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| Boris Johnson - clown or contender? |
Of course, if Johnson had been a left-wing figure the Brexit-supporting newspapers would have milked it mercilessly to run him down. As it was, they sided more with him and The Daily Mail indulged in its usual habit of messenger-shooting by criticising the neighbours who recorded the row and broke the story as being left-wing troublemakers.
Which they are. But this does not make them liars or fantasists, which Boris increasingly seem like. Both are Remain supporters and could have let the whole issue die after the police assured them that no-one had been hurt in the incident. Instead they sent the recording of the row to the Guardian which publicised it and may have done real damage to Johnson's attempt to become Prime Minister. Obviously there was a bit of political opportunism in what they did - but that does not alter the fact of Johnson's behaviour and Symonds' reaction to it. She may even have ended the relationship but Johnson refuses to talk about the incident.
Does Johnson’s row with his partner/girlfriend matter? In the grand scheme of things, not much, but in leadership contest, character is obviously important. Johnson can hardly complain about this. If anyone has made a career out of personality rather than policy it is him. He plays the clown and has a good turn of phrase but it is well known that he only committed to the Leave cause at the last minute and had actually drafted an article in support of Remain before he decided to ditch it as he felt the wind was blowing in the other direction. He is far more calculating than he likes to appear and, if Leave would help him get to Number 10, then he would back it. And it did – so he did. It seemed to be working - until the row broke.
I had thought Jeremy Hunt might be next leader of the Conservatives after Theresa May without realising how the party felt they needed someone who could defeat Nigel Farage. There is no chance that Hunt would have a very public row with his wife (although he did manage to get her nationality wrong not long ago). He would be a safer pair of hands than Johnson and he must be rubbing his hands at how clumsy his opponent has been. Not only has he had this toxic row with his partner but he refused to answer questions it, acting as if it is beneath him to talk about such matters. I am going to be Prime Minister and am answerable to nobody he seems to say.
No-one forced Johnson and Symonds to have this fight and to disturb their neighbours. Why could Johnson not just apologise for making an almighty racket, laugh it off and say that the two of them had a row and apologised for any upset they caused? Yet there is something about Johnson which finds it impossible to admit to making a mistake and this makes me mistrust him. Most of us – myself included – have done things which we regret and are embarrassed by later on. Why not just come out and admit it? The story would die soon enough and a little humility might even help Johnson in the long run. He could make a joke about it and even turn the event to his advantage.
Instead he seems to think he is beyond apologising and, for this reason, I do not trust him to be our next Prime Minister. Most of those who have worked with Johnson do not trust him either. He repeatedly cheated on his wife and had numerous children outside his marriage. No-one is quite sure how many and it is astonishing that the party of the family seems so keen to embrace him as its leader and Prime Minister. Are they really saying that this is a private matter and should be ignored? They can only be desperate for someone who can defeat Nigel Farage at the polls.
Johnson's rival for the leadership Michael Gove has admitted to a misdemeanour and admitted taking cocaine. At the same time he was writing articles condemning middle-class drug-takers. It is not taking drugs which is wrong and writing articles saying you should be punished for taking them is common enough. It is the combination of the two which condemns Gove. Don't do what I do, do what I say seems to be the moral.
I hate what Brexit has done to Britain. When we went to Spain recently, we were waved through customs and passport control and made to feel welcome. Why are we breaking away from these countries? Why is it ok to hate foreigners now when they have done so little to damage our country? And why cannot we concentrate on things which are really important - like eliminating poverty and tackling climate change?
A no-deal Brexit now seems the most likely option simply by default and it will probably be a disaster. Especially with Boris Johnson, who has always had a shaky relationship with the truth, in charge.
Edwin Lerner
My other blog is diaryofatouristguide.blogspot.com
