Perhaps Rishi Sunak believes that Nadim Zahawi’s belated sacking will put to rest the charge that he is a weak prime minister.
Firing someone only when it becomes unavoidable does not make you vulnerable, just like paying your taxes when you are caught evading them does not make you a tax evader.
Giving a tax evader his P45 with a letter saying “you should be very proud of your extensive achievements” is weak.
Retaining his deputy prime minister in office despite formal complaints of bullying by at least 24 civil servants is weak.
Keeping his home secretary in office when he falsely talks of a migrant invasion and using the Home Office to try to bully a charity into deleting edited footage of his tin-eared response to a Holocaust survivor , is weak.
The threat to stay on as chairman of the BBC comes despite failing to declare his role in organizing massive debt for Boris Johnson during a pre-appointment hearing.
Failing to condemn Jonathan Gullis after he shouted “well, they shouldn’t have come here illegally” during a debate about missing migrant children is weak.
Failing to reach a sensible agreement with the EU on striking NHS staff or the Northern Ireland Protocol over pay is weak.
Because, with all the above signs of weakness, they are being done to appease the radical wing of the prime minister’s party, who – for now – will co-opt him as long as he gets on with their various craziness. Is.
The biggest weakness of all, and one that cannot be corrected for the same reason, is the failure to acknowledge and heal the disaster of Brexit, which is now costing the UK £40 billion a year during the financial crisis . It is the black hole at the core of the British economy, sucking everything else into its void.
Until Rishi Sunak recognizes this and works to undo it, he will continue to be the weakest of prime ministers, when strong, decisive action is most needed.