The Boris thing?

Author
Discussion

Derek Smith

45,918 posts

250 months

Wednesday 8th August 2012
quotequote all
Gargamel said:
Derek Smith said:
Johnson comes over as interested in one thing and one thing only: Johnson.
Come off it Derek, you could replace Johnson name there with just about any politician of the last 15 or 20 years.

How many Conviction politicians can you think of ?

Keir Hardy, Bevan, Enoch Powell, Thatcher, Shriley Williams at a stretch, That terrible old Trott Benn and possible Dennis Skinner.

Not exactly a great list is it.
I think the list is longer than that. Maybe the percentage is dropping a bit but that might be perception tainted by the media. Many backbenchers work hard for their community. It seems to me that what corrupts them is promotion. Which is cause and which effect is open to question.

My son worked for a local London paper. The editor, staunch tory, was criticised for continually criticising MPs, largely labour. The paper, if anything, was a little to the left as it concentrated on community. The editor had half a page each week where local and Westminster politicians were described by their consituents listing the good things that they had done since the last election.

An easy page filler. Except:

When it came to Harman the report consisted of an empty half page.

Those who were quite happy to remain MPs, representing their constituency seemed to be doing reasonable jobs for their electorate, some even voting against the government. The one who was after high office . . .

My lad said that the report, or lack of one, got a 'mixed' reception from the various other labour constituency parties. She was not, everyone will be shocked to hear no doubt, all htat well thought of by her colleagues and, in particular, other labour party workers.

As an example, my MP is Simon Kirby, Con, for Brighton Kemp Town.

I voted for him. I did not vote for the conservative party if you see the difference. I have not party preferences. I thik such things are silly.

Last Thursday I sent an email to him regarding an incident at my rugby club which had upset me. I got a reply within four 'business' hours from someone in his office saying that they would bring it to his attention. A day later I got a personal email. A correspondence then ensued and yesterday I received a 'completion' email from him, the fourth in total.

I have to say I'de vote for Kirby regardless of party and he has taken the occasional stand against tory party policy. I do not agree with everything he believes in but he does a damn good job. He is not, apparently, after promotion.

V8mate

45,899 posts

191 months

Wednesday 8th August 2012
quotequote all
MiniMan64 said:
Two friends and a wife I know who all vote Labour and strongly dislike the Tories/Cameron have all said they'd happyily vote for Boris as Prime Minister.

Most odd the effect he has.
Simply highlights one of the failings of democracy.

grumbledoak

31,613 posts

235 months

Wednesday 8th August 2012
quotequote all
V8mate said:
Simply highlights one of the failings of democracy.
Au contraire. The key failings of our democracy are career politicians and political parties. The ancient Greeks would not recognise it as a democracy at all. The fact that Boris can seemingly transcend party preferences and vote-for-the-rosette is a good thing.

Morningside

24,113 posts

231 months

Wednesday 8th August 2012
quotequote all
rudecherub said:
Boris is a politician, he's a joker, and he's smart. He has a zipper problem as our American cousins might say, but as the old enemy has long recognised there is something about the kind of men who become leaders and sex.

They are driven in every aspect of their lives. Which makes them flawed.

It's an old one but...

It is time to elect a new world leader, and only your vote counts. Here are the facts about the three leading candidates.

Candidate A - Associates with crooked politicians, and consults with astrologists. He's had two Mistresses. He also chain smokes and drinks 8 to 10 martinis a day.

Candidate B - He was kicked out of office twice, sleeps until noon, used opium in college and drinks a quart of whiskey every evening.

Candidate C - He is a decorated war hero. He's a vegetarian, doesn't smoke, drinks an occasional beer and never cheated on his wife.
And the answers are???

BTW: London STILL has the congestion charge. I know they dropped the western zone but that looks like 'for your tory voters' to me.

eccles

13,754 posts

224 months

Wednesday 8th August 2012
quotequote all
AJS- said:
Maybe tell us what you don't like about him?

I think he's intelligent, yet in his bumbling idiot act, quite humble and refreshingly lacks the vanity of the slicker, media driven politicians typified by Blair and Cameron, who I think many people are sick of.
He's just as media driven as any other politician. I can't think of anyone else who craves self publicity as much as him, except maybe Richard Branson or Michael O'Leary.
Any opportunity at all to further his image as the bumbling nice guy is never missed.

He doesn't stand scrutiny though and his true nature is just below the surface and I think would be exposed if he went for P.M.

ewenm

28,506 posts

247 months

Wednesday 8th August 2012
quotequote all
Morningside said:
rudecherub said:
Boris is a politician, he's a joker, and he's smart. He has a zipper problem as our American cousins might say, but as the old enemy has long recognised there is something about the kind of men who become leaders and sex.

They are driven in every aspect of their lives. Which makes them flawed.

It's an old one but...

It is time to elect a new world leader, and only your vote counts. Here are the facts about the three leading candidates.

Candidate A - Associates with crooked politicians, and consults with astrologists. He's had two Mistresses. He also chain smokes and drinks 8 to 10 martinis a day.

Candidate B - He was kicked out of office twice, sleeps until noon, used opium in college and drinks a quart of whiskey every evening.

Candidate C - He is a decorated war hero. He's a vegetarian, doesn't smoke, drinks an occasional beer and never cheated on his wife.
And the answers are???

BTW: London STILL has the congestion charge. I know they dropped the western zone but that looks like 'for your tory voters' to me.
A or B - Churchill?
B or A - an American?
C - Hitler probably.