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Boris Johnson: UK's Next PM?

PoS

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'Brexit': Boris Johnson, London's Ex-Mayor, Could Be Britain's Next Prime Minister : Parallels : NPR

Johnson is one of the most-liked politicians in Britain.

"He makes us laugh," said Mark Lenaghan, a construction worker on a cigarette break in central London. "Well, [he's] a bit of a clown, really."

A clown who's willing to make a fool of himself to promote his city, something Lenaghan says he finds endearing.

During the 2012 London Olympics, Johnson got stuck on a zip line over East London. He was left dangling 20 feet off the ground in a hardhat and harness, waving a Union Jack in each hand.

"Get me a ladder!" he joked to passersby below, waving his flags and smiling for photos.

Despite such antics — or perhaps because of them — Johnson remains an extremely popular figure in London. There's always been speculation about his political aspirations, about which he once famously said: "My chances of being prime minister are about as good as the chances of finding Elvis on Mars."

Could it be Boris? It would be pretty fun if he did become PM. :mrgreen:
 
We won't vote Boris. People need to realise that this was a vote of no confidence to the EU not a vote for Boris, Farage or anyone else.
 
We won't vote Boris. People need to realise that this was a vote of no confidence to the EU not a vote for Boris, Farage or anyone else.
I hope you're right.

But if he does get elected, we'll deserve him. if not, not.
 
We won't vote Boris. People need to realise that this was a vote of no confidence to the EU not a vote for Boris, Farage or anyone else.

In a general election maybe not, but he is the odds on favorite to replace Cameron once the current PM steps down. If Boris can work his magic once he's PM, then who knows.
 
We won't vote Boris. People need to realise that this was a vote of no confidence to the EU not a vote for Boris, Farage or anyone else.

I wouldn't be so sure.
 
We won't vote Boris. People need to realise that this was a vote of no confidence to the EU not a vote for Boris, Farage or anyone else.

LOL the vote was a vote against migration and the elitists in government. Had nothing really to do with the EU as we have seen in the aftermath. The 2nd most googled thing after the result... "what is the EU".

Racist and xenophobic attacks have increased massively and even before the vote, anti-Muslim attacks increased 200% in a year, so this has everything to do with immigration. Boris wont change that, as he has backtracked on it.
 
Could it be Boris? It would be pretty fun if he did become PM.

For whom?

Boris's Riff-Raff sidekick, Michael Gove has just announced he will stand against Boris. That's going to hurt.
 
For whom?

Boris's Riff-Raff sidekick, Michael Gove has just announced he will stand against Boris. That's going to hurt.

Yea that was a shocker..... makes me more convinced that this whole Brexit crap was just the non-Cameron part of the Tory party doing a coup against Cameron.... the traditionalists couping the modernists.
 
And now ITV News is reporting that Boris might pull out of the running..
 
And now ITV News is reporting that Boris might pull out of the running..

Really? Wow!

Gove turning on him and saying he is incapable of leadership and cannot build a team could well be fatal to his leadership bid. Theresa May just made a speech outlining her candidacy and, even to this anti-Tory, sounded distinctly Prime Ministerial. I disagreed with almost everything she said on policy, but she sounded rational, reasonable, well-briefed and conciliatory.

If I were a Tory, I'd be voting for her. But I'm not and I think she will be incapable of mitigating the coming economic and political disaster that bad Tory policies and Brexit is fomenting.
 
Really? Wow!

Gove turning on him and saying he is incapable of leadership and cannot build a team could well be fatal to his leadership bid. Theresa May just made a speech outlining her candidacy and, even to this anti-Tory, sounded distinctly Prime Ministerial. I disagreed with almost everything she said on policy, but she sounded rational, reasonable, well-briefed and conciliatory.

If I were a Tory, I'd be voting for her. But I'm not and I think she will be incapable of mitigating the coming economic and political disaster that bad Tory policies and Brexit is fomenting.

Problem is the undemocratic aspect of the Tory party. Only 2 candidates will be contesting it, and one will be remain and one will be leave. Boris was a shoe in for the leave one, until Gove came in. May will most likely the remain candidate.

Now you could in theory put two leave candidates but that would finally split the Tory party. So to maintain the Tory party as it is, in a total civil war, you need one candidate from each side.
 
Problem is the undemocratic aspect of the Tory party. Only 2 candidates will be contesting it, and one will be remain and one will be leave. Boris was a shoe in for the leave one, until Gove came in. May will most likely the remain candidate.

Now you could in theory put two leave candidates but that would finally split the Tory party. So to maintain the Tory party as it is, in a total civil war, you need one candidate from each side.

I suspect Tory MPs will whittle it down to May vs. Gove. Boris has very, very little support amongst Tory MPs and will certainly be the focus of ire for the remainers, who are in the majority, let's not forget. He wanted the limelight of leading the leave campaign, now he'll reap his just desserts. He so desperately wanted to be PM, but his ambition and careerism might be exactly the cause of his failure.
 
Really? Wow!

Gove turning on him and saying he is incapable of leadership and cannot build a team could well be fatal to his leadership bid. Theresa May just made a speech outlining her candidacy and, even to this anti-Tory, sounded distinctly Prime Ministerial. I disagreed with almost everything she said on policy, but she sounded rational, reasonable, well-briefed and conciliatory.

If I were a Tory, I'd be voting for her. But I'm not and I think she will be incapable of mitigating the coming economic and political disaster that bad Tory policies and Brexit is fomenting.

The thing is, that leaving the EU would have always been a sub-optimal move. On the other hand, the EU is in a really bad state and need deep change quickly. Everyone knows that and the only debate can be what changes. The UK has been saying this for years and, in fact, went so far as to resist joining two of the more disastrous mistakes, while already warning the members of the dangers. Cameron tried the last ditch force, when he told the EU that the referendum would be in danger, if they did not make concessions. They turned it down, even with the misery the EU had created in full view and the resistance growing in new and old members' populations.

The threat was not taken seriously and the UK has upped the ante of a 40 year bargaining process and at least the the Eurocrates and top politicians in the member states realize this quite well. That is why they are so furious. They know that they must change things quickly or risk losing more governments around Europe to popular parties and movements and they do not want the UK at the negotiating table. That is why they are screeching for article 50 to be triggered.

England would be stupid to do that at this time, however.
 
Did I call it or did I call it.. Boris is not running.

So this will be between the Gove "not part of the common market" and May "Europe is our future" type campaigns.. boy this will be interesting.
 
LOL the vote was a vote against migration and the elitists in government. Had nothing really to do with the EU as we have seen in the aftermath. The 2nd most googled thing after the result... "what is the EU".

Racist and xenophobic attacks have increased massively and even before the vote, anti-Muslim attacks increased 200% in a year, so this has everything to do with immigration. Boris wont change that, as he has backtracked on it.


As I was saying Boris wont be PM of this country :)
 
I cant believe Gove stabbed him in the back like that, the scumbag is worse than Brutus! :mad:

More a case of Boris lacking the balls to match the size of his mouth. What was stopping him from running? He had the MPs to support his bid, and he has the support of the rank-and-file to win a party-wide election, yet he bottled it. A political lightweight with the courage of a rabbit.
 
~ Theresa May just made a speech outlining her candidacy and, even to this anti-Tory, sounded distinctly Prime Ministerial. I disagreed with almost everything she said on policy, but she sounded rational, reasonable, well-briefed and conciliatory.

If I were a Tory, I'd be voting for her. But I'm not and I think she will be incapable of mitigating the coming economic and political disaster that bad Tory policies and Brexit is fomenting.

Hmmmmmmmmm.....

She was as non committal a "Bremainer" as Corbyn was yet he was crucified for that. Obviously as a conservative (wet) I would rather see one of our own running the country than I would someone like Corbyn or anyone else from the left on Labour.

She's already said "Brexit" means "Brexit" so we're going to head down that road. Gove - was his wife involved by deliberately releasing her email last night?

I hope I am honest enough a critic of my own desired party to be a bit worried at the shenanigans. Boris has paid the price for bringing a Conservative leader down just as Michael Heseltine once was but the main thing I keep thinking is about that letter in the Guardian (that you posted) which followed my thinking that the PMship is a poisoned chalice for whoever drinks from it when Article 50 is triggered.
 
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