BoJo Gets Grilled

[MrGongGong]

Bojo and Monsieur Faragé running the country... can you imagine... ?! Makes Berlusconi and Beppe Grillo seem just a tad less horrific somehow

Or the Troika of

Mr Beef, Prof Says & Baldrick

[kernelbogey]

Boris responds, quoted in today's Guardian:

"I fully concede it wasn't my most blistering performance, but that was basically because I was set to talk about the Olympics and housing in London and he wanted to talk about other things, some of them – my private life and so on – of quite some antiquity, the details of which I wasn't brilliant on.

"He was perfectly within his rights to have a bash at me – in fact it would have been shocking if he hadn't. If a BBC presenter can't attack a nasty Tory politician what's the world coming to?"

Asked whether Mair should get Jeremy Paxman's lead anchor role on Newsnight, Johnson Jr added: "I should think he'll get an Oscar, it was an Oscar-winning performance. I think he'll get a Pulitzer."

(The same article quotes Johnson Senior defending his son.)

[Richard Barrett]

the details of which I wasn't brilliant on

Which details is he "brilliant on"?

[kernelbogey]

Which details is he "brilliant on"?

Perhaps check with Petronella Wyatt?

[Mandryka]

BJ (unfortunate initials!) is that rare thing: a politician who commands wide popular appeal. I know plenty of people who profess to loathe Cameron and the Tories but admit that they 'quite like' Boris - mainly because of his amiable messiness and 'transparent sense of fun'.

Personally, I don't care for him: but then I don't like the idea of politicians going on chat shows and game shows if they want to be taken seriously. Nor do I find him funny.

But I think that leftists/liberals are right to fear him, as he is - as I've said - a right-winger with wide popular appeal. I don't think the Tory Party's magic circle (which still exists, despite appearances to the contrary) will ever allow him to wear the crown, though.

[Serial_Apologist]

BJ (unfortunate initials!) is that rare thing: a politician who commands wide popular appeal. I know plenty of people who profess to loathe Cameron and the Tories but admit that they 'quite like' Boris - mainly because of his amiable messiness and 'transparent sense of fun'.

Personally, I don't care for him: but then I don't like the idea of politicians going on chat shows and game shows if they want to be taken seriously. Nor do I find him funny.

But I think that leftists/liberals are right to fear him, as he is - as I've said - a right-winger with wide popular appeal. I don't think the Tory Party's magic circle (which still exists, despite appearances to the contrary) will ever allow him to wear the crown, though.

But what presentable alternative is available to the Tories, should they wish to put the knife into Cameron?

[Mandryka]

But what presentable alternative is available to the Tories, should they wish to put the knife into Cameron?

A good question: probably someone from within the cabinet who is not perceived as having made a hash of things. Michael Gove has been a disastrous Education Secretary but you'd hardly know it from the fawning press he gets (being an ex-journo must count for something). I would go for a quiet, head-down sort of person like Philip Hammond, who is not overly partisan and is hard to dislike. Theresa May has not been a disaster but has no following, despite her high profile.

Personally, I don't think Cameron will be knifed, as he is the best the Tories have; and he will (probably) win the 2015 election.

[MrGongGong]

Personally, I don't think Cameron will be knifed, as he is the best the Tories have; and he will (probably) win the 2015 election.

So if we follow your tips from the US Presidential election
its a dead cert then

[Ferretfancy]

Boris is a British Berlusconi, when he stands for election voters will know he's a scoundrel and a clown, but they'll vote for him just the same.

[antongould]

Boris is a British Berlusconi, when he stands for election voters will know he's a scoundrel and a clown, but they'll vote for him just the same.

How sad is this but how true - but why!

[Mandryka]

How sad is this but how true - but why!

For the same reason more people vote for X Factor contestants than they do for political candidates. Boris may be the first X-Factor candidate in British political history.

Does anyone else find the fact that we seem to automatically refer to him as 'Boris' vaguely disturbing?

[Mandryka]

So if we follow your tips from the US Presidential election
its a dead cert then

But Obama is now being compelled to implement Romney's economic policies - as many predicted he would be.

There is a case for saying that Romney won the arguments - and, effectively, the election if Obama is forced to waltz to Republican mood music.

[Richard Barrett]

Does anyone else find the fact that we seem to automatically refer to him as 'Boris' vaguely disturbing?

Yes. Which is why I never refer to him thus. Which arguments did Romney win by the way?

[MrGongGong]

But Obama is now being compelled to implement Romney's economic policies - as many predicted he would be.

There is a case for saying that Romney won the arguments - and, effectively, the election if Obama is forced to waltz to Republican mood music.

In the same way that there's an "case" for saying that West Germany won the world cup in 1966
and there's an "case" for saying that ........... (fill in your own)

[amateur51]

BJ (unfortunate initials!) is that rare thing: a politician who commands wide popular appeal. I know plenty of people who profess to loathe Cameron and the Tories but admit that they 'quite like' Boris - mainly because of his amiable messiness and 'transparent sense of fun'.

Personally, I don't care for him: but then I don't like the idea of politicians going on chat shows and game shows if they want to be taken seriously. Nor do I find him funny.

But I think that leftists/liberals are right to fear him, as he is - as I've said - a right-winger with wide popular appeal. I don't think the Tory Party's magic circle (which still exists, despite appearances to the contrary) will ever allow him to wear the crown, though.

UKIP's Nige has the same appeal AND he has policies to boot. That's the one to watch out for. BoJo would do well to position himself on the saner/more deliverable side of UKIP

I do wish the Miliblanders would wake up