This might be old news, but I’ve only just heard about this fresh scandal about Boris Johnson. Before the Brexit vote, he wrote a pro-Brecit article in the Tekegraph. It now transpires at the same time he wrote a pro-Remain article, which was never published.
I’m not going to defend Boris as a person, nor do I want to get involved in Brexit disputes.
But on reading this, my first thought wasn’t that Boris was flip flopping over whatever choice suits his career best. It sounds to me like a sensible weighing up of the alternatives.
In fact, in my work I do it quite a lot. I won’t go into details about what I do, but I frequently have to resolve financial disputes by preparing a report illustrating my decision. Quite often it’s a tough decision, so I’ve been known to prepare TWO reports with opposing views, then read them back to see which is more convincing.
I think it’s something to do with having to articulate your thoughts, bringing them into the light to eliminate woolly thinking.
It’s similar to writing a pros vs cons list for big life decisions.
So on this matter I have some sympathy with Boris. I think it’s a good sign of measured impartiality and logical thinking – I wouldn’t jump to label it deceitful.
What do we think? Anyone else make decisions in this way?
(Oops, spelling)
I agree, I often write lists of pro and cons and if you only read one half of it it would be misleading.
Yes, much as I’d like to weigh in – I thought his explanation was plausible.
Opposition prep is pretty standard and as Johnson is/was a journalist it’s likely that he would articulate it in the form of an article. At Oxford he is said to have turned up late for the debating society and launched into a stout pre-oration only to be interrupted and told he was supposed to be advocating the other side of the argument. He immediately flipped and was equally passionate and eloquent for the obverse.
Boris is a clever chap and I don’t really buy into the idea that he advocated Leave to boost his own career. He was pretty much set to be PM anyway. I think he did it because it tickled his ego to try and persuade the entire country to do something daft . And that’s worse, actually, than doing it for power.
Boris is a dangerous and ruthless political opportunist who would sell his own grandmother in order to advance his career.
Boris is a lovable mop-headed English eccentric who fervently stands by his principles and regularly helps old ladies across the road.
iswdt
I think the first is closer to the truth, though I would add that his ruthless political opportunism seems to arise from a desperate desire to be loved and approved of. Good luck with that Boris.
So his teeing up Darius Guppy was a cry for love?
Interesting take on it.
Dangerous and ruthless/lovable and mob headed – its possible to be both at the same time
I cycle past his house everyday to go to work. It takes a supreme effort not to poo in his letterbox.
Remember poo can be DNA tested (actually I’m not sure if that’s true) surely it would be better to take along someone else’s poo just in case. Also can SOCA do buttock prints?
http://www.the-madisons.com/home/quirky-q-a-can-you-get-dna-from-poo
Why thank you @retropath2 also I realise it should be SOCO and not SOCA though I like the idea of calypsonian constables.
Calypsonian Constables, Hubert?
Now there’s a cue for a song if I ever heard one!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aMMVP0-sOA
Storm in a teacup. Whatever I think of Boris (answers on a postcard to the Not A Lot competition) he is first and foremost a political commentator/journalist so, as stated above, this kind of exercise is pretty standard fare. I understand he also wrote a third piece entitled “You know what, I can’t make up my mind whether In or Out best furthers my career.”
Well, he’s been a salaried politician for around 15 years so not sure if I agree with the first and foremost a journalist.
Used to get 20 grand a week for his Telegraph column. The defence rests, m’lud
The jury is back. They disagree with you.
Apparently Wikipedia say’s he is a politician first. Mind you, it says he’s popular as well.
“Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (born 19 June 1964), known as Boris Johnson, is a British politician, popular historian, author, and journalist. He has been Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs since July 2016 and has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Uxbridge and South Ruislip since 2015. He had previously served as MP for Henley from 2001 until 2008 and as Mayor of London from 2008 until 2016. A member of the Conservative Party, Johnson identifies as a One-Nation Conservative and has been associated with both economically liberal and socially liberal policies.”
If Wiki says he’s a politician then the judge has just ordered the jury to disregard that evidence. It looks as though Boris is going to walk away Scot-free from this mess once again.
Tory stitch up. Judge was a member of the Bullingdon Club probably. Which is a political grouping if ever there was. Making Boris a politician. Ergo I’m right again.
Can we agree Boris is a wanker?
Absolutely. He’s a Grade A wanker. Of the highest order.
Not buying it. Boris saw an opportunity and followed it. I would have more respect for him if he did that – there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s pretending that it was something else that annoys me the most. Even Michael Gove is admitting that he made errors due to a desire for power.
I’d agree if the piece was in note form, but who has the time or given that it’s unpaid the inclination, to work up a fully formed article?
Exactly what was I going to post. If it’s a private draft to clarify his feelings, how come it went to the paper that publishes his column?
I don’t know how it reached the paper. But I think unless you write something for a particular audience, knowing you need to justify your view, it shapes and modifies your language in a way you can’t anticipate just by writing personal notes on the matter.
His convictions were hardly strong were they? He went into hiding as soon as the result came through. As did most of the other cretins. I don’t buy this ‘likeable’ tag. Seems pretty obnoxious from where I am standing. Putting him in the role of foreign Secretary and then hearing him suggest that people should protest outside the Russian Embassy also clearly shows that Theresa May has wonky judgement. Jesus Christ we are letting ourselvs be governed by incompetents.
In my view he is a fucking opportunist chancer who put his own ambition ahead of his country and party.
I’ve no problem whatsoever with BoJo weighing up the pros & cons of each side of the argument, using the method of his chosen form of writing, the newspaper column – in fact, it sounds like a rather good idea…
However, like many, my suspicion is that his decision to back Brexit wasn’t based on his actual feelings on the matter, or more importantly what would be best for the country, but purely on career advancement… what’s funny is how it all went so pear-shaped, so quickly.
Pre-referendum he was pretty much on rails to be the next resident on No. 10, and in his head, I’m sure he felt being on the losing side of a pro-Brexit campaign would just solidify his “man of the people” credentials and seal the deal… so when the unexpected result came in, and Cameron resigned, and Gove decided to run for the leadership, it all fell apart, though I’m still puzzled as to how he got the Foreign Secretary gig as an undeserved consolation prize…
Theresa May put Johnson, Fox & Davis in charge of Brexit, as they were for it. When it goes tits up (and it will), they’ll get the blame and will hopefully be out for good.
The pro/negative EU article? Nothing much to that.
But Boris is likely to get more shit out of his plan for the Garden Bridge in London, where he’s thrown away millions in taxpayers’ money by breaking all the procurement procedures. The National Audit Office has already published a highly critical report, and I suspect when Margaret Hodge has finished digging through the dirt for the new mayor there’s going to be more shit flying about.
As for him being on his way to PM? I doubt it. There were stories going around well before the referendum that he never had the support among Conservative MPs, who have seen close up how flakey and dishonest he is, and knew he would become a disaster within a few weeks of taking over. I suspect this is why he suddenly pulled out of the race for party leader – he couldn’t get enough MPs behind him.
Aside from that, I think he was a crucial factor in the Leave vote winning the referendum. A lot of the flakey, don’t know what they think voters like him – while they didn’t particularly like Cameron and Osborne – and were therefore ready to follow his line even though it never stood up to scrutiny.
That’s the trouble with democracy.