Please, Theresa May, for the sake of our country’s future, sack Boris Johnson. His continued presence as foreign secretary is a national humiliation. The influence of a leftwing Guardian columnist over the prime minister is, to put it mildly, rather limited. It is up to Conservative members and supporters to come to the conclusion that Johnson’s continued tenure as Britain’s representative to the wider world is a risk to the future of this country.
May knew the score and only appointed him as foreign secretary to manage the internal schism of her chronically divided party.
Ah, some number of other people do. Democracy sure is a bitch. And do note that this is the Owen Jones who thinks that the economy should be more democratised. Although perhaps he’s got some plan to make sure that people only get to vote for people or policies which he approves of?
If it helps Owen Jones feel better then I can advise that, as someone who lives overseas and so therefore views Boris as the UK’s representative when dealing with us foreigners, I think that Boris is doing a tremendous job. He is exactly the right person for representing the UK, being that kind of stereotypical bumbling polymath that we all expect your politicians to be.
And I say this with absolute sincerity – he really is great. Have you thought about making him your PM?
Boris said some nasty things about the glorooms democratically legitimate government of Venezuela. He needs to go, doesn’t he Owen.
As well as being generally popular with normal people – and particularly with the apolitical, as he demonstrated in taking London twice, against its normal voting pattern – the added bonus is that he drives lefties mad, the full monty stark raving bonkers mad. It really is quite wonderful..:)
PF
Like ‘free gift’, ‘added bonus’ is one of a variety of different usages that should be consigned to past history in future plans, if unconfirmed rumours don’t over-exaggerate the potential hazard to the English language.
#nosafehavenfrompendantry
I’m not really sure OJ or many, if any people writing about politics know how foreign secretaries are received abroad.
Mainly because no ordinary people care. I’m quite into my politics and don’t know who the equivalant people are for major countries. I expect the same elsewhere.
The only people who might have a perception are other nations foreign office officials. Does OJ have access to these people?
And even if he does why does he believe people whose job it is to represent their nations interests first and believe what they say at face value?
No.. they’ve tried it all with Boris before. Just doesn’t work. I think it’s a kind of network amplication effect. Enough people like Boris to annoy certain people, who then express their annoyance shrilly. That is heard by those people who don’t like the noisy annoyee so they start to like Boris too, which then brings in more annoyees, and more likers and so on it continues.
Theo
Did I get away with mad, stark raving, bonkers lefties…
BluLabour in the HoC might be chronically divided–but the jibe is rich coming from ZaNu who want to be both in and out of the single market at the same time.
Wonder what Corbog’s chances are of negotiating a deal with the EU to stay in the Single trap AND let him do a Venezuela with “nationalised” socialist theft.
Better than Camoron’s were perhaps.
“Did I get away with mad, stark raving, bonkers lefties…”
Yes, because understatement is quite different to redundancy. 😉
“a leftwing Guardian columnist”
As a self-professed wordsmith he ought to know pleonasm when it stares him in the face. However, he is not so much a wordsmith as a juvenile, blinkered, and thoroughly ridiculous little twat, so he is forgiven.
Good luck with that. Conservative party members are very fond of Boris.
@James in NZ, August 30, 2017 at 6:35 am
Thanks for your comment.
I believed BoJo would be a good FS for his attributes you describe.
@PF, August 30, 2017 at 8:39 am
+1 spot on.
The only foreign foreign secretary who name has even touched my mind was Edward Shevadnaze. (sp?)
I’m pretty sure I lifted this from a comment on this site, but in any event I can’t claim credit for it.
@ jgh
John Foster Dulles. Employed by one War Hero, couldn’t forgive Eden for being another when he himself was not.
I could not feel sorry when he died of lung cancer.
@ jgh
Shevardnadze, but you’re closer than lots of attempts at my name.
Well, ედუარდ ამბროსის ძე შევარდნაძე if we’re keeping up the traditions of pendantry.