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Sunday 21 February 2016

Boris Johnson - Ocean Going Hypocrite

Six months ago, London’s increasingly occasional Mayor Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson gave German magazine Der Spiegel an interview, during which he said “Look, we can't leave Europe … We're always going to be a part of Europe psychologically … I believe in the free market of services and all those things … My ideal world is, we're there, we're in the EU, trying to make it better”. Six months ago.
 A total Muppet. And a character from Sesame Street

But that was then, and with Young Dave not leading the Tories into the next General Election, there is an opening for that particularly shameless and calculating politician that Bozza undoubtedly is. So this afternoon, in front of the waiting hacks and snappers, and in time for his pals in the press to arrange plenty of front page coverage for tomorrow’s first editions, out he came from his reassuringly expensive London house. And guess what?

As the BBC has told, “Mayor of London Boris Johnson has said he has decided ‘after a huge amount of heartache’ to campaign for Britain to leave the EU … He said the EU was eroding British sovereignty and PM David Cameron's reform deal would not bring about the fundamental change that was needed”. The adulation from the right-wing press was, of course, purely incidental. And if you believe that, you’ll believe anything.

So now the unappealing Gang Of Six - Michael “Oiky” Gove, Iain Duncan Cough, dodgy John Whittingdale, Theresa “Who?” Villiers, Priti “Motormouth” Patel and terminally inept Chris Grayling, has a seventh unappealing member. What difference will this make to the Outers’ campaign? Ah well. Here we enter the wonderful and wacky world of the Westminster media bubble, where reality is permanently out of phase.

Because Bozza - like “Oiky” Gove - is one of their own, and they all know him, the hacks and pundits assume that he is universally popular. They are prepared to forget the 800 vanity buses, the vanity cable car, the appalling air quality, the waste of money on two water cannon, cuts to policing and firefighters, shortage of affordable housing, the mess caused by Uber, the broken promises over ticket office closures, and the rest.

Boris Johnson is not a talismanic figure outside London - and not as popular in London as many of those in the media bubble believe. If he were to fetch up with his schtick by the Pier Head in Liverpool, the only thing it would get him would be chucked in the Mersey in short order. His presence would cut no ice in Scotland. Or Wales. Or across the rest of the north of England. The press is zealously promoting a false prophet.

And, as his ability to make a U-Turn on the issue du jour demonstrates, Bozza is a hypocrite of the least trustworthy kind. It would not surprise anyone if he spent the next few weeks opposing Britain’s membership of the EU, only to then do a “crikey” and a “cripes chaps”, before deciding that he was only joking and was joining Dave in wanting to stay in. Neither side in the upcoming referendum needs a charlatan like him.

As for the Tory leadership, which he wants, despite claiming otherwise, he can forget it. Bozza is about to leave City Hall to become another of yesterday’s men. The end.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

"They are prepared to forget the 800 vanity buses, the vanity cable car, the appalling air quality, the waste of money on two water cannon, cuts to policing and firefighters, shortage of affordable housing, the mess caused by Uber, the broken promises over ticket office closures, and the rest"

You've arguably left out the most important one of all - the "The job of Mayor is not a part time one" said Boz - before deciding that he would treat it as exactly that by becoming an MP at the same time. Why anyone takes a blind bit of notice of the posturing clown is quite beyond me.

Anonymous said...

How about the Orbit Tower in the Olympic Park, paid for in part by the husband of the woman he was shagging behind his back...

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-the-flawed-mayor-of-london-8626198.html

Anonymous said...

Certainly Johnson is a moron, but he's a dangerous moron of the worst sort.

It tells you everything you need to know about London that such a lying spiv-idiot can receive a majority of votes. Donkeys led by donkeys, poisonous sociopaths like Soubry and Hancock the norm.

In other words, he and they are a typical product of the public school system.

hirundine said...

Hur-a-hur ... ! These people are entirely shameless,. Who is it that wastes, time and votes upon them?

Steve Rogers said...

You've been very selective in your quotations. Reading the full interview, it's clear that Johnson was already advocating leaving the EU at least temporarily and didn't consider it a big deal to do so. His remarks about the Channel were in support of this view. He may be a shameless bastard, but he was not advocating staying in.

Andy McDonald said...

I know someone who worked closely with BoJo over the last few years, and once you get through the hero worship, a few things emerge. Basically, his attitude is to not give a shit. Difficult question? Ignore it and move on. Hint of a scandal? Plough through and hope it blows over. Policy? Whatever sounds good. To a degree it's what plenty of columnists do too, and it's what Donald Trump has adopted as his strategy stateside.

BTW I asked the guy about the 'no part-time mayor' thing, and he said that what BoJo meant was no *ministerial* job while still mayor. Because, the man reasoned, plenty of other MPs held down other jobs so that was compatible with being mayor. Yes, I said, but those jobs tend to be non-executive directorships, not exactly hands-on work at the coalface.

David Aust said...

You're not wrong in your analysis, but I fear the "LOL BORIS WHAT A LEGEND!1!!!" vote is stronger than we'd like it to be.

I'm guessing he's worked out that if the UK votes to leave, Cameron and Osborne's position will be untenable, leaving the field clear for him. And if the vote is to stay, Eurosceptic Tories, angry that they lost, will flock to him as 'their' candidate.

Of course, the future of people's jobs and livelihoods are on the line but I doubt he concerns himself with that kind of thing.

Unknown said...

Remember Eddie Mair to Boris? "You're a nasty piece of work aren't you?" https://youtu.be/fj686CmGGSA

Anonymous said...

Or the time he was accused of giving out Someones address in a dispute?

Hardly PM material. Although, by their standards, he might be suitable.

Anonymous said...

"I'm guessing he's worked out that if the UK votes to leave, Cameron and Osborne's position will be untenable, leaving the field clear for him. And if the vote is to stay, Eurosceptic Tories, angry that they lost, will flock to him as 'their' candidate."

This is ALL about the getting an eye on the No 10 keys and if that means jumping onto good ship Brexit so be it.

More 'here today, gone tomorrow' Politicians doing what they do.

The vote is bigger than any of them.

pete c said...

No positive feelings for the Boris at all - but preferred the scruffy haircut.

The poncey leader-in-waiting trim is really naff.