How far could Boris go?

Anne Wotana Kaye

Boris must be the leader of the Conservative Party, otherwise all is lost and we will fall once again into the porcine hands of Nu Labour. I have a gut instinct that Boris is a latter-day Churchill, he and only he can pull us out of the terrible mire we have been pushed into. Listening to Cameron braying in the House of Commons, I recollect the characters in the last days of the 30s decade, impotent, out of touch and lacking all power. Churchill was viewed by many as a maverick, but I am convinced that without him Britain would have suffered the fate of most of Europe. The voters must put aside theri apathy and forget for once their dependence on Benefits. Unless they want things to continue as they are, and unless they want their children to continue as benefits junkies, they should vote Conservative, but we MUST have Boris leading a party of liberation!

Frank P

"One who is more sympathetic to him than most, described him to me as a ‘British Berlusconi."

Bwaaahahahahahaha.

I knew he was closely linked to the Muslim Brotherhood and the Scotia Nostra, but an associate of Cosa Nostra? Fuggeddabatit!

Or is 'one who is sympathetic' perhaps merely referring to his seedy sexual prowess? Perhaps there is something we should be told?

Dennis Churchill

Daniel Hannan could stop him.
Hannan is the only serious contender.

Paul D

"The fear of those Tories who think that Boris would be a disaster as leader is that if he made it in to the vote of the party members he would beat whoever stood against him..."

Good to see the Tories believe in democracy......... for other people!

Paul B

I can imagine Boris representing us the at the Security Council. What would be wrong with that? A man with passionate beliefs, intelligent, erudite and lastly with the greatest of gifts, a sense of humour and an ability to laugh at oneself.

I pity those who cannot see this

Rhoda Klapp

So, to sum up, he doesn't want to be leader. His mates don't want him to be leader. His enemies certainly don't want him to be leader. He isn't standing for leader, he isn't currently qualified to stand, and there is no vacancy.

Watt Tyler

To me it is very revealing that these candidates are even talking about a succesor to Tory Boy. I mean, whey would it ever come up in casual conversation if these people were convinced in their minds about Cast Iron?

As it happens, it speaks volumes of the dopiness of the New and BluLabour movement that they consider the even dopier Boris Johnson. It seems afterall that exposure and submission to Marxist ideology is like having ones brain replaced by papier mache.

While I am here, juts wanted to call your attention to an article written by Dr Richard North (if I type a link, it wont pass the moderators). Baroness Ashcroft is speedily putting together a EU Diplomatic corps before the Tories get into "power" at Westminster. The idea is that they will have in place a fully fledged EU Foreign Affairs service speaking on our behalf, and Tory Boy won't be able to do anything about it - unless he pulls us out of the EU, which he won't. There is only one credible party that will do that, and most people here think it is a waste of time to vote for them. What was I saying about papier mache?

Liz Brown

and the point of this article is.........?

Pie

Berlusconi doesn't have the in-depth, valuable knowledge of the classical world that Boris has.

Publius

I don't think anyone expected Churchill to become leader either.

I sense a time is coming when people tire of hedging pusillanimous focus-group driven bureaucrat-politicians.

Glen Green

Well, I'd vote for him (should the occasion ever arise), but only if he removed the western extention of the London congestion charge.
You litening Boris ;)

Newmania

I do detest this association between pomposity and seriousness, they are not the same thing and Boris would be a fine leader.
As David Cameron is a magnificent leader the question does not arise.

JohnAnt

I can imagine Boris as Minister for Women in a UKIP government...

Watt Tyler

whoops I meant Ashton of course - still nobody reads my contributions anyway.

Verity

Paul B, re Boris: “What would be wrong with that? A man with passionate beliefs, intelligent, erudite and lastly with the greatest of gifts, a sense of humour and an ability to laugh at oneself.”

I think an ability to laugh at the Security Council and the whole stinking edifice of the UN would be an important asset. The UN is a grotesque blood sucker which exists to give Africans free parking in Manhattan.

I’m with those who think that Hannan could slice ‘n’ dice “Dave” Cameron with about two sentences. Or one, if there wasn’t much time.

Robert Eve

Dan Hannan is the right man.

Percy

I agree Dan Hannan is the right man for the job if we need a leader who sounds like a robot and is chummy with a lot of the weirdos that work on Fox news.

Anne Wotana Kaye

Frank P: Hi Frank, I always read and enjoy your postings "Coffe House Wall", most times seeing the good sense in them, even if sometimes I disagree with your hypothesis. Regarding "seedy sexual prowess" I do not share the Anglo-Saxon hypocrisy whenever it comes to matters carnal, with reference to our leaders. I personally would prefer to be lead by an adulterer rather than a cuckold any time - the hunter usually being more artful than the hunted. In any case, it is of small importance. Many may recall Harold Macmillan "You've never had it so good", whose very plain wife had been at it for years with Lord Boothby. Of course, no way of knowing, but being aware of Boothby's bisexuality, he may have enjoyed old Harold too, when he wasn't with the Kray brothers. Seriously, now, unless a politician is a veritable rabbit, using all his/her time and energy in foolish things, then I cannot see it matters what hobbies take place outside working hours.

Anne Wotana Kaye

Watt Tyler, don't sound so sad. You ARE read. Don't agree with what you've stated here, but your opinion is valid and you are not ignored. Now go and tidy up your room or you wont get any tea!

Fergus Pickering

Has there been an Italian leader since Mussolini who has lasted two years? I mean except for Silvio. Go on. Can you think of one? Just one?

Jeremy

I must admit that since Dave has been busily stuffing his advisory panels full of Trotskyists and Blairites, my gaze has been wandering Boris-wards.

Clearly, I am not alone in this. But like many others, I remain uncertain about Boris....perhaps, to take up Anna's point, in the same way that people were uncertain about Churchill in the twenties and thirties. He is something of an individualist (a good thing) and perhaps even a maverick. He strikes one as being outside "of the loop" so far as the smooth-faced spinners of Tory High Command are concerned. In the long run, these may be no bad things.

I have never been taken in by what is perceived as Boris' "buffoonery". It is clear to me that he possesses a forceful and even bullish personality, with the thickness of skin to go with it. He is clearly an ambitious man. What is attractive about him is his slightly rumpled - one might even say surfboarderesque - charm, his articulacy (although he does occasionally put his foot in it), his keen intelligence and his love of the classics and the classical world. That last should never be underestimated, because it means that he understands culture - historical, political, philosophical and otherwise.

Certainly Boris should change nothing about himself for the sake of "fitting in" with the Cameroons. Those who like Boris do so precisely because of the qualities he already possesses.

Jeremy

Anne Wotana Kaye:

'...he (Boothby) may have enjoyed old Harold too, when he wasn't with the Kray brothers.'

That is a slur upon the reputation of Harold Macmillan which will have done no good to your own, Anne.

Macmillan was a gentleman who cared about his country and its people. Boothby was something quite different. And yes, I would much rather have been lead by the former than by the latter.

Frank P

Fergus P

terence patrick hewett

I've got 500 on the nose that Boris becomes PM in 2020.

Cogito Ergosum

Boris and Uncle Ken both have a fine sense of humour, and could probably set each other going. It might even cheer up this dismal country.

Chuck Unsworth

@ Watt Tyler

You do yourself a great injustice. I, and no doubt many others, read your contributions avidly.

Sometimes I even understand them.

Fergus Pickering

Frank P, are you suggesting that I have been Prime Minister of Italy? I must have done it in my sleep. Boris would be a splendid PM, intelligent, forceful, witty and (except in sexual matters) principled. Lloyd George springs to mind, though perhaps the welsh wizard wasn't TERRIBLY principled. Nevertheless.. Yes, Boris could be the twenty-first century's Lloyd George. Think about it - three great Prime Ministers in the last century, and not one of them Labour. They can'tc cut it, can they? Boris could. And can you imagine Bush saying 'Yo Johnson' to him and getting away with it?

Frank P

AWK

I'm shocked! Shocked I tell you! :-)

Actually Anna I was attempting to make sense of the odious comparison that someone made between him and Berlusconi, not passing moral judgement. I don't care what gullible maidens or mothers he screws as long as he stops screwing the indigenes of The Smoke by pandering to his Muslim mates; and raping the Met Police by further political tinkering with an already politicised Force; generally making an arse of himself and eyeing up No.10 as a future venue for his juvenile pantomimes.

One thing that does intrigue me, though, is why you intelligent birds all seem to love bad boys, particularly those with tousled blond barnet. Is it that you want mother them? Or indulge in a bit illicit hanky-panky yourselves? Perhaps it's the symbolism of the gherkin that gets you going.

As for not agreeing with my hypothesis: what hypothesis was that? I don't do hypotheses; just assertions and grumpy rants based on bitter experience and frustration with a generation that seems to have been well and truly nobbled in the Halls of Academe.

Btw. I enjoy your inter-lexual jibes and jousting; never-ever scroll past 'em, so keep up the good work.

Frank P

Fergus Pickering

Someone cut me off in my prime (5.31pm). WTF was I talking about, now? can't remember - sorry! Very bad for the stream-of -conciousness shit, this dodgy techie stuff; it is getting atrocious hereabouts. Get Simon Brock back to the grindstone. Christmas seems to have kicked off a bit early in OQS.

Jerry

You underrate Boris.
He is a lot more profound than Berlusconi.
He would be very popular
He has intellectual depth- despite his aura of levity.
From the tone of this article I suspect there is a feeling going around that Cameron just doesn't really have it

Anne Wotana Kaye

Jeremy: I said "may have" not "did". In the end it is all conjecture, and I don't know what ever happened, and honestly don't care. If Macmillan is somebody you respect and admire, I regret causing you anguish. I never respected Macmillan nor Boothby, and remember well the miseries experienced trying to make a decent life and raise a family under Macmillan. Slum landlords thrived whilst social housing was scarce in those post-war times. The government shut its eyes to the suffering of the poor and they were fobbed off with platitudes. Macmillan had no real understanding of the lives of working people, and it was dinasaurs like him that laid the ground for labour politicians to get their feet under the table. I repeat, I regret upsetting you, but in my firm opinion he was not a gentleman, even though he had all the outward appearances of one. The man lacked humility, compassion and concern for all citizens.

Anne Wotana Kaye

Frank P: Oh dear, I have upset so many people today, bloggers who I respect and have grown to visualise as real people. :-(
How nice to be considered an intelligent bird, I'm positively ancient (according to ageist thinking). It's very good that I shall not be able to use a computer for quite a few days next week since my trusted old one is falling to pieces (like its mistress). This comes at a convenient time, and so I hope if I have hurt anybody it will all be forgotten when the new computer is up and running. I will really miss reading all the forums, becoming cross or nodding with approval, but never enraged. Only Brown and Co fill me with outrage, as it seems they do many here on the "Spectator" blogs.

john miller

Oh, we do need someone serious don't we?

Gordon's sudden descent into humour is definitely off-putting.

No money, AAA rating in jeopardy, well, just bung another £1,500,000,000,000 in the direction of global warming prevention measures. Laugh? By god, I very nearly started.

No, how could Boris compete with congenital liars who don't care as long as their lies last for 2 or 3 hours?

How could he possibly offer a cogent case against people who would sink the country without trace in exchange for a faint chance of a hung parliament?

No, Boris, 26% of the population would rather slay their first born than contemplate a toff like you.

David Ossitt

Anne Wotana Kaye

"I shall not be able to use a computer for quite a few days next week since my trusted old one is falling to pieces (like its mistress)"

Hurry back; as you will be sorely missed.

Snowman

It’s not the lack of seriousness, God only knows how much pomposity resides in the monochromatic politicians everywhere. It’s the lack of convictions. Does anyone have any idea where Boris stands on anything?

Hannan is a different animal. I could vote for him.

Boudicca

If it's not Hannan, I'd settle for Boris.

egh

"One thing that does intrigue me, though, is why you intelligent birds all seem to love bad boys, particularly those with tousled blond barnet."

Good question, Frank P! I've noticed it myself, though I'd modify your expression slightly - I mean some do get away from the baddies, who by no means are all blonds.

Personally, I think it's about charm. I think baddies turn it on for intelligent women: to disarm the challenges of both intellect and/or attraction. Then they move into 'destroy' mode: and that's why some so-called 'beautiful' women have tragic lives.

Not that all intelligent women are innocent victims. Some surely play charm games themselves: the Femme Fatale is the counterpart of the Don Juan; Morgan of Merlin. When those equals meet, I suspect we see mutual destruction ... as with certain film stars, etc.

However, I firmly believe there is such a thing as natural, spontaneous and non-malicious charm, in each gender. So safety lies in distinguishing innocents from predators. Once the mask slips from the latter - my what a mass of 'hates' seethes beneath it!! It's like looking at interlaced serpents on an ancient manuscript.

Once seen, never forgotten: and only an idiot would make that mistake again. Steady as you go, though: they don't like revelation and respond accordingly, for as long as it takes.

So ... what variation on the theme are we looking at here...?

SUSAN HILL

I think he is too much of a maverick and a loose canon to be a serious candidate for Party Leader/PM. He adds to the gaiety of nations but I don`t think we want that except in the knockabout of PMQTs. One can imagine him opening his mouth and putting his foot in it at the most inopportune moment.
The Queen would probably enjoy his company though.

john

Boris has a brighter younger brother Jo, who has just become the Tory candidate for the safe seat of Orpington.
Check him out on Wiki. A better bet for the leadership?

Moraymint

It's Hannan for me.

Paul B

Verity- "an ability to laugh at the security council"

I agree. To which you could add an ability to laugh at any ridiculous (for want of a better phrase) PC inspired notion or idea that is that is the latest fad or trend. An ability to mock.

Jeremy- I din`t see Boris as surfer boyesque, rather, Horace Rumpole-esque. An ability to see through pomposity and to laugh at it

Paul B

I like Hannan, but he needs to come & prove himself in Westminister. Whilst he stays in Europe, I`m afraid I could never see him as a leader of the PCP.