James Forsyth James Forsyth

Boris Johnson finds his voice in the Commons

Boris Johnson has never really known how to speak in the Commons chamber. He has tried to adjust his speaking style but without great success. And as I say in the magazine this week, despite his reputation for rhetoric he has never made a memorable speech in the House of Commons. But in his first appearance in the chamber as Prime Minister, Boris Johnson simply decided to speak there as he does elsewhere – and it worked. It left the Tory benches – which hadn’t been that enthusiastic at first – roaring for more.

In his opening statement, Boris Johnson was full of optimism. He talked of what this country could be like in 2050. The opportunities he envisioned for the UK were very Vote Leave, and they’d be familiar to any regular reader of Dominic Cummings’s blogs.

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