"Tis better to die on our feet than live on our knees

[New Forester]

But the fact is, it's only the public face of a human you can judge. I suspect that there are far more people who appear pleasant in public and yet are complete bastards in private. And many apparent saints who troll the internet!

[Locky_McLockface]

Trump doesn't believe half the stuff he spouts but he's in character.

I don't really think that a politician should be playing a character.

[phat_chris]

Why not? All politicians lie through their teeth. Playing a role is no different. Boris has playing the bumbling simpleton for over a decade but he's clearly much more intelligent and deliberate than he appears.

[GreenBlue]

Boris has playing the bumbling simpleton for over a decade but he's clearly much more intelligent and deliberate than he appears.

No, Cummings is intelligent, Johnson is a bumbling oaf.

[Mr Dee]

Trump doesn't believe half the stuff he spouts but he's in character.

I don't really think that a politician should be playing a character.

They all do . Politics is just showbusiness for ugly people.

[New Forester]

Boris has playing the bumbling simpleton for over a decade but he's clearly much more intelligent and deliberate than he appears.

No, Cummings is intelligent, Johnson is a bumbling oaf.

Did well to get to PM then didn’t he?

[just blue]

Did well to get to PM then didn’t he?

I think Cummings won him the Tory leadership vote and the election, in the same way that Cummings masterminded the Brexit Leave Vote. I think that Cummings is running things now, especially the Brexit withdrawal discussions. That's why Boris won't sack him and Cummings knows that he needn't offer to resign.

[No Shot Sherlock]

Did well to get to PM then didn’t he?

I think Cummings won him the Tory leadership vote and the election, in the same way that Cummings masterminded the Brexit Leave Vote. I think that Cummings is running things now, especially the Brexit withdrawal discussions. That's why Boris won't sack him and Cummings knows that he needn't offer to resign.

Yep, that's the way I see it too. Boris may well be intelligent, but he's still a buffoon imho. You could say he's not just a muppet, but also a puppet and what little of my respect he'd regained earlier in the Covid crisis he's lost tenfold since.

[Weybridge]

Did well to get to PM then didn’t he?

I think Cummings won him the Tory leadership vote and the election, in the same way that Cummings masterminded the Brexit Leave Vote. I think that Cummings is running things now, especially the Brexit withdrawal discussions. That's why Boris won't sack him and Cummings knows that he needn't offer to resign.

Yep, that's the way I see it too. Boris may well be intelligent, but he's still a buffoon imho. You could say he's not just a muppet, but also a puppet and what little of my respect he'd regained earlier in the Covid crisis he's lost tenfold since.

Same here. I had some level of respect for him even if he is a self-serving egomaniac. I thought his tenure as London mayor was actually pretty decent (although there are some legitimate complaints in there too about failure to tackle homelessness). He did a bang-up job with the Olympics at the height of a global recession, banned drinking alcohol on the underground, brought in the bike rental scheme and extended the Congestion charge zones. All of which made London a better place.

But as PM he seems out of his depth, and as with the Cummings issue - totally dependent on the guy. He also looks to have aged ten years since his infection.

At PMQs last week, there was a picture going around with him wearing an earpiece. No idea if its genuine or not, but I wouldn't be surprised. EDIT - seems its not true.

[Mr Dee]

I don't think it's the same person since before his illness . I think we have a Boris body double

[Milton End]

I don't think it's the same person since before his illness . I think we have a Boris body double

Maybe he's hiding in here: apologies for inserting the earthy humour pic into this sensible discussion.

As a Londoner of 35 years, I vividly recall Boris' time as Mayor: especially the Boris Garden Bridge scheme that cost us a mere £45 million, the failed and totally daft attempt to build a new airport in North Kent, the Boris bendy bus that never worked.....etc.

I also recall watching Boris answer questions in the London Mayor forum from his fellow elected councillors: full of waffle, links to the Greek classics and totally devoid of detail. "He's not good on detail," so we're told.

In addition, I remember Boris being interviewed by Andrew Neil in the Conservative leadership election in 2019: completely torn to shreds. No wonder Boris refused a similar session for the 2019 General Election

It's not just the virus that has now hit the unfortunate Boris (for which he has my sympathy.) He has also been thrown by a new leader of the Labour Party who is able to challenge him more effectively - Sir Keir Starmer.

We live in interesting times.....

[GreenBlue]

Did well to get to PM then didn’t he?

I think Cummings won him the Tory leadership vote and the election, in the same way that Cummings masterminded the Brexit Leave Vote. I think that Cummings is running things now, especially the Brexit withdrawal discussions. That's why Boris won't sack him and Cummings knows that he needn't offer to resign.

Yep, that's the way I see it too. Boris may well be intelligent, but he's still a buffoon imho. You could say he's not just a muppet, but also a puppet and what little of my respect he'd regained earlier in the Covid crisis he's lost tenfold since.

Ditto

[New Forester]

How did we get into discussing Boris Johnson? Being a politician once myself, I can say he has the one essential characteristic of a politician - a thick skin. And he surely needs it. As for me, I stood in a by election once. Seven candidates and I won by a landslide. Just one term was enough for me.

[Locky_McLockface]

Why not? All politicians lie through their teeth. Playing a role is no different. Boris has playing the bumbling simpleton for over a decade but he's clearly much more intelligent and deliberate than he appears.

You may, and indeed probably are, right, but that doesn't justify it. Maybe that's me being too idealistic, but if you don't believe passionately in what you're saying, you can't do the job properly.

[SouthernPies]

My impression of the UK political scene is that whatever happens the papers especially will have a field day beating them up...
Kind of like the way they behaved with the England manager in the late 80's and early 90's... the negativity was horrendous!