A year ago, James Forsyth proclaimed
an “Exclusive” as he told “Boris Johnson will not be standing in 2015”.
He was unequivocal: “Boris Johnson will
not stand for parliament at the next election, The Spectator understands.
The Mayor of London has told the Cameron circle that he will not seek to return
to the Commons in a pre-2015 by-election, nor
will he stand at the general election”.
There was more: “Boris’s decision not to be a candidate in
2015 indicates that he expects
Cameron still to be Prime Minister and party leader after the general election.
He has told friends that he has no desire to spend three years serving under
Cameron. He reasons that if Cameron loses, creating a Tory leadership vacancy,
he’ll be able to persuade an MP to rapidly stand aside for him”.
And the upshot of this absolutely certain Bozza decision? “The news that Boris is not standing in 2015 will come as a relief to Cameron’s
allies. It removes one potential general election distraction; CCHQ was
distinctly concerned about the possibility of him standing in Croydon South.
They’ll also be reassured that Boris now thinks Cameron is likely to end up
back in Downing Street”.
Although the “Boris
not standing” meme was also revived
early in March this year – the Telegraph
and Guardian both ran the story, with the Standard following the same afternoon – that Forsyth
claimed an “Exclusive” and went into such
detail – with such certainty – made his piece a hostage to fortune. And, with
suitable shamelessness, it is the same magazine that has shown Forsyth got it
wrong. Very wrong.
Because Bozza has, this morning, confirmed what had been an
open secret for some time: of course he is looking to return
to Parliament next year. After such successes as, er, the cycle hire scheme
that is losing money hand over fist, together with the vanity cable car and all
those vanity buses that keep breaking down – when they’re not frying their
occupants – being an MP must look appealing.
On top of that, the Spectator
has clearly had advance briefing of Bozza’s volte
face, enough notice for him to be on the cover of this week’s issue, where
Harry Mount and Isabel Hardman have had time to prepare their analyses of The
Great Man. Ms Hardman even mulls over where Bozza may deign to stand, so that
the electorate can ease the progress to Parliament of Himself Personally Now.
Quite apart from the likelihood that a Tory Party letting
Bozza anywhere near the leadership would be signing itself out of power for
some time as a result – the voters outside London are not so easily duped by
the lovable fool act – he would be a sitting duck for media hatchet jobs. From,
oh I dunno, how about the Spectator?
Nothing like another U-turn to keep sales up, eh?
High principles. Accuracy. Consistency. And not in the Spectator any time soon.
4 comments:
Time for another Eddie Mair interview?
So what of the MoL job should he get a seat? Would he be allowed to do that as well (and trouser 2 salaries)? Does his deputy automatically assume the role for the final year? Or will this cause an new election - in which case who pays for it?
Sadly I disagree with your presumption that people aren't fooled by him. Loads are. Everywhere.
God only knows why, but there you go
It seems he answered the first part of my question as I asked it. He intends to do both jobs for a year, someone won't be getting his full attention! No comment about salaries.
And I agree with Anon, millions will be taken in by him. There is a huge section of the population who think politics is just a game like a TV panel show and would vote for him because he seems funny. The sort of people who Tweet about what they saw on BBC3 or read in the Sun.
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