In a week or so the outcome of the Conservative Party election of a new leader will be announced. The two candidates are Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt. The winner not only becomes the new leader of the Conservative Party but becomes our Prime Minister (as the Conservative Party are the largest party in Parliament and can form a majority.) Johnson (Boris) is the overwhelming favourite to win.
So what of the two candidates?
25/5/2019 I posted this blog :
#Politicians - the Conservative leadership contest - "Politicians are too political" - Rabbi Jonathan Sacks.
davidshoulder60onwards.blogspot.com/2019/05/politicians-conservative-leadership.html
This is the final paragraph from the blog :
But to finish on a slightly more positive note Rabbi Sacks observes that at times of real crisis - and the Brexit issue is a real crisis - eventually a real statesman will emerge - some one capable of rising above - some one with exceptional qualities - a Churchill or a Thatcher. Is he or she one of those Tory hopefuls?
So can Hunt or Johnson have any prospect of being what Rabbi Sacks refers to? Any prospect as I characterised of being someone with the leadership ability at a time of national crisis as a Churchill or Thatcher?
Well possibly - but it is definitely not Jeremy Hunt! In my view Hunt is quite awful. He has been described as Theresa May in trousers - a manager - not a leader. That is being kind. He is a snake.(The extraordinary Junior Doctors strike was a heartfelt attempt by good people to tell him his 7 day elective plans were unworkable and unsustainable. Hunt's bullying, lying and cynical interpretation of statistics made his so called victory a pyrrhic one.) The NHS is falling apart now because he played shitty politics with it. I am not going to waste time writing about him because he is exactly what we don't need - a small horizon technocratic career politician..
So we are left with Boris Johnson!
Let's start with the negatives. He has been accused variously by his many detractors of being - self interested, a self publicist, unprincipled, duplicitous, casual, lazy, slap dash, lacking attention to detail, does not master his brief, unpriministerial, verbose, waffler, phony, double dealer, dangerous, not taken seriously on the world stage etc etc!
Some or all of these might be true. The question is does it matter at the end of the day? The question is - can he rise above it? The question is for all his perceived faults could he be the man of the hour - the maverick the nation needs at this time of crisis?
Johnson's strengths. Well first of all there is no doubt of his intelligence. He has the capacity. Apparently when focused he can master facts very quickly. There is no doubt for the majority he is a larger than life personality - he can communicate - people like him - he makes people smile - he breaks the mould of the typical politician - he is a one off. And Boris has self confidence - he is not easily kowtowed by conventional thinking - he has the ability to confront political correctness and say the unthinkable and get away with it.
It is clear now the Brexit crisis will not be resolved by consensus and technocratic managerial type political thinking. Johnson is in tune with the majority I think. It goes something like this - we want out of the EU - we don't like the way the EU is going - we don't quite know how we are going to pull it off - but we are a great country - somehow we will find a way - and how bad can it be? Lets just get on with it and leave and be damned with the naysayers and pessimists!
Critics say - madness - we must have a detailed plan. Remainers continue to argue the risks of Brexit are too great. Johnson has the ability to transcend that negativity and create optimism and a can do attitude. It is motivating. People are not stupid - they know there will be bumps in the road - they know it will cost the UK but frankly they don't care. They want to be free - they want democracy to be upheld - and they believe Johnson might be the only one that can deliver it. The people also understand that the only way to be respected in negotiations with the EU is to say we are leaving regardless of a deal and mean it. The people understand the basic logic and commonsense of that position and are on Johnson's side and will back him.
My final thought on Johnson relates to the way he handled the recent Andrew Neil interview. Neil tried to expose the validity of the accusation Johnson was not a master of his brief (for geeks reference to paragraph 5c). Neil succeeded. But what he also succeeded in demonstrating is it does not matter - in a way it would matter with a Hunt or a May. Johnson is the driver - he does not need to understand how the engine works. He rejects that type of political thinking and I think he will get away with it - in fact I would go further - it is the type of leadership we need now. Boris will never be embarrassed by an interviewer trying to catch him out over the price of a pint of milk! Churchill's great strength was we are going to fight back - we will never surrender - and people believed him. His coalition - his support team - came up with the detail in support. Johnson - we are a great country. We can do it. We should do it. We are leaving the EU - full stop!
Johnson could be the man of the hour. Johnson is probably the only chance now of making Brexit happen. However it would be ridiculous not to see the risks in his election. We hope he will knuckle down - but we also understand he is gaff prone and cavalier. Can he pull it off before he is run out of office - which he surely will be in the fullness of time? We will see - but I am glad he is going to get a chance because I am sure a full Brexit is right for our country - if for no other reason than to fulfill the democratic imperative.
So what of the two candidates?
25/5/2019 I posted this blog :
#Politicians - the Conservative leadership contest - "Politicians are too political" - Rabbi Jonathan Sacks.
davidshoulder60onwards.blogspot.com/2019/05/politicians-conservative-leadership.html
This is the final paragraph from the blog :
But to finish on a slightly more positive note Rabbi Sacks observes that at times of real crisis - and the Brexit issue is a real crisis - eventually a real statesman will emerge - some one capable of rising above - some one with exceptional qualities - a Churchill or a Thatcher. Is he or she one of those Tory hopefuls?
So can Hunt or Johnson have any prospect of being what Rabbi Sacks refers to? Any prospect as I characterised of being someone with the leadership ability at a time of national crisis as a Churchill or Thatcher?
Well possibly - but it is definitely not Jeremy Hunt! In my view Hunt is quite awful. He has been described as Theresa May in trousers - a manager - not a leader. That is being kind. He is a snake.(The extraordinary Junior Doctors strike was a heartfelt attempt by good people to tell him his 7 day elective plans were unworkable and unsustainable. Hunt's bullying, lying and cynical interpretation of statistics made his so called victory a pyrrhic one.) The NHS is falling apart now because he played shitty politics with it. I am not going to waste time writing about him because he is exactly what we don't need - a small horizon technocratic career politician..
So we are left with Boris Johnson!
Let's start with the negatives. He has been accused variously by his many detractors of being - self interested, a self publicist, unprincipled, duplicitous, casual, lazy, slap dash, lacking attention to detail, does not master his brief, unpriministerial, verbose, waffler, phony, double dealer, dangerous, not taken seriously on the world stage etc etc!
Some or all of these might be true. The question is does it matter at the end of the day? The question is - can he rise above it? The question is for all his perceived faults could he be the man of the hour - the maverick the nation needs at this time of crisis?
Johnson's strengths. Well first of all there is no doubt of his intelligence. He has the capacity. Apparently when focused he can master facts very quickly. There is no doubt for the majority he is a larger than life personality - he can communicate - people like him - he makes people smile - he breaks the mould of the typical politician - he is a one off. And Boris has self confidence - he is not easily kowtowed by conventional thinking - he has the ability to confront political correctness and say the unthinkable and get away with it.
It is clear now the Brexit crisis will not be resolved by consensus and technocratic managerial type political thinking. Johnson is in tune with the majority I think. It goes something like this - we want out of the EU - we don't like the way the EU is going - we don't quite know how we are going to pull it off - but we are a great country - somehow we will find a way - and how bad can it be? Lets just get on with it and leave and be damned with the naysayers and pessimists!
Critics say - madness - we must have a detailed plan. Remainers continue to argue the risks of Brexit are too great. Johnson has the ability to transcend that negativity and create optimism and a can do attitude. It is motivating. People are not stupid - they know there will be bumps in the road - they know it will cost the UK but frankly they don't care. They want to be free - they want democracy to be upheld - and they believe Johnson might be the only one that can deliver it. The people also understand that the only way to be respected in negotiations with the EU is to say we are leaving regardless of a deal and mean it. The people understand the basic logic and commonsense of that position and are on Johnson's side and will back him.
My final thought on Johnson relates to the way he handled the recent Andrew Neil interview. Neil tried to expose the validity of the accusation Johnson was not a master of his brief (for geeks reference to paragraph 5c). Neil succeeded. But what he also succeeded in demonstrating is it does not matter - in a way it would matter with a Hunt or a May. Johnson is the driver - he does not need to understand how the engine works. He rejects that type of political thinking and I think he will get away with it - in fact I would go further - it is the type of leadership we need now. Boris will never be embarrassed by an interviewer trying to catch him out over the price of a pint of milk! Churchill's great strength was we are going to fight back - we will never surrender - and people believed him. His coalition - his support team - came up with the detail in support. Johnson - we are a great country. We can do it. We should do it. We are leaving the EU - full stop!
Johnson could be the man of the hour. Johnson is probably the only chance now of making Brexit happen. However it would be ridiculous not to see the risks in his election. We hope he will knuckle down - but we also understand he is gaff prone and cavalier. Can he pull it off before he is run out of office - which he surely will be in the fullness of time? We will see - but I am glad he is going to get a chance because I am sure a full Brexit is right for our country - if for no other reason than to fulfill the democratic imperative.
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