Rory Stewart launched his leadership bid with an impressive, assured performance. He might even give Boris a run for his money. He looked like a man at ease with himself. The speech was delivered faultlessly without notes - even slipping in some jokes about Johnson - and it didn't look practiced or staged. See the whole thing (52 minutes - HERE). He has an amazing back story but doesn't make much of it, always the mark of someone who isn't in it for himself.
Born in Hong Kong, followed by Eton and Balliol, unlike BoJo he actually worked for the government in various trouble spots like Kosovo, East Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan, served in The Black Watch became a Harvard Fellow, wrote books including one described as a 'flat out masterpiece' by The New York Times and advised Hilary Clinton when she was US Secretary of State. He was even once a private tutor to princes William and Harry. His Wikipedia entry is something to see (HERE).
He actually started to look prime ministerial last night, and answered questions with ease.
Stewart talked of how the nation is 'embodied' in the leader (about 20 minutes in) and asks who it is we want to capture that embodiment. In other words do we want a gaffe prone idiot with tousled hair looking like a badly wrapped parcel to represent us or a serious politician? Unfortunately for Rory, I suspect in the Tory ranks it's the former.
However, today it's the turn of the gaffe prone idiot who was said to have 'broken cover', as if he's been crouching behind some nettles in a hedgerow for the past week. One might imagine him being pulled through it backwards on his way to face his supporters and the press, emerging at a run, helmet askew, shirt flap hanging out and firing a blunderbuss wildly from the hip. He dresses in a way that makes this look like a normal routine for him anyway.
His team has actually kept BoJo in purdah, in a safe house, for fear of his famous gaffes. Today will be a big test which he may well fail. He is like a badly wired suicide bomber who could go up at any moment. I struggle to see him in any serious role. His entire life has been one long joke. Can anyone remember an interview where he didn't use that trademark smirk and a humorous aside to deflect a difficult question?
The two big centerpieces of BoJo's launch are his plans for tax cuts for people earning over £50K a year (i.e. himself, who trousered £700K last year) and a firm plan to take us out of the EU by October 31st come hell or high water. He will warn that not to do so would mean the Tory party 'kicking the bucket' according to The Huffington Post (HERE). Note how he and his party come first and second, in that order, with the nation not even an afterthought. He is the original tired man looking at flies.
If he thinks dragging us out of the EU without a deal is going to save the party, he could not be more wrong.
Once again, I am absolutely sure he is not going to do it. The party's reputation for careful management of the economy and pro-business policies would be trashed for a generation.
In the 2016 campaign, we were told everything would be done easily. The EU would give us a good deal. BoJo was pro having cake and pro eating it. It would all be ours for the asking. When it started to become clear that the EU or Mrs Merkel or the German car industry were not going to play ball, Theresa May started to use the threat of walking away without a deal. I assume this was a David Davis suggestion, as a way of forcing the other side's hand. That didn't work.
Now here we are three years on with the 'threat' about to become official government policy under a Johnson administration. The whole thing is becoming sillier and sillier.
The 'threat' hasn't worked these past two years or more because the EU didn't believe it - not because they didn't understand it. It is just not credible. Embedding it in his manifesto does not make it any more credible.
Also launching today is Sajid Javid, a man who always looks as if he was the donor in a personality transplant. I don't hold out much hope for him.
The 'threat' hasn't worked these past two years or more because the EU didn't believe it - not because they didn't understand it. It is just not credible. Embedding it in his manifesto does not make it any more credible.
Also launching today is Sajid Javid, a man who always looks as if he was the donor in a personality transplant. I don't hold out much hope for him.
