Fear of Boris
The Tory leadership race came up on Question Time, Dimbleby intervened "Before I ask Boris Johnson on this, I just want to take a question from the audience." The audience member asked whether Boris should be leader and the whole audience started cheering. Boris, typically, mumbled some bemused appreciation and tried to answer the preceding point. David Dimbleby forced the issue. Boris eventually admitted he would love the job.
Boris? Guido bows to no-one in Boris appreciation (well maybe I am not as appreciative as BorisWatch), but PM? Boris once stated that he had as much chance of being Prime Minister as of being decapitated by a frisbee or of finding Elvis. He is now only 80 /1 at the bookies, so he best duck if he sees Elvis. If the Tory membership were given free reign they might just select him...Therein lies the fears of Howard about the current system.
3 comments:
I agree with Guido. There is no way Boris could be PM. Those who think he only feigns being a buffoon are quite mistaken - extraordinary though it may seem he really is one. Can you imagine Boris reaching out to the working class of the north-east? Never PM material. I must do everything in my power to warn fellow party members.
Whether the Tory party can risk a aristo-looking person is debatable. Labour can evidently get away with it, especially if he becomes blokish and drinks coffee from a mug. But the Tories? Not so sure - and that could be the biggest sticking point for David Cameron.
Incidentally, is Francis Maude a complete 'no no'?
Boris as Tory leader might make for a fun election but don't the Tories actually want to win? Would anybody actually vote for them if they thought he would actually be PM?
Christopher
I have a feeling that no matter who is selected as Tory leader they will have parts added and subtracted by various wings of the party, even without the Euro constitution, to the extent that they will end up like a monstrosity. Ken Clarke, any of them. Some of them might be more fun than others. Think of Norman Tidbit as Tory leader, for example. But wasn't William Hague a good leader, intelligent and well-spoken, but carrying so much baggage around with him it's a wonder he could walk let alone campaign.
Christopher
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