OpEd - SubScribe14

The commentators 07-08-14

...on Boris Johnson

Johnson’s all aboard the “re-elect Cameron” project but is the prime minister making the same mistake as when he reached out to Sayeeda Warsi? Boris is a bigger, more potent electoral force than she was. But as years go by the underlying reasons why ethnic, northern and lower-income voters don’t support the Conservatives go unaddressed. Perhaps, after May 7, Boris might have the opportunity to set about changing that. Perhaps..
- Tim Montgomerie, The Times

Boris Johnson yesterday launched his campaign to become Britain’s prime minister. That was not how he told the story, of course: he merely declared his intention to seek a constituency in which he can stand as a Tory candidate in next year’s general election. But not even the most feather-brained pigeon fluttering in the skies above Westminster doubts that Boris’s satnav is set upon 10 Downing Street, London SWIA 2AA.
- Max Hastings, Daily Mail

Boris needs to make some changes. He has a poor reputation among MPs, who found him a sporadic and rather grand figure when he served on Michael Howard’s frontbench. Although politics tolerates a lot of Quod licet Iovi, non licet bovi (“The gods can do what cattle may not”), many of them will need convincing that Johnson can be trusted. It explains his admission after his announcement that he did not “want to revert to the weasel mode”. Note the “revert”.
- Anne McElvoy, The Guardian

Boris knows what excites people who aren’t excited by politics. Mr Cameron now has a charismatic campaign sidekick who stands out among a political generation who all look eerily the same.
- Isabel Hardman, Daily Telegraph

Boris is probably the only Conservative politician who in 2008 could have defeated the socialist incumbent Ken Livingstone and then been re-elected for a second term in 2012, since London is overwhelmingly a Labour city. As the mayoral contests demonstrate, Boris reaches the parts that other Tories cannot. That is why he is on his way to the top.
- Leo McKinstrey, Daily Express