Events have a useful way of illustrating changing fortunes in political stock. Keir Starmer’s EU reset yesterday proved to be one such occasion. The fishing deal, mobility scheme and legal obligations prompted predictable fury from the Tory press. But one voice dominated in the chorus of criticism: Boris Johnson. It was the former prime minister’s arresting description of Starmer as ‘the orange ball-chewing gimp of Brussels’ which led both the Telegraph and Mail’s write-ups today.
A minority in his party view Boris Johnson as the only character big enough to eclipse Nigel Farage and his Cheshire cat grin
Such prominence is not unsurprising. Johnson’s role in the 2016 referendum and then the 2019 election ensures that he, more than anyone, can credibly claim to be the enabler of Brexit. He is also a gifted penman, whose anti-Brussels screeds have delighted Fleet Street copy-editors for decades. But the timing of this fresh intervention has sparked excited chatter about a possible comeback, coming at a time when the Conservative party is facing an existential crisis.
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