It began last Sunday when Boris Johnson, who recently arrived at the G7 summit in southern Germany, told ITV that his “golden rule” for politics – one that doesn’t seem to have been broadcast before – is that politicians don’t they have to talk about themselves, only about their politics.
The next day, in an interview with BBC News, the prime minister similarly rejected all domestic policy issues, including the double loss of by-elections and new rumors of discontent among Tory MPs.
“The job of the government is to continue with the government and to oppose the media’s stipulations, no matter how brilliant, to talk about politics, to talk about ourselves,” he said.
A story was set. In post-interview interviews, whether TV clips or more informal interrogations by reporters traveling with the prime minister, Johnson insisted it was simply not his job to delve deeper into such issues.
“I am no longer a member of this sacred guild,” he said, referring to his previous life as a journalist. “For me, it would be a demarcation dispute to cross and talk about politics. I need to talk about our government program. “
By the end of the trip, this insistence raised eyebrows. The latest TV interview for GB News saw that Johnson has been repeatedly asked about how he can conduct politics without dealing with very serious questions about his authority and whether his voters trust him. It was rejected again.
What’s happening? The short answer seems to be that Johnson, who had just completed a marathon, nine-day visit abroad, beginning with a British Community summit in Rwanda, was somewhat burned out at the outset and decided on what could be described. as a bunker mentality.
Asked about his political woes before leaving Kigali, Johnson tackled one of his trademarks impromptu answers, which ended with him considering winning three elections and staying in power in the 2030s.
That would be bold for any prime minister. Critics said that for one who had just lost two seats in the municipalities and voted 41% of his deputies, to be removed is, according to critics, a “delusion”.
And so the covers of the media fell. While energetic and colorful in the G-7 and NATO, conducting daily television interviews, on-board chats with traveling media, and a closing press conference to explain efforts to garner international support for Ukraine, he flatly refused to talk about party politics. or personal matters.
It is understandable that the policy was determined personally by the prime minister, not by his media team. This can bring at least temporary dividends – at his press conference at the end of NATO, almost every issue was related to politics.
However, it is one thing to do all this at an international summit on the fate of Ukraine. In the United Kingdom, things are likely to get harder.
On Wednesday, Johnson appeared before a liaison committee made up of lawmakers who chair selected committees on specific topics, where he will face tough questions not only about the bolts and nuts of politics.
Similarly, Tory lawmakers’ renewed moves to oust the prime minister will not go away, simply because he would prefer not to talk about them. The Conservative Committee of 1922 is about to elect a new executive director who can be crucial in deciding whether another challenge arises or not.
But one thing seems clear. At the moment, Johnson seems to be enjoying his role as an international cheerleader for the Ukrainian cause, where the problems are simple and receives regular praise. Whether or not his ostrich-like approach helped with domestic concerns, he gave him at least a few days to simply not think about them. For a prime minister who is as fierce as Johnson, that would be welcome.
Add Comment