Scandals piling up

[Bloomberg]( Follow Us [Get the newsletter]( Boris Johnson’s tenure as British prime minister was never likely to be boring. His first move back in 2019 was to hire Dominic Cummings — the mastermind of Britain’s divorce from the European Union and the most controversial strategist in U.K. politics — as his top adviser. The pair split last year after a power struggle, and now Cummings is on the warpath. In an incendiary blog [post]( Cummings, who triggered a public outcry over a 250-mile road trip during lockdown, accused his former boss of making plans that were “unethical, foolish, possibly illegal.” There are many strands to the [allegations]( swirling around Johnson, spanning the fall-out from the [collapse]( of Greensill Capital and claims he’d rather have seen “bodies pile high” than order another [lockdown](, to the suggestion he bent the rules to renovate his luxurious official apartment. With elections taking place in Scotland, London and elsewhere on May 6, there are signs the public is beginning to [associate]( the ruling Conservatives with “sleaze.” That catch-all term is reminiscent of British scandals that rocked the Tory government of the 1990s, which ultimately led to 13 years of Labour rule under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. For now Johnson remains ahead of Labour Leader Keir Starmer on every rating that counts, in national opinion polls at least. It is different story on the ground in Scotland, where the Eton-educated prime minister is seen as so toxic his own party doesn’t want him to help their campaign. If the pro-independence movement triumphs next month and momentum builds for another referendum on Scotland breaking away, Johnson will face far bigger problems than the bills for his apartment. — [Tim Ross]( Cummings departs No. 10 Downing Street on Nov. 13 after he quit as a top aide. Photographer: Hollie Adams/Bloomberg Check out all our biggest stories on the Bloomberg Politics web page [here]( and tell us how we’re doing or what we’re missing at balancepower@bloomberg.net. Global Headlines Economic appeal | U.S. President Joe Biden is using his massive infrastructure and family-support plans to [woo]( discontented White voters who backed Donald Trump, as well as independent suburban women. As [Nancy Cook]( explains, support from those groups could be vital for Democrats’ hopes of retaining their slim majority in Congress in next year’s midterm elections. - New census figures released yesterday signaled a [shift]( in political clout, with Republican strongholds gaining seats in the House of Representatives. Keeping watch | China’s top spy agency announced measures to fight [infiltration]( by “hostile forces” in companies and other institutions, as businesses find themselves caught in the competition between Beijing and Washington. The rules will see security authorities draw up lists of firms considered susceptible to being permeated and require them to take security measures. Spoiler alert | Poland is set to [ratify]( the EU’s pandemic stimulus plan as the threat of losing billions in aid galvanizes support in parliament to stop the government from torpedoing the deal. The bloc’s largest eastern member had loomed as a potential spoiler for the $965 billion package, as a result of a government rift, but lawmakers from opposition parties say the deal will pass, [Dorota Bartyzel]( and [Piotr Skolimowski]( report. President Vladimir Putin’s multi-year push to reduce Russia’s exposure to the dollar has hit a major milestone, as the share of exports sold in the U.S. currency [fell]( below 50% for the first time. Publicity muscle | Qatar is ramping up its lobbying efforts in Washington, eager to [cultivate]( closer ties with the Biden administration and Congress in order to avoid a repeat of 2017, when it was caught off-guard by a Saudi-led boycott in the Persian Gulf. Qatar has hired seven prominent firms since January at a combined rate of $186,000 per month, and at least five of them have close links to Democrats. Wealth shift | Hungary’s ruling party approved the transfer of a vast array of state [assets]( to quasi-private foundations in a move Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s rivals say will cement his grip on power regardless of elections. Hungary has also asked the EU to channel grants from its pandemic aid fund to the institutions, risking confrontation as the bloc endeavors to withhold cash from members seen as undermining democratic values. Paid Post The power of PayPal online, now in person. Give your small business an easy way to accept touch-free, in-person payments. 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PayPal What to Watch - Rival leaders from the island of [Cyprus]( meet today to seek common ground on how to pursue reunification after nearly 50 years of bitter division. - South Korea led the developed world to join China in [exceeding]( the size of its pre-pandemic economy, as investment and exports helped it expand faster than expected. - France is threatening to [block]( regulations that would let the U.K. continue operating under financial regulations in Europe if London doesn’t respect its Brexit commitments on fishing. - A slow vaccine rollout and lack of funding could set Africa’s economy [back]( two to five years, the head of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa warned. - Australia is [banning]( all flights from India until at least May 15 as the South Asian nation battles what Prime Minister Scott Morrison called a “terrible crisis.” And finally ... Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s move to [rebuild]( part of New Delhi is drawing fire because it’s estimated to cost billions even as India grapples with the pandemic. As [Shruti Srivastava]( and [Dhwani Pandya]( report, the planned changes will cement Modi’s legacy in one of the world’s oldest cities by reconstructing central Delhi, which houses the legislature and other historical buildings in an area as large as 50 football fields. An artist’s impression of the Central Vista project with the new triangle-shaped parliament building adjacent to the current version that will become a museum.   Like Balance of Power? [Get unlimited access to Bloomberg.com](, where you'll find trusted, data-based journalism in 120 countries around the world and expert analysis from exclusive daily newsletters.  You received this message because you are subscribed to Bloomberg's Balance of Power newsletter. [Unsubscribe]( | [Bloomberg.com]( | [Contact Us]( Bloomberg L.P. 731 Lexington, New York, NY, 10022