The sudden scrutiny of Boris Johnson has one explanation: he’s served his purpose | Owen Jones

The prime minister has always been unfit to lead, but now the media – and even his own party – are pointing it out

Boris Johnson’s meandering recent speech, in which he lost his place and blathered about Peppa Pig, was consistent with what we have come to expect of the prime minister. So the fact it was monstered by media commentators is bemusing. Johnson has long given up on topics halfway through, asked underwhelmed audiences to applaud him and babbled about painting model buses. Yet his latest shambolic presentation has been treated as a signal that his premiership is disintegrating. It suggests that media outlets have decided to apply a new filter because, as far as Johnson’s public persona is concerned, nothing has changed.

Johnson is often described as a Teflon politician, but this non-stick coating must be applied by someone. Three years ago, a Tory MP batted away my suggestion that Johnson would become prime minister. His colleagues, you see, would never allow it. The parliamentary Conservative party regarded him as completely unsuitable to be national leader, because he was selfish, incompetent and morally abject. As such, the MP told me, his colleagues would not permit him to make the final two on the shortlist for members to adjudicate.

Owen Jones is a Guardian columnist

Continue reading...

from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3xoN8ZC

No comments:

Post a Comment