Great Britain
Off for the “Boris Show”? Johnson politically deadlocked
Is ex-Prime Minister Boris Johnson finally in a political impasse? photo
© Chris Radburn/PA Wire/dpa
Boris Johnson is seen as a political pick-me-up. After the devastating results of the investigation into his statements in the Partygate scandal, the British ex-Prime Minister pulls out all the stops again.
“Britain Trump” – this is the nickname given to British politician Boris Johnson by former US President Donald Trump. For a long time, commentators in the UK dismissed the comparison between populists on either side of the Atlantic. But now many are coming to the conclusion that the two probably have more in common than just an eccentric hairstyle.
The reason: since the conclusion of the parliamentary investigation into his statements in the so-called Partygate scandal, which exposed him as a notorious liar, Johnson has been spreading conspiracy theories similar to Trump’s. The committee responsible consists mainly of Brexit opponents, he said after the publication of the report, which was devastating for him. Everything is a witch hunt aimed at keeping him out of power and reversing the exit from the EU, according to the Johnson narrative.
Staging as a victim of an intrigue
The always quick-witted politician has already forestalled a suspension recommended by the committee by resigning from his mandate. Johnson should not have lost his mandate. The temporary ban from the House of Commons would have meant that Johnson would have had to face the voters in his constituency in west London again. But apparently he didn’t want to take that risk.
Instead, he presented himself as the victim of an intrigue by Brexit opponents and personal enemies within his party. He denounced the parliamentary committee of inquiry into his Partygate lies as a “kangaroo court”. According to former Tory Minister Rory Stewart, this is “an attempt to turn the Conservative Party into Trump’s Republicans”.
But it gives the impression that he can no longer gather too many party colleagues behind him. Only a squad of incorrigible Brexit fanatics, such as MP Jacob Rees-Mogg, known for his whimsical statements, backed the ex-prime minister.
Is Johnson the columnist coming?
How big the fan base of the blonde politician in the Tory faction is will be shown on Monday. Then the MPs should vote on whether Johnson should be denied a parliamentary pass, as ex-MPs are entitled to. According to the well-connected journalist Katy Balls, who works for the conservative magazine “Spectator”, Johnson is likely to lose.
What he has left is the opportunity to lash out at his political rivals with his usual sharp tongue in the comment columns of conservative newspapers. The “Daily Mail” announced a new “scholarly” columnist last week, whose identity is still a secret. Unsurprisingly, of course, Johnson found himself reprimanded with his new job for failing to notify the committee responsible for overseeing the standards of conduct for former government officials in good time.
There have long been many who are calling for an end to the constant circling about the ex-prime minister’s latest capers. After all, there are much more important issues such as the recently increased interest rates on real estate loans or the poor state of the healthcare system. But whether the “Boris Show,” as some call it, will end with Johnson’s departure from parliament is questionable.