It had been billed as a “cabinet crisis meeting”, where Rishi Sunak would hold crunch talks with his senior ministers about the growing winter of discontent.
To further emphasise the challenge facing the government, ambulance workers this morning became the latest group to confirm that they will go on strike this month.
They join rail workers, NHS staff, Royal Mail employees and bus drivers in planning a wave of walkouts in the run-up to Christmas.
But incredibly, despite the worsening industrial crisis, this morning’s cabinet failed to discuss it.
Instead, Sunak and his senior frontbenchers talked about the online safety bill, education and crime.
Perhaps we should not be surprised, given the lack of progress made on the commitment in 2019 Conservative manifesto to “require that a minimum service operates during transport strikes”.
Although the Transport Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill was introduced in the House of Commons in October, there is no sign of it becoming law any time soon.
Asked about it this morning, the prime minister’s official spokesperson blamed the Covid pandemic for the failure to deliver on the Tories’ promise three years ago.
“It’s something we’re proceeding with as fast as parliamentary time allows,” he said.
But given the parliamentary timetable is controlled by the government, that excuse doesn’t really wash.
It is therefore hard to escape the conclusion that, for whatever reason, the PM has decided that getting tough with striking unions is not a political priority for him or his government.
Maybe, like workers across the country as Christmas approaches, the government has decided to go on strike as well.
