BEHIND the faux bonhomie and jocularity with Boris Johnson, there lies a vicious streak.

After all, he was once accused by the TV interviewer Eddie Mair of being a “nasty piece of work”.

Those traits were in evidence last week, where his jocularity over the football was a veneer for repressive and vindictive legislation, and benefit changes which will impoverish many.

For amidst all the Wembley hullabaloo, the Tory Government announced that the £20 per week uplift to Universal Credit would be phased out. Now many, and especially those connected to this Government, have done well during the pandemic, with contracts dispensed with little thought or scrutiny. But many more and especially the poor have suffered. That cut will cause severe hardship for many.

Legislation in Parliament was to be no different. First up was the Police and Crime Bill, which fortunately only applies to a very limited extent in Scotland. But its effect in England and Wales is to bring in authoritarian police powers that are not only unnecessary but will be counterproductive. The legislation on travelling people is oppressive and discriminatory.

That was then followed by proposals to require ID for voting. It’s a solution to a non-existent problem. I’ve been involved in politics since the ‘70s and have seen it on only a few occasions. But this proposed bill will limit access to voting for those from minority or poorer backgrounds. It is something that’s always been carried out in the southern states of America but is alien to this country since the franchise was made available to all.

All that was topped off by proposals for refugees that are inhumane and may even be contrary to international law. Whether through war or climate change, we need to help those who are desperate and suffering. Nobody willingly puts themselves and their children through the risks that people are forced to take. It’s a nasty Government indeed.