to provide specific help during the pandemic would not be affected.

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Job done. That is the way to run government in a crisis. No committee meetings, no civil servants, no jobsworths. Just action by a PM. How refreshing.

Lucy Powell a Labour shadow says the texts are “jaw dropping” and tried on BBC Radio’s Today programme to conflate steel workers with jobs at risk but with no access to Boris Johnson’s mobile number and the way Sir James was dealt with.
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What a ridiculous arguments. We were in the grip of Covid. We needed urgent action. We got it. Boris has gone up in my estimation.

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