On the assumption that not all my readers are subscribers to GQ Magazine, I thought I'd bring you a few extracts from a treat of an interview by Piers Morgan with Boris Johnson. GQ don't put it on their website so I feel I am performing a pubic service to the nation by quoting a few of the more interesting extracts...PM: Are you a politician or just a greedy little mercenary bastard?
BJ: You mean there's a contradiction interms there?
PM: Do you see yourself as a politician or a journalist?
BJ: Why do I have to choose?
PM: Do you think you will be Prime Minister one day?
BJ: It is highly unlikely.
PM: Thats' bollocks. Inside you, you think you can be, don't you? Why bother with it all otherwise?
BJ: Well look...we're all in a ...I think...listen, David Cameron is going to be an absolutely fantastic Prime Minister.
PM: I don't mean now, I mean one day. Is there any reason why you shouldn't be?
BJ: What, biological, Intellectual? Moral? Aesthetic?
PM: Do you think you can be PM and a buffoon? That's my point really.
BJ: I think it's very difficult to be both. I agree. Mind you, there have been quite a few Prime Ministers who've done a pretty food job of it!
PM: Can you host HAVE I GOT NEWS FOR YOU and be a Cabinet Minister?
BJ: I don't see how I could, no. I want to win and I want to be in office.
PM: And you want to be taken seriously?
BJ: The awful truth is that people do take me seriously. I judge that by the amount of rage I seem to inspire with my casual remarks.
PM: I dont really buy this buffoon thing. I think you play it up all to make money and charm the public, when underneath it all lurks a calculating, ambitious and very serious brain.
BJ: That's very kind of you but you must consdier the possibility that underneath it all there really may lurk a genuine buffoon.
PM: How much will your image have to change as your political career develops? You cannot go on playing the buffoon if you ever aspire to be leader of this country.
BJ: Very true. And that may be why I am finally prohibited from getting very much higher. Because it may be that the psychological effort needed to haul myself around into a more serious gaffe-free zone proves too difficult.
PM: Do you expect a Cabinet post if Cameron wins?
BJ: I don't know. Statistically speaking I am due to be fired again. My grandmother always said, "It's not how you're doing, it's what you're doing". And I think it will get easier when there is a big job to do and I can get on and do it. These points you make about buffoonery will fall away.
PM: You do want to be Prime Minister one day, don't you?
BJ: Well, of course. In an ideal world.
PM: [what do you think of] Cherie Blair?
BJ: I stick up for her. I think people are too nasty about her. I like her energy.
PM: Do you fancy her?
BJ: Well, erm.. I like her. I suppose I... I suppose I do a tiny bit.
And Boris you were doing so well. This is only about 10% of the entire interview but I thought it worth mentioning here because I got the sense that Boris really does no realise what he has to do to be taken seriously. Can he make it to the Cabinet table? In all honesty I think the jury is out. There is no doubt that he is one of the Conservative Party's main assets but he can also be a huge liability. He remains tremendously popular in the country and among non-Conservatives, but if he were promoted to the Shadow Cabinet soon there would be quite a few mutterings from his parliamentary colleagues I suspect. But you don't get anywhere as a political leader if you don't take a few risks, and David Cameron may think this is one worth taking. There are far too anonymous people in the Shadow Cabinet as the May Media Tarts list will prove, which I will be publishing on Monday. Press visibility isn't everything but in Opposition it counts for a lot. I suspect this is one of the first lessons Andy Coulson will be preaching.
40 comments:
Boris is a lot more human, and i suspect honest, than most politicians out there today. He has a sense of humour- does not take himself that seriously, and does not pretend to be 'PC'. Would i prefer BJ to DC? The jury is out, though i'm edging toward a - YES!
"I feel I am performing a pubic service to the nation..."
Really? Does Bojo have that effect on you too?:-)
I think you underestimate him at your peril - he is hugely popular and has a big following. Even if he doesn't make it to be PM, he may be emulate Michael Heseltine, who was derided as a 'tarzan' figure, but got a hugely powerful job when he was Deputy PM [far bigger role than Prezza].
simon said - good point. Though he is a very different person, Rhodri Morgan eventually got to be First Minister, despite winning a number of 'Foot in Mouth' awards, because folk preferred his 'cheeky chappie' style to the Blairite robot Alun Michael.
Yes, I'd say that if you're performing a pubic service to the nation, I'd really rather you left us out of the loop...
He does actually remind me so much of Winston Churchill.
A buffoon in every post he had, until the time came for him to take on the really serious stuff.
Perhaps Boris can start practising now, as we may need him soon, but he will probably need to be able to down a quart of brandy a day to keep him going.
Boris epitomises celebrity politics at its worst. I've no problem with him being amusing but he just takes it one step beyond. It's his ego that gets him into trouble. Why would you be interviewed for GQ?
Ianp, what bit of him reminds you of WSC?
to follow Richard Havers' point... what would you be interviewed for GQ by PIERS MORON?
or even WHY would you be interviewed for GQ etc
On second thoughts, the idea of Boris on Brandy would probably send shivers down the spine of Mugabe...
Boris may come out with comments that make look like a buffoon, but he does not lie (comparatively). That's why the people like him.
It is not whether the people think he's good enough to be in the cabinet, it is whether the other cabinet members can stand the presence of an honest man.
Honesty tends not to be very PC.
Yeah, they really LOVE Borish in Liverpool and [insert name of latest locality he's insulted]. Think Tories should send him North next election to canvass on the doorsteps to exploit his massive popularity . . . but better get him fitted for Kevlar knickers first.
Borish's function is to convince upwardly-mobile, socially conservative voters from working class backgrounds that Grand-Dad was right, you can ALWAYS trust the Tories to look down their noses at you & yours. (Similar to the impact of Rush Limblaugh, etc. upon upwardly mobile, socially conservative Latino voters in the US.)
BTW, Borish really DOES remind one of Winston Churchill . . . not the Great One, but instead his waste-of-space namesake & grandson.
In his favor must say that Bojo is MUCH funnier than Winston Chuchill the Lesser (the grandson). BUT would be very interesting to do a poll and ask this question: when Borish Johnson makes you laugh, are you laughing WITH him or AT him?
Suspect that Conservative HQ has already got results of this survey . . . under lock & key.
Oh no Iain not you as well , you have not really understood the strain of Conservatism that Boris stands for and why so many people love him . Gordon Brown is a sort of twisted Round Head Puritan. Boris is a Cavalier (who were courtiers never kings ). He is a man comfortable with himself not always seeking to improve himself and others He has too much humanity and humility to presume everything that has gone before was utterly wrong. A man who can be humorous , not satirical but “humorous “ , that state of mind that denotes proportion and and adjustment , not a magisterial sweep of his mighty compass . Boris stands for a gentle correction guided instincts for rightness , and a due heed for what has gone before . The very antithesis of the Brown and the year Zero automatons .How we have missed this sort of instinct while New Labour disasters detonate all around . Take Tax Credits for example . The idea was not a bad one , building on Keith Joseph s efforts to avoid the poverty trap and based on thinking from Milton Friedman it had much to be said for it . It did not however understand anything of the delivery and the people it was aimed at. When there were problems the mad god Brown wasn`t listening . This dysfunctional relationship with the past and specifically the civil service was more in evidence on Iraq . Again not a bad motive but the devil of the detail all well known to the experts might have told New Labour how it would go. Boris refuses to adopt the reductio ad tedium manner of the Puritan and in so doing like the Cavalier poets he is describing an approach that was once highly valued in this country . A country that preferred David Niven and Robert Donat to
Arnold Schwarzenegger . How crude we have become that we think levity and wisdom are opposites , how repellent that we think the “Leader “ should be removed from work life and laughter .
Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old time is still a-flying:
And this same flower that smiles to-day
To-morrow will be dying.
It does not requires pages of prolix Brownian guff . It seeks a balance and does so with style . I cannot understand how we have reached a point where Boris`s critics are not laughed into silence .How badly we need Boris Johnson who is the epitome of English style and a true Conservative . Front bench please Mr. Cameron.
Shame on you Mr. Dale .
Boris is a National Treasure, and rather like Eric Morecambe, he only has to stand up and say nothing to get people falling around with laughter - what a gift.
However, despite his formidable intellect, he is disorganised, sexually irresponsible, and has forfeited the right to be taken seriously by some of his antics.
But I'm still glad I named my cat after him.
Boris is one of the good guys. But,as Brady and Grieve's self-indulgence has demonstrated, there has to be party discipline if the Tories want to operate effectively
Boris gave Cameron The Spectator 100% during the leadership battle. It was embarrassingly obvious that Boris was backing the Cameron horse, and no other contender got a look-in. 'This is Cameron country' he wrote, hardly the balanced reporting and analysis one might have expected. Self interest seemed to take over.
Boris is the kind of guy you need in a crisis - as long as he's not the crisis. Although there is much to disapprove of, the Cameron team would seem duller without him - a loveable rogue.
Being leader? Maybe, once he's grown up. 20 years from now?
"hardly the balanced reporting and analysis one might have expected"
Why not? It's the Spectator, which makes no claims to balance.
The difficulty is, where do you put him? Can you imagine him as Minister at the Home Office?
Hitch, I have warned you once today about your language. This is the second time...
Perhaps Mr. Hitch is not aware of the new "Rule"?
A buffon he may appear, may actually be, but the present Gvnt is full of them.
So what if the Tories have one or two, Boris has something few others have, an apparent honesty that has an appeal over and above party politics.
So many of us are sick of the corruption and sleaze from both parties, a little bit of honesty could propel him a long way.
Boris has a great mind - but he lacks tact and diplomatic skills. He is amusing - but he is also a liability for DC. However, he can be accused of being boring!
Boris can NEVER be accused of being boring!
Iain, Why can't you put an EDIT option on your blog ?! LoL
canvas said...
Boris has a great mind...but he is also a liability for DC.
Nonsense, canvas. That's the sort of comment I would expect from one of the CCHQ lot who are so obviously green eyed about Boris's huge popularity.
Far from causing problems for Cameron, Boris humanises the Conservative party machine.
Without him the appartchiks would be even more chilling and intolerable than they already are.
How many of our politicians are LOVED and RESPECTED? How many are widely regarded as human and honest? Almost none.
Boris is the vital exception to the rule, a shining example of what politicians should and could be yet so rarely are.
I love this article, it epitomises all that is good and fine about Boris and why so very many of us, right across the political spectrum, love him.
newmania said:
I cannot understand how we have reached a point where Boris`s critics are not laughed into silence .How badly we need Boris Johnson who is the epitome of English style and a true Conservative . Front bench please Mr. Cameron.
I totally agree, newmania. I will be livid if Boris does not get a front bench position.
Boris a liability? That has to be a joke. Those who claim this should compare Boris's well loved humour with the rumours rife in the press and blogs of the, not so humourous conduct, of current members of the shadow cabinet.
Boris should be in charge of culture!
Iain said:
you don't get anywhere as a political leader if you don't take a few risks, and David Cameron may think this is one worth taking. There are far too anonymous people in the Shadow Cabinet as the May Media Tarts list will prove...Press visibility isn't everything but in Opposition it counts for a lot. I suspect this is one of the first lessons Andy Coulson will be preaching.
Just read this again and realised that you come down in favour of Boris as a front bencher. It wasn't buried among the waffle.
Well said, Iain! Thank God for at two honest people in politics, you and Boris.
Rhodri Morgan eventually got to be First Minister, despite winning a number of 'Foot in Mouth' awards, because folk preferred his 'cheeky chappie' style to the Blairite robot Alun Michael.
Very true. Boris for PM!
What's the difference (apart from lousy proof-reading) between a pubic service and a public service?
B...y L ??
IanP said...
He does actually remind me so much of Winston Churchill.
A buffoon in every post he had, until the time came for him to take on the really serious stuff.
Very perceptive, IanP, and vey true. Boris's style is is very evocative of Winston Churchill's early style.
He reminds me so much of Clement Atlee, so anything is possible.
canvas 10.55. Edit facility...
One already exists; it is called "preview" and may be found alongside the "publish" button.
Of course, you could always also take a few seconds to read over what you have typed and correct as required before rushing into print......
And this comment also applies to Mr Dale, whose postings usually contain a few typos - some of which are more apt/amusing than others; 2 good one in this effort:- a pubic service, and a pretty food day.
The mind boggles... A foreigner reading this might wonder what on earth... etc
He needs to be given a doctor's mandate to do a particular job - probably revamping a particular part of education. That is more interesting, more useful & more demanding than running an ministry, or shadowing a ministry, 9 to 5. My guess is that he would come up with a radical & useful policy & stay out of coleagues hair while doing so. One advantage of opposition is that you have time to look at the map while the other party is doing the driving.
My daughter and her friends, all in their early 20s, haven't a clue who most politicians are, yet they know and love Boris.
Anyone who confuses the sort of instant recognition and respect that young people have for Boris with liability for DC is off their trolley - or afraid he'll become too popular.
why does everyone seem to think he's a good egg? he wasn't much of a good egg to his wife and children, or his mistress for that matter. he was a liar and a cheat.
petsy said...
why does everyone seem to think he's a good egg? he wasn't much of a good egg to his wife and children, or his mistress for that matter. he was a liar and a cheat.
Petsy, that's not fair. Have you never made a mistake? Unlike most politicians these days, Boris owned up, made amends - and accepted the consequences without whining.
Paddy Ashdown did the same and was respected for it - just as Boris is. That's a sign of good character.
Boris has also remained staunchly loyal to David Cameron through thick and thin.
Anyway, loads of us have had affairs - you only have to look at the stats. We are mere mortals and we are not perfect.
There's a world of difference between an having an odd affair and the vile sleaze and corruption which is the stuff of life for this government.
Boris is a fundamentally honest politician
Boris also has a real grasp of education. I am looking forward to his book that is coming out . I gather that he and Willets are always hiding juicy bits of research from each other as Willets also has a book coming out on education.
I sometimes think that people in Politics forget that throughout the world of business and real life there is frequent laughter and usually at the po faced pomposity of auto-erotically enchanted polticos.
Think of it this way , who would you have a beer with , Boris ,Churchill , Norman Tebbit ( I found him surprisingly personable.) Blair ? God no , and as for Brown I would rather saw of my buttocks varnish them and sell them in a provincial gift shop.
Why can`t our politicians be human beings anymore . Its the fault of New Labour and their petty sanctimonies and we have to claim this territory back for public life . The only human Labourite I can think of wasMo Mowlam although Blears has the right attitude on handbags ( Harman is a cow who would make a nice handbag )
BORIS FOR DEPUTY PM
I assume that PM stands for Perfect Muppet.
Boris comes across - to be at least - as smart and a human being. I'd rather be stuck in a lift with him than almost any of the other Tory talking heads.
Good post, newmania.
The one point where I disagree with you is that I would love to have a pint with Blair - and tip it over his smarmy head once I'd told him how much he disgusts me.
I certainly agree with you on:
Boris for Deputy PM!
People are beginning to realise that Boris' bufoon image hides a very bright man who would make a refreshing contibution to front line politics.
Has anyone noticed that since he stopped editing the Spectator it has become a lot less interesting?
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