On Saturday we asked our readers if, given the desperate state of the Parliamentary Conservative Party, they thought Boris Johnson was the person to take over from Mrs May. We pointed out that he might be popular with the grass roots but he is hated by his colleagues, and that ‘Operation Stop Boris’ is in full swing.
The result, while in favour of Johnson, was far from overwhelming:
Should Boris Johnson be the next leader of the Conservative Party?
— The Conservative Woman (@TheConWom) December 8, 2018
We at TCW were not surprised – we have voiced our reservations before. He has a capacity for ‘bottling it’ when the time comes and as Laura so cogently argued not long ago: he doesn’t have anything close to what it takes to be PM in the way that Trump became President.
However, comments supporting Boris included this from Linda P: He is the only one with the stature, positivity, experience and sheer chutzpah to get us out.
Against that Argurious wrote: Doesn’t anybody think that Johnson’s history of womanising and serial adultery, illegitimate daughter, astonishing ineptitude exhibited as Foreign Secretary, louche personality, and the fact that no foreign leader or dignitary of note seems able to take the man seriously might be slight impediments to him uniting the fractured Tory party, leading it to victory in a general election, and successfully piloting the country out of the EU? As the late Kenneth Williams was wont to say: ‘Stop messin’ about.’
But the majority felt that Boris would be the least worst solution. For example Pescalune wrote: We need Boris like America needs Trump. Not pretty, but necessary, while alecto said: Frankly I am so disgusted, appalled and furious with May I’d accept Boris if he had a strong Brexit cabinet but I think he is only a half hearted Brexiteer.
Not exactly a ringing endorsement. But we do suspect he would be the EU’s worst nightmare. And that, we have to admit, in the present circs is as good as an endorsement as you can get.
