With Trump and Boris Johnson at the helm on either side of Atlantic, it is calamity meeting chaos. God has a sense of humor but this is going too far. It will be interesting to watch Trump and Boris outdo each other in their grandiose ideas and then tell greater lies to cover them up. Russia could not have engineered a better plot for dismantling NATO and other western alliances, or maybe it did by sabotaging the US election in 2016 and the Brexit referendum in Britain.
7
The traditional school of political survival in what has become a political bureaucratic quagmire in Western democracy has been "it costs nothing to do nothing" even though we know that doing nothing can cost everything. This "Play Not To Lose" strategy has resulted in stagnation and is why the public has become disenchanted in the political process.
Johnson and Trump are part of a different breed who are trying to use a "Play to Win" strategy regardless of the long-term cost and stability to those who vote them in. The secret to their success is to remain a moving target to make it harder to hit them on failed policies. They are political jugglers throwing so many balls up in the air that holding them to account for the balls that have fallen is impossible since they keep launching more balls up in the air.
Former politicians "playing it safe" has led to these reckless risk takers being elected by people who are easily entertained by the show of personality over sound management. With politics turned into a cult of personality, expect people to vote on personality over policy every time, that is the Achilles heel of democracy.
It really is up to media (since government won't mandate) for all costs of political policies to be tracked and made publicly available. Government isn't going to introduce legislation that holds politicians accountable for their decisions.
7
Bonhomie don't play that.
2
Finally the UK will come to experience the level of government it inflicted on all its colonies before they broke off. I really think that this is karmic payback for all the sins of the British Empire.
I am very excited!
I can’t wait to see how this turns out!!!!
4
Is there no one left in UK for PM? London has a dynamic mayor, I guess that is not necessarily the reflection of the society at large.
Seems like the English speaking world is crumbling, slowly but surely.
1
Boris Johnson is a duplicitous clown, a bully and a charlatan.
He has no principles or politics - apart from whatever serves Boris, and Brexit (although this reluctantly ... he never cared about the outcome of the referendum per se, he was only ever interested in sowing Tory devision and benefiting from it) - but like Trump he has a kind of demagogic genius.
A consolation in all this for me will be watching how differences in the UK/US political systems play out. Trump has captured the Republican party but that seems in large part a function of a weak party system.
In the UK context the party is queen and she has traditionally hired and fired her leaders with alacrity (at least this has been the case with the Tories, for my own party it's another matter).
So Tory self interest + real party power suggests the bizarre grotesquery of Trump is less likely over here. On the other hand, well, these are unprecedented times and political parties are not inviolate.
And then there's Parliament. The last successful motion of no confidence was in 1979 but as a tool it has nothing like the status of presidential impeachment in the US, and requires less for it to work (a simple majority in the Commons).
My prediction? An EU extension for 'no deal planning' in October. A hung parliament if there's a general election before leaving.
My hope? John McDonnell.
2
Pity the young people who will have to live with the consequences of their foolish elders.
9
Boris Johnson is really very similar to Trump. Cheats on his wife (of course, he hasn't done this with three wives yet, but he might someday), lies all the time, ignorant about a ton of things, probably racist, and definitely incompetent.
So when Britain picks him as PM, I hope they suffer dearly from it. When they get their foolish no-deal Brexit, I hope their economy crumbles. The only way they will learn that racist populism is a huge mistake is if they get hurt by it, so I hope the agony is overwhelming.
6
@Dan Stackhouse
Mr. Johnson is most definitely prejudiced. Recall his description of women in Burqas - “letterboxes” and “robbers”
His incompetence is indisputable. Note his comments on Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and the untenable predicament he has placed her in.
This is the man that will be given the responsibility of leading the United Kingdom.
We are finished.
9
He's ambitious but has no leadership or governing skills that anyone can identify. He's appears to be a bumbling idiot and you desperately hope it is just an "absentminded professor" shtick... but it's not. As John Oliver put it; "he has no real principals to speak of... he's basically a moral windsock. He's a like a failed clone of Trump, which is strangely satisfying because it's actually an insult to both of them". I agree.
5
The poor Brits: many of them seem to believe that Brexit will regain some of their former imperial glory and influence through independence from the EU. What it will really deliver is economic chaos (or worse) and loss of European influence through isolation.
6
@Wiltontraveler
Aye.
You could hardly make it up,eh?
3
He's Britain's chance to look as embarrassing stupid as the USA. Have fun being ashamed.
6
It is noteworthy that two of the most consequential mainly English-speaking countries of the world, the UK and the USA, are reeling in almost the same way from the outsize influence exerted by irresponsible populist politicians such as Boris Johnson and Trump. The more you call them out, the more they revel and wallow in the mud being flung at them. Shaming has no power to oust them. These politicians are frightening evidence that liberal or parliamentary democracy has limitations that are becoming apparent only now. Democracy is being subjected to such a severe stress test that there is a strong temptation to look to a modern variant of rule by a “first citizen” having the wisdom of a Pericles or a George Washington or FDR. But isn’t that also a trap to be avoided?
30
@Camestegal
Not only noteworthy, but positively scary are the “populists” that vote for them. To realize how many people we rub elbows with every day believe their hogwash is downright frightening. And it shows the level of thought of many of the lazy citizens of both countries who don’t investigate their claims. Citizens who have no clue how government can be destroyed because they have never lived through it.
Where are they trying to lead us and will they take responsibility?
10
This essay really makes me consider the more symbolic/aspirational/emotional aspects that people need from their figureheads, like a queen or a president or even a mayor. In a sense, there's nothing wrong with proposing a lot of grand ideas that don't go anywhere, as long as that's not all you do - and as long as you aren't wasting vast sums of money, and as long as you don't ignore other problems. Johnson's buffoonery is obvious but it's hard for me to tell if you are arguing that he was a "bad" mayor per se.
Another Putin Puppet to join Trump, in the demise of the Western World.
6
Maybe the Western leading democracies need to crash and burn before they can be restored with renewed impetus? The US and the UK will show us pretty soon.
2
Okay, Boris. What ya got?
1
@cee-dog
Mr. Johnson has nothing but sound bites and misery for the masses.
2
Al I have to say is that my British friends who constantly enjoyed exclaiming "how could Trump ever get elected" to me will now have to answer the same question about Boris Johnson.
11
I wouldn’t discount the possibility that Boris, and Brexit, are foiled. But assuming for a moment that the UK leaves the EU on October 31st, consider the implications of these other possibilities: that a United ireland comes to pass, that Scotland achieves its independence, and that London (after some rapidly achieved re-negotiations with EU powers that serve everyone’s self-interest) remains a vital business and financial center. Who wins, and who loses?
The consequences for citizens of both the UK and the EU would be felt personally, culturally, politically, and economically, of course variably depending on individual circumstances.
Generally, people will most readily adjust their political affiliations. They will gradually re-align their personal connections and future aspirations. Some, better than others, will adapt to their changed economic circumstances; no doubt a significant number will experience diminished opportunities and conditions.
It’s hardest, if not impossible, to change one’s culture. You are who you define yourself to be, in a kaleidoscopic combination of identities based on family heritage, local customs, class, ethnicity, education, religion, occupation, gender, and even football club affiliation. This is where the greatest anguish will be felt, and where the adjustment will be hardest and most prolonged.
And Boris Johnson, unlike Winston Churchill, is not a leader for the darkest times that many will face.
4
Further proof that we as a species are doomed.
2
"Bonhommie " is French . Why did the British removed an "M " ?
Bonhommie is from Bon Homme . Homme is Man . Good Man.
In French it means someone who has rather slow and rounded up manners .
And to say that Johnson is a " good man " is a bit deranged .
4
I cannot relate to those who see charisma, charm or cleverness in BoJo and Trump. I see smirking and self-satisfaction, shallow self-interest and bullying. Both have a style of humour based on belittling others (akin to pranks.) The fact that both have so many supporters proves Barnum's observation that there's a sucker born every minute.
11
@binturong
When he was Mayor of London, he used to pedal around on an old bike. He happened to pass me as I was standing on the sidewalk near City Hall. A couple of feet away, no more. The street was an incline so he was travelling quite slowly.
You're absolutely right in your assessment. In my instant, a curious smug, half-smile twisted his pudgy face. He made eye contact with no one, but the eyes roved constantly, seeking approval, validation, a cheering, laughing crowd. In that moment, I saw everything in the man that you also detect.
I was standing in quite a knot of people. There was no sound at all, only the creaking of the old bike and the loud puffing of his breathing. Otherwise, complete silence as he pedalled into the distance. Fifty or so people stared after him. Nobody spoke.
I can't really begin to describe what a surreal and disturbing experience it was.
7
What Trump and Johnson teach us is how easily it is to scare people in times of uncertainty and convert that fear into votes.
Both these characters have been elevated to jobs which they are manifestly unable to do. Thanks to their use of the "new" media, computers and cable TV, people are now simply scared to death about the future, both personally and as citizens of the USA and UK respectively. For them both it is people of color who are the problem. Alliances with their neighbors are now all to be broken.
In other words, fear works.
Both these guys are creatures of mass media; both are willing to lie and cheat their way to power; both have no regard for detail, let alone the democratic process. Above all, both now have powerful microphones with which to tell us how dour the future is.
We are living through the most radical social change since Gutenburg invented the printing press and sadly, we must endure the likes of the Trumps and Johnsons of this world as these changes take place.
It's up to us all to stay even keeled and show these imposters (and their supporters) the door.
5
@Bob in Oregon
Yup. I blame FaceBook.
1
The imminent success of Boris Johnson to the position of PM should confirm a key issue: Certain aspects of both the US and the UK election approach are archaic and defective. You ask, what are you talking about???>
Single member districts are hugely undemocratic. In each district the dominant minority stiffles the vote and voice of minority groups, which across multiple districts, are substantial in number but have no voice in Parliament or the US House. So people stay home. The Brexit vote was a chance for many whose voice had been unheard to scream. Scream in anger that no one was listening. Scream that the powers that be had turned a deaf ear to their concerns. Screams for a change.
What change: Perhaps a system such as that employed in Germany, where have the seats in each state are selected by single member districts while the other half are back filled by proportional representation. A hybrid system that encourages people to vote, not a system that quashes minorities with a deaf ear and a snicker. The two main parties, both in the US and the UK, don't want anyone spoiling their power. They don't like democracy and representative govt. They just want power. Competition bout issues is a hoot. Democracy has been severely wounded by the continuing triumph of power for the few.
3
Sorry but wrong. There is a huge difference between flair and bluster. He's a liar and lazy and self-serving. Sound familiar, USA?
8
Yes, quite so, by all means let's return the globalist elites to power. After all, they did such a splendid job managing the globalization of economic and political affairs during the past three or so decades.
"His mistakes or perceived errors were always seen as evidence of his authenticity” -- says it all. We genuinely live in an era where acquired and practiced expertise is perceived as inauthentic and a hypocritical politician can be sold as being 'just like you' and hence preferable. This does not bode well for what's to come.
3
Boris Johnson understands perfectly how to appeal to registered members of the Conservative Party, the tiny minority of British voters entitled to decide who's Prime Minister. The floppy blond hair, the witty rejoinder, the careless joking manner is spot-on...for a product of Eton and Oxford. As for the lying...Boris learned long ago that lying doesn't matter as long as the lies are amusing and popular.
In all this, poshness is key. If Boris was the product of a council estate in Souf' Lunnon, they wouldn't have given him the time of day. Every comment about him would have begun, 'The American-born Boris Johnson...'.
3
The fall of the British empire is now complete.
9
I believe that when the electorate of any country is so uninformed and so unintelligent that they vote for self punishment they should be allowed to feel the pain. Johnson will do a hard brexit because no deal will be found because no deal is good. It is not possible to turn a bad idea into a good idea, ever.
The voters of the US and the UK have gotten the leaders they deserve. It may be unfortunate that there will be significant decline in the US and the UK but it is what many want. They should have what they want, and Boris and Trump will give it to them.
On the other hand, when such buffoons routinely out maneuver the opposition what does that say about the opposition? I am not that familiar with the specifics of the UKs political parties, but I know in the US the democrats are weak and without true convictions. They routinely concern themselves with polls and garnering power while failing to put forward specific plans for fear that their own beliefs are not going to be met with voter support. The exception is Warren. However, the people hate smart leaders, and specifically democratic voters hate smart leaders and prefer those who speak in platitudes.
Everyone says the Trump voters are dumb, but they vote for what they want, which is hate of the other. Democrats claim to want change for the better, but the majority of their politicians are essentially republicans. So who is dumb?
4
Like Trump, Johnson illustrates the virulence of bad ideas.
5
Why is it that for the past 50 years or so the U.S. and the U.K. seem to have outstandingly awful leaders at the same time? Reagan and Thatcher, W and Blair, now Trump and Boris. Unfortunately, the rest of the world suffers as the sounds of their madness hit resonant frequency.
68
@syfredrick See the "Peter Principle", managers rise to their level of incompetence. Trump is Johnson but without the education. America feels threatened with Trump's bumbling incompetency but Britain is driving off a cliff with the throttle tied wide open right now and Johnson at the wheel.
7
It’s funny how Reagan and Thatcher don’t seem so bad now when compared with Trump and Johnson.
9
@Suzanne Wilson
I never thought the day would come where we would utter these words.
6
Britain is about to get a prime minister it so richly desires. For hundreds of years it has run a class system in which a narrow group of men, selected on the basis of family and old school ties, are given responsibility for major public undertakings for which they have no particular training or experience. It truly is now the end of empire, the time when England has no more wealth to run down, no inheritance from the past on which to ride, and must survive based on sense. Sadly, Boris Johnson lacks that, and the old white men who will put one of their own into office based simply on bonhomie, and who are just one percent of the electorate, will have to live with their decision. In the past, England's governance affected other countries of the world, but it now has such a small footprint internationally that it can virtually disappear without others caring. Maybe the disaster of Brexit will wake this country up to the need to get rid of its class system, improve its democracy, and better spend money on things that will make the country properous and competitive. Boris Johnson could not be a better symbol of the failure of the old system.
7
@Rod Stevens ... " ... hundreds of years .. " Actually, not too bad.
1
@Rod Stevens
And yet in the past 30 odd years it has had two female prime ministers while the US has yet to have its first woman leader and the Muslim mayor of London is the son of immigrant labourers.
3
Johnson is Trump's apprentice and mini-me. Trump might as well say to Johnson 'you're hired'!
5
It seems all world governments are going through the same thing. Is it the difficulty of people today distinguishing between entertainment and substance? We have a fraud and a criminal in our White House, testing our democracy to the limits, showing us how it can't be taken for granted. His presidency is just another season of The Apprentice, an abysmal show by who most of the American public came to know DT. And throughout Europe you have entertainment, frauds, lies not facts, entertaining people to give up their freedom to fascism. And here is Great Britain about to elect another showman of no substance I have heard of.
6
@hw ... and so, who do you blame; the individuals who exploit the situation or the societal cultural rot that preceeded them?
1
"a potentially calamitous no-deal Brexit"
Key word: POTENTIALLY.
The globalist remoaners' obsession with maintaining their cushy status quo as overlords of the UK has devolved into a fear 'n' smear campaign of desperation.
Leave means leave.
3
@Charles
Hahaha. The ‘overlords’ are the billionaire press barons queuing up for Brexit. Just like billionaire ‘man of the people’ Trump. The Conservatives like the Republicans are only interested in rich people getting richer. Leave means a weak and divided poorer Britain for the vast majority.
5
@Charles there is no “potentially” in a no deal Brexit.
3
@Charles
Leave means leave? Says who? Why is a new referendum not allowed? How is that a violation of democracy?
3
suppose it’ll be kind of amusing in a cynical sort of way to watch britain finish its de-evolution from the last great world empire into a splintered group of small self interested states, soon mercia will be at war with wales, and wales will be at war with wessex, and wessex will be at war with sussex... and on and on
5
@odds-n-sods
And I bet that, again, none of them will best the Jocks.
Back in 2003 we had the duo Bush/Blair who took us to Iraq with all its consequences.
In 2019, we have a more colorful duo Trump/Boris Johnson.
Who would have thought that the US and Britain would be led by two buffoons?
God helps us all.
15
While many nations have reacquainted themselves with authoritarianism, it would appear the world's one-time great oligarchies, who for so long have posed as capitalist democracies, are finally devolving into full-blown blundercracies.
10
Expertise doesn't matter, as we found with Trump. It was known before the 2016 election that Donald Trump was a failed businessman and a deeply flawed and disturbed individual. Didn't matter. And, when you look at Trump's accomplishments, or lack of them, during his three years in office, he's done no better. He has largely been a failure, not achieving much of anything. He's certain to go down in history as one of our worst presidents. Doesn't matter. Trump's supporters rely on what he says, not what he does. He tells them he's the greatest president, and they accept that. If Johnson is modeling himself on Trump, and if the British people are willing to be hoodwinked, then he'll be elected.
6
The US must be pleased at the prospect of a world leader who can distract from the antics of Mr Trump.
8
Re: James Butler on Boris Johnson:
"He prizes victory above government...and his political career has been marked by ferocity of campaigning and indifference in office."
Sound familiar?
8
Boris' principle failing is that he is not a Serious Person. He has charisma however, he attracts a following, enough to get himself elected to high office, enough to be appointed to cabinet positions, and enough, it seems, to become PM.
The selection of leaders in a democracy is pretty haphazard. Hard to know where this is all going.
5
My first reaction to the prospect of Boris Johnson as PM:
Do many of the British people feel the same sadness that many of us felt here when we realized that Trump would be President?
21
@MH
Oh yes.
One thing that has almost been forgotten during the past three years is that the UK had some of the best EU officials and negotiators. Within my own field of work, I do research, I have been to several EU conferences. Every time I was impressed by the knowledge and preparation of the UK delegates. Once, when the UK were hosts to an event, it surpassed any other research activity I'd been to.
The UK had immense influence in the EU, far beyond its weight. Now, there is nothing. Imagine going from being the one of the most influential people in your group of peers to being invisible. That is what Brexit means. And Johnson led it with his lies.
39
Well, that'll complete the disaster: Trump, Brexit, and the final nail in the coffin, Boris.
24
Congratulations to the UK. You now have your very own DJT. You even got him by a better measure than the US did with our undemocratic electoral college. You did it with a very very narrow percentage of the population. Like here in the US, you’re getting what you’ve earned. Congrats!
19
I have not been a close follower of the man. But can someone give me a reason to believe that he and Donald Trump were not separated at birth?
24
Stand up comics have been big in the UK for decades. The night clubs and media are packed with wannabe comics and would be wits.
These wits have now become major personae. Trump thinks he is a witty sort of guy and his narcissism has driven him into the spotlight, where his transparent racism and inadequacy for the office of President is now obvious even to his family.
Boris will be something similar. His true metier is the anti-establishment sharp tongued wit that slays the friendly room with his well carved invective.
Well, let us see what he can do when the whole world is sitting comfortably and waiting to be impressed by his genius.
6
@GRAHAM ASHTON You are too kind to him. The well carved invective that I have seen has been loose-lipped burbling, throwing in a bit of amo, amas, amat and sniggering, flailing around, the despair of the civil servants doing the preparatory work, as he yet again forgets his brief, and too thin-skinned (yet another!)Someone explained that everyone likes Boris except those who work for him. Those of us with children and grandchildren despair: they and we deserve better than that. My letters to my MP pretty well predicted this mess. My last one was that his only choice is to grit his teeth, keep his head down and hang on through the turmoil, until there appears to be a away through. I am angry because this is a counsel of despair..
2
@GRAHAM ASHTON
Hmmm... I cannot relate to those who see charisma, charm or cleverness in BoJo and Trump. I see smirking and self-satisfaction, shallow self-interest and bullying. Both have a style of humour based on belittling others (akin to pranks.) The fact that both have so many supporters proves Barnum's observation that there's a sucker born every minute.
5
@GRAHAM ASHTON "Well-carved invective" it is not. Shallow, disposable verbiage is what you get from Boris Johnson -- on a good day. But apparently the majority of the members of the Conservative Party seem to think he is adorable and harmless -- much like their rambunctious, misbehaving grandchildren. This upper-class-twit-of-the-year will flame out in a matter of months, maybe weeks. And the sooner the better: the UK -- and the world -- needs adults at the helm.
1
Obviously, the manic Johnson was not properly potty-trained in his infancy. Sadly, the U.K. has been paying and will expectedly pay much more when he becomes its P.M. Perhaps he can be sent to a daycare facility for a one week "tuneup".
6
He's fun. Will probably delegate and oversee in a Reagon sort of way.
If not we'll send him back to NY!
3
@Raj "He's fun"?! Clearly you haven't had genuine fun in a long while.
Just as the rhetoric of race has rapidly deteriorated in the U.S., rest assured the United Kingdom will follow under the leadership of Donald Trump’s doppelgänger. Heaven help us...
12
Everything currently being published in multiple places - The Guardian, New Yorker, here - portray Boris Johnson as a flighty, dishonest, unreliable narcissist. A former outrage journalist who parlayed his image as a kook and provocateur into a political career in much the same way Donald Trump did after being on "The Apprentice." Johnson appears to care about nothing but himself and looks ill-prepared to be P.M. of Britain - to put it mildly. Unprepared in the same tragic way that Trump knew nothing about how government works or what he was required to do to be a responsible president - even on the most rudimentary level.
Apparently you can fool many of the people much of the time.
A likely tragedy for Britain in the same way the Trump presidency is diminishing the United States.
18
I continue to be fascinated by the way in which certain types of people can fail repeatedly and show themselves to be largely incompetent, yet they can bluster their way into high-level positions. I smell another carnival barker in Mr. Johnson. It's frightening to think that this is the person who may lead Britain through Brexit.
12
Johnson and Trump. How can we have come so far from Churchill and Roosevelt in 75 years?
22
Good Grief! Just when it looked like things couldn't possibly get any worse.
9
Look at it this way: Reasoned discussions within Britain's Parliament and with the EU failed to provide an acceptable way to deliver Brexit, so give the job to Boris. He cannot muck it up any worse than others have done.
Any unflattering mention of his seeming lack of attention to detail and comparisons with Mr. Trump, may not take into account the fact that Mr. Trump is riding along on the longest positive economy in the US without digging into bunches of details. Similarly, Mr. Johnson will deliver Brexit, probably without backstops and guarantees sought by his predecessor.
Britain voted for Brexit without much of an idea what that meant. With Boris they will get what they asked for. It is what it is.
6
What a bad analogy to use when Boris was a Mayor. We are been ask to believe that he did a terrible job when he was a Mayor, which is not true - he did a fantastic job. If you want to see a bad job done by a mayor of London, I would invite you to look at the current mayor - but we are not suppose to mention that. At the end of the day, the remainers ran the country for the last 3yrs and we’ve all seen the end result of that. Haven’t we? Boris Johnson would be a great PM and deliver Brexit. Attacking him personally would not stop a Brexit. The people have spoken & their mandate must be carried out - it’s really that simple.
11
@Jeffery Fischer When did the british people deceide between a soft and a hard Brexit? And how do they want to solve the Ireland problem?
12
@Jeffery Fischer
Brexit was sold on lies. Big ones. I just wish they would get on with it and then we’ll see how one views Britain’s time within the EU.
5
@Jeffery Fischer
Where does a guy from Bronxville get the perspective that Boris was a good major and the current one isn't. Is it simply because that's what Trump thinks also? Honestly give us the details of Boris's mayoral accomplishments and and the current mayor's failures.
10
It's hard to imagine a meeting between Johnson and Trump,their peroxide blonde heads leaning together, challenging each other who can tell the biggest lies and still get elected. It's a sad state of politics,when these two incompetent men are what's offered to us as our potential leaders. Should there be a contest to see which country gets the worst leader? Brexit seems a mess, and with our President telling American congresswomen to go back where they came from, inciting racism and further division in our country, it's a hard call. Personally,I wouldn't vote for a man with such low regard for truth or hairdos!
24
I must disagree with the headline. Mr. Johnson (not the chummy Boris, please) is not funny or even amusing. But he does project an entitled confidence, usually coupled with a rude refusal to follow topics under discussion, which could appear funny to other lumpen people.
He's a balloon, an empty vessel, a hollow man who is unable to be interested in the repercussions of his actions on others, with the possible exception of close blood relatives.
A dangerous and dodgy character.
41
Boris Johnson is the right choice for the job leading the UK over the cliff. He is a folksy conman who knows how to tell a good story while leaving out facts or making up stuff on the fly. Like Trump, his claims are not bound by truth or reality and supporters cherish his incompetence as signs of greatness in solving current day problems. We shall see what Brexit Boris will deliver.
47
@Schinderhannes Chaos & dimunition of the British State - economically, culturally, relationships globally, etc.
1
I thought we in the US were unique in our quest for entertainment. We now get our entertainment for schadenfreude and constant news on TV. Anger and fear and shock and awe make us forget the daily routines of citizenship we are supposed to practice. So, we have Trump a lying showman, a malignant Wizard of Oz, distracting, splitting, dividing us into various tribes unable to come together for the business of our wonderful, unique country. Britain has the same problem. Maybe its years of NBC, ABC, CBS, BBC selling us soap that has addled our brains.
10
@William Trainor
Or selling us "The Apprentice." That appears to be where much of this mess originated.
"I'm not a billionaire or successful businessman but I play one on tv."
Some people couldn't tell the difference.
10
Extraordinary how like he is to Trump.
Even more extraordinary that he would be chosen as Prime Minister.
Less extraordinary when you realise the choice was not made by the population of England, but was made by the readers of the Daily Telegraph who might reasonably be compared to the GOP.
26
The only saving grace for the UK will be that if/when Johnson is elected PM a number of Tory Back Benchers and possibly Cabinet members will jump ship, and join the Liberal Democrats.
This will leave Johnson without a Parliamentary Majority and a need to call a General Election.
An election where the Brexit Party will split the Tory vote allowing either Labor, or preferably the Liberal Democrats to form a Government with the help of the Scottish Nationalists , and any No Brexit MP from Northern Ireland.
At least that is what I hope happens, as it will allow the will of the people to finally be heard, and put an end to this Brexit debacle.
103
@Brit
It appears your scenario is beginning to play out with the resignation of Alan Duncan. He will be the first of quite a few Conservatives to walk away in disgust and we know there are several others who will do the same.
I don't think the Lib Dems will beat Labour but they'll be needed in a coalition (with the Greens?) and hopefully we can all just outvote the triple-locked pension-receiving, xenophobic racists who make up much of the Tory's support. Like the Republicans in the USA, their support base is evaporating due to natural causes and I can't see them being 'the natural party of government' for much longer. This blip will end and it will end soon. A European style, coalition government working on a basis of compromise is sorely needed at the moment.
If you and I are wrong and ithis doesn't happen I will be supporting Scotland's independence from the UK and membership of the EU. I voted to remain in the UK at the last referendum but I will vote to leave the UK if the crowned clown gets his way.
I am a European and I am Scottish. I work across the EU and the wider world, and I don't want another English buffoon imposing his will on Scotland and restricting my membership of the European community, or anyone else's.
Scotland is an open, welcoming country, which has more in common with the Scandinavians than the English these days.
If Boris Johnson wants to be the first Prime Minister of England then all he has to do is find a way to enact his fantasy policies.
24
@Zoe I hope we are both right, and that the Trump supporting odious Boris Johnson gets to be King For A Day, and is replaced in rapid fashion by "Anyone else".
I have family living in and around London, of course they are living in a No Brexit Bubble. They are at a complete loss as to what has happened to the English, its as though they have all gone mad.
Taking Scotland out of the UK would seem to me a reasonable option after all they did vote to remain in the EU.
10
@Brit
A no deal Brexit is the end of the UK in my opinion. Ireland will unite and they'll deal with the loyalist groups who will undoubtedly crawl out of the woodwork to make their displeasure known.
Scotland will almost certainly vote to remain in the EU and become independent but I have absolutely no idea what the Welsh will do. They don't have the parliament we do in Scotland (which they should) and, despite a vocal and substantial opposition to Westminster, they have tended to fall in line.
The Conservative and Unionist Party, to give them their full name, will be responsible for the break up of the union and I believe there is a faction that doesn't care. A faction that can't wait to invite American healthcare companies to enable the disolution of the NHS and a faction that yearns for the UK to become the European tax haven of choice.
I'll sit on my hands until this is played out but if we end up with a UK out of the EU and Scotland forced along, our family will be performing its own version of Brexit. I know many people can't do that for a wide variety of reasons, but lots, like us, will.
5
Stop this “Boris” nonsense. Calling him by his first name just helps insulate him from the standards that others are held to. “Mr. Johnson” it is... unfortunately.
17
I was living in London during his Mayoral terms.
He was a utter disaster, one showboating vanity project after another ending in abject failure, at huge cost to us.
But far worse and far more evil was his deliberate concealment of the statistics re low income children dying from inner city pollution.
The British media and comedy panels such as 'Have I got news for you' also share responsibility for his rise.
They helped normalise his buffoonish image, turning him into an amusing scoundrel.
All of it is a front of course, he is as ruthless and power hungry as he is utterly incompetent.
In his own words he afdmitted to be endlessly restless for ever greater power and glory, much like Trump admitting to Michael Wolf he only sought the Presidency because he wanted to be 'the most famous man in the world'
And like Trump, Boris has no underlying philosophy, vision or interest in serving his fellow man.
Its ALL about self aggrandizement and power.
In the end in both instances the media on both sides, and those that vote for 'entertainment' are fully to blame. Afterall this paper clearly enabled Trump in the run to 2016 for clicks as did the Guardian etc
78
Boris wanted Brexit. It was easy for him to stir the pot at the time because he did not have to worry about any consequences.
But the worm has turned.
Now, he gets to prove just how brilliant he is. However, I keep saying that he has no plan for Brexit, never did, and it will be interesting to see how he uses all of his charm and humor and lies to help him squirm through.
69
@Quincy Mass - Maybe he can do what Donald Trump would do: Blame Obama.
1
@Quincy Mass
Apparently Mr. Johnson (not "Boris" - that feeds into his chummy, bumbling created persona) had two speeches prepared for the run in to the Brexit referendum, one pro and one anti then calculated which way the wind was blowing and chose pro as most likely to help his personal ambitions.
Competent slithering but no more than that.
1
"But despite his charm, many of his colleagues, as well as political analysts, question his competence."
Charm and incompetence.
Well, he shares at least one trait with our President.
29
I give Boris three months time as prime minister.
When October 31 arrives his no deal will explode in the Parliament and the crisis will end with Boris leaving the job and a new prime minister being chosen.
Scotland will decide to leave the UK and Northern Ireland will merge with Ireland. The UK will be diminished into a second rate country.
36
@Michael Kittle Some might cite evidence the US and UK no longer are 1st rate countries.
7
James Butler’s op ed in today’s NYT talks about Boris’ rise and
“...a taste of the chaos to come.” Indeed.
Fact is, great and strong countries, all through history, sometimes commit the equivalent of suicide. We’re probably about to see that in a Britain that seems destined to diminish and fragment itself in a game-changing way.
These things are rarely inevitable, invariably accompanied by the rhetorical the bluff and bluster of strength and identity, and almost always a function of unfit and compromised leadership unable to understand, let alone manage, the forces they play with. Sometimes national suicide is unmistakably collective, even flowing directly from irresponsibility at the ballot box (Venezuela?).
Thus the leadership of great empires of Europe, at a time of accelerating human progress in the early 20 th century, rushed into actions that brought their respective ruin in 48 months. And a succession of U.S. policies, particularly since the end of the Cold War, laid the groundwork for the political dysfunction that threatens effective governance and social stability here, and beyond.
But Britain’s spasms over the last few years may be the clearest modern chronicle of a death foretold.
13
@MountainAmerican
James Butler (who few in the UK have heard of) suffers from what we over here have started to call “BDS”, which can stand for Brexit derangement syndrome, or sometimes Boris instead of Brexit.
The symptoms are apocalyptic articles describing the end of Britain when Boris becomes PM and we leave the EU.
What it really is is remain supporters having a childish tantrum because it looks like they’re not getting their own way.
5
@MountainAmerican
Some of us believe that the United States is committing existential suicide just as surely as Britain appears to be with Brexit & Boris Johnson.
And unlike Britain, there's much evidence that Trump is only president because Vladimir Putin & a state sanctioned Russian troll army interfered in, & stole, our election.
A small number of powers-that-be in a U.K. political party are about to irresponsibly install Johnson as P.M. Putin & Russian political operatives pushed Donald Trump within striking distance of the U.S. presidency to destabilize us.
There's ample evidence of Russian interference & Trump's ongoing lovey "bromance" with Putin, with Trump praising Putin & exonerating him of trying to break our democracy. Trump even invited Putin to attack us again in 2020.
What's the definition of 'treason'?
This is as crazy as if George Bush had proclaimed after 9/11 that members of Al Qaeda were really decent people & the U.S. would do nothing to mitigate against another Al Qaeda attack but rather try to befriend them.
The Republican Party chooses to support Trump & turn a collective blind eye to Putin's interference in our election - & intention to do it again in 2020. Also a collective blind eye to Trump's high crimes like obstruction of justice because Trump got them a huge tax cut for their donors & 2 Supreme Court Justices - one filling a seat stolen during the Obama presidency.
If this isn't the United States committing suicide, what is it?
4
The likely result of Boris Johnson's elevation to Prime Minister followed by Brexit will be the end of Great Britain as a single nation. Scotland will almost certainly vote for independence and join the EU. The loss of much of the Irish Sea access to non-EU markets will have Northern Ireland rethink uniting with the Republic.
So England, and probably Wales, will be all that is left of what was once a great power.
24
@John Graybeard Good comment. I think that twenty years from now there will not be a Great Britain as we know it.
If it were possible, London would probably leave so that they could stay in the EU.
15
I think you mean, “there will not be a United Kingdom”. Great Britain is an island and, short of a massive earthquake, it will continue to exist, even if it is divided into two (or more) nations.
3
@John Graybeard If voters can elect a politician and then change thier minds and reject him a few years later, why can't they do the same with Brexit?
7
If we look back over world history, it seems to me that countries some times have an urge to commit suicide. That is where the United States (or some parts of the U. S.) and England find ourselves.
I have been to London several times and love London and Britain as I love the United States. So it a painful to watch the politics of each country play out. It is like watching a dear friend or relative who has dementia and who says and does crazy things. Like the person with dementia, the political situation in the United Kingdom and United States won't get better. At least any time soon.
176
Boris made his claim to fame with his distorted "coverage" of the European parliament. He and Trump are two of a kind -- they lie repeatedly with ease and dexterity -- gloss over their failures -- and are happy to place the blame on "others". A "No Deal" Brexit will be a train wreck that may well see Scotland and Northern Ireland leave the UK -- and will leave England and Wales all the poorer. Party on, Boris!
55
Whenever somebody says that he is a "big picture guy", I know to get off the committee, veto the project, and/or leave the team. "big pictures" guys waste everybody's time, blow through the budget, waste the resources, and accomplish nothing. Boris is just another example of that truth.
131
@sjs
Every big picture is made up of small details, and sometimes the devil is in the details.
1
I spent two months in London recently and I have to agree, he is a funny man. A man who tells anecdotes in a skillful and amusing way with great timing.
Sort of reminded me of Lewis Black with an English accent. Johnson very much reminded me of Republicans from the U.S. with that talent to acknowledge when an interview question is about to become extremely embarrassing and then interrupt to be spared. But unlike American Republicans with their constant claims that the media is Donald Trump's only problem, his interruption is usually a bit entertaining.
Another leader I got to hear while in London was Jeremy Corbyn. He was the speaker at the anti-Trump rally I attended and he is a far more serious speaker who deals in facts. As he spoke about Trump I found myself wishing that Jeremy Corbyn was the spokesperson for the Democratic party in the U.S. because he doesn't hold back.
It seemed that every British conservative agreed "Jeremy Corbyn is our worst nightmare." The reasons were similar to Republican's warning against Democrats. The reasons sounded just as false. Two nations, both with conservative attack dogs facing off against polite logic. At least Corbyn doesn't back down.
54
Corbyn is a Marxist with confiscatory tax plans. He would be a disaster for the UK and is friends with many enemies of the USA.
9
@Edward Crimmins He may be funny, but like Trump he is a Populist and thereby a danger to Democracy.
15
@Iain Clark Your choice then is either a Marxist or a Populist . Not much of a choice I am afraid. But at least Marxists believe in a functioning democracy.
If your sole desire is to avoid paying taxes on your money then Johnson's your man.
In terms of Corbyn's Friends' enemies of the US with over 2 1/2 years of Trump those nameless enemies that you speak of , could be any country in the western world.
15
Prediction: Hard exit. Boris, who knows he lacks the ability in the details, will employ a bevy of far-right, Eurosceptic policy wonks to drive the European exit. This will result in the hard exit these winks wants. They won’t actually care about the result and drive the UK to a hard exit.
The end result will be the devolution of the UK over time. The Scots will win the independence vote first. Eventually, those in Northern Ireland will look South and finally concede the six counties to the Republic (peacefully). The Welsh? I’m not sure what the Welsh will do. But they’re Celts not Anglo-Saxons, so it’s just a matter of time, but it might take a while. Maybe Ireland can rescue them too! Good-bye Great Britain.
48
@Paul You could well be right. I would not be surprised if 15 years from now Scotland was not independent and Northern Ireland part of Ireland. Like you I don't know about Wales.
You did not mention London; if it were possible, London would probably love to secede from England and remain in the EU.
Best wishes.
13
The Engish leadership are now bent on bringing their colonial misrule to the own diminished home territory. How long until the Scots and the Irish realize they are better off with self governance? Boris will see to it with Boris Brexit.
50
I find the coverage of Boris Johnson to be refreshing. He’s terrible. This is the objective truth and there’s no attempt in the reporting to rehabilitate him or do a “both sides”. The journalists covering Johnson don’t go to a pub to ferret out positive quotes about him. Johnson himself doesn’t seem to have been given an opportunity to provide *anonymous* positive quotes about himself. It doesn’t seem like the journalists covering Johnson are required to be “neutral” for to do so would be to ignore the fact that he’s a liar and conman. They have told me the truth about him and I feel informed.
77
How did the idea of governance become choosing people with no qualifications, big mouths and bad, unimplementable plans?
Johnson and his Estuary Airport followed by Brexit; Trump and everything- the Wall, the Best Healthcare Plan; the Return of Steel Jobs; the Really, Great Guy Kim Jung Un; the Best Trade Deals Ever....
And those are just our primary leaders. We don't seem to care that Congress and the Senate are incapable either.
And yet, we are likely, despite the terrible performance of all, to re-elect them all. As our Tweeter in Chief might observe: Sad.
26
@Cathy - The people of North Korea did not choose to be ruled/exploited/dominated by Kim Jung Un - he is a third generation curse upon that population; I honestly still contemplate daily, however, how Trump is the choice of millions of American voters and the fact he could easily win reelection. This is on us.
11
I’m thinking that Boris will survive for a while as he’s way brighter than Trump. The difference is, baring impeachment, we here in the US are stuck with a President for four years. In the UK, it only takes a vote of no confidence. Prediction: 27 months.
6
@Paul Many predictions are four months, if MPs revolt over a no deal Brexit. And some of his own party may vote against but him if there is a vote of no confidence. Let’s hope so. He has less integrity and cares less about the outcomes than most fifteen year olds.
8
It isn’t quite as simple to dump a PM in Britain as it used to be, since the Fixed Term Parliament Act of 2011.
2
The suspension of reason is fully entrenched, on the right and the left.
6
Heaven help us, on both sides of the pond! Boris is a buffoon, dangerously self-centered, totally without principles except for himself, who arrogantly ignores history and precedent, fails to understand what "leadership" is about, etc etc. Sound familiar? Trump on one side, Trump-lite on the other. To paraphrase Dickens, "It has been the best of times, it will soon be the worst of times..."
136
If he is so awful how did he get elected Mayor of London ( not a reactionary place) twice?
2
@maguire Both with Ken Livingston and Johnson I think there was an element of voters electing a maverick to annoy the establishment, and because they don’t consider the post very important.
I lived in London at the time. I thought he did reasonably well.
4
@maguire - He and his team were very good at conning people into thinking he was doing and had done a good job. I lived in an outer London Borough at the time and was totally unaware of the waste of taxpayers money on the projects mentioned here.
Clearly, Iain was, like me, under the he did quite a good job.
6
The Thames estuary airport didn’t happen but there was logic to it. Heathrow is in a residential area so people suffer from noise and the usual winds mean planes approach over central London.
An airport where Johnson was suggesting wasn’t in a built up area and planes would approach over the sea.
And the garden bridge was rather a nice idea I thought but was killed but people “who know the price of everything and the value of nothing”.
5
The similarity to Donald Trump cannot be avoided. Two phonies who are basically incapable now running to major world powers, into the ground that is or it will be.
108
Elections used to be about who would be best to lead a city, region or country.
Not anymore: the skills required to win elections have become so distant from those needed to run a country, that we now elect actors and reality TV stars, that is people specialised in faking emotions and stories, to the highest offices.
Is anybody surprised about the results once they get in power?
I vote for people with a moral compass and with plans based on the reality, not impersonators. Give me someone like Elisabeth Warren.
94
@SJP
This was not an election. For the first time in history the Prime Minister of England has been chosen by postal vote from exclusively the Conservative Party membership.
13
@M Clement Hall A postal vote of 160,000 members, with 38% of them over the age of 65 and 7 of 10 that are male. What could go wrong?
Want more? The Tory party receives more donations from dead people than from the living. Truly strange times.
7
@SJP
Not to mention that Ukraine just elected a professional comedian as president.
All we can say in America to our dear friends in Britain is, beware of leaders with eccentric hair.
159
@Kvetch
And all Brits can say to our dear friends in the State over these two narcissistic sycophants with no true political ideology and moral integrity is, "hold my beer."
2
I must confess I know very little about the politics of this Brexit deal except what I read here. Seems like the country is divided and in a lose lose situation no matter what. Also seems like when cool, qualified heads are needed out comes a very unqualified person, untruthful person. We have a very similar situation here with trump and 2020 except trump is also a bigot and crook. I really wonder how people so unqualified get any support from the public let alone enough to win.
66
@Thomas Renner
People are inclined to see simple solutions to complex problems. Mainly because they only see one side or part of it, the side that fits their prejudices or benefits. They never realize other consequences, nor do they really care. Thus they are suckers for anyone who tells them what they want to hear.
Wall that Mexico will build, better cheaper medical care for all, gleaming new infrastructure, all with no explanation of how. Leave the EU and we’ll be an empire again, with no explanation of how that will happen or how those trucks lined up at the Chunnel will get through on time.
20
Roosevelt to Trump. Churchill to Johnson. It's astounding, depressing and terrifying how far and how fast the bastions of democracy have fallen.
182
@dargent
"how fast the bastions of democracy have fallen."
Not so. The benefits that accrue from democracy have increased. We now have legislation that supports civil rights and allows gay people to live their lives freely.
Where was Churchill when the UK Government forced the gay scientist, Alan Turing, who broke the Nazi's Enigma code in WW2, to undergo castration to avoid a prison sentence?
Turing killed himself in 1954 after repeated hounding by UK authorities. He was granted a Royal pardon in 2014, which shows, that in many respects, democracy operates a little better now.
7
Britain will get what it asked for just as we have here in the US.
28
Given that Mr. Johnson is said to be "Mr. Trump's choice", I would assume that most readers of the Times will condemn Mr. Johnson no matter what he will propose or do.
6
@Wolf Bein No we will condemn him for the same reasons we condemn Trump...both are phony, nasty people who have run their once great countries (or at least both had great leaders, Roosevelt & Churchill) into the ground...Trump and Bolton have already succeeded in ruining every deal that had merit and Boris is next, he will leave the EU with no deal and companies which are multi-national are already taking flight from the shores of Great Britain! An oxymoron since Brexit was announced, that is the definition "great country." In the case of Trump, America was great and continues so (with no leadership, except by whim) but by the time he is out we will be in tatters.
57
Does this not prove my point?
The opportunity to be the second subscriber to remark on a NYT article concerning Mr Johnson having read the article by Messrs Mueller and Castle is of transient interest.
Australians are paying $1.60 per litre for petrol today.
25% higher than a week ago.
Boris is somewhat an inept avuncular rhetorician,
like your Don.
Yes he does not resile from quotes exemplifying soaring optimism.
Yes he enumerated clearly his vision to deal with the Brexit crisis mentioning:
The Apollo landing.
Crafted knitting needles, technology.
The Irish border.
Meanwhile Mr Trump will focus on the moon in 2024 as a tool of public distraction.
Mr Johnson has presided over the demise of a UK ambassador to the US, a Foreign Minister and Treasurer.
Messrs Trump and Johnson need to address issues in the Middle East.
The banality of competitive bad hair styles and worse rhetoric does not fuel cars.
Energy prices are ignored to the peril of politicians and worse for voters.
.
2
@Bruce Natural gas prices in the US have been falling for 18 years. The pump price of gasoline has generally averaged $1.12/liter (AUD) here in the US for 10 years. It swings mind you, but it’s $3 USD per gallon. So energy prices in the US are not something that hits the radar of the average American outside the temporary spikes.
6
Someone just make it all go away, make it stop. Argh!
26
One thing I don't understand: To become Prime Minister, doesn't Boris need a majority of the votes in Parliament? Isn't his fact-free incompetence being ratified by a majority of duly elected representatives? That makes him merely the figurehead of a social movement that is still harder to explain.
5
@Jonathan
Hi Jonathan, the UK has a strange system. There is no direct election by the people of the UK of a PM. Each party elects a 'leader'. This 'leader' then automatically becomes the PM should that party win an election. First the 'elected' members of a party have to choose a 'leader'. Then the members of that party have a say in the matter. In the current case, the majority party is the 'conservative' party. Even when this party lost heavily in the last UK election. The conservatives have now boiled down the nr of people to replace Ms. May down to two guys. A Hunter figure and that Boris figure. That Boris figure will get elected by the members of the conservative party. To cut a long story short, not even 1% of the UK population will decide that the Boris figure will be the next PM.
And, your Mr. T. loves this Mr. B. (they both lie a lot you see)
12
@Jonathan No, he doesn't. He just needs to be voted as leader of the Conservative party by a majority of (unelected) party members. As the Conservative party (bolstered by the DUP) have a small majority in Parliament and have formed the Government, the leader of the Conservative party becomes Prime Minister. Very undemocratic.
6
@Jonathan It gets slightly more complicated - officially the Monarch appoints the Prime Minister as the individual who does (or is most likely to) command the confidence of the House of Commons - basically a majority of all the other Members of Parliament, regardless of their party. I believe there is some form of words where the Queen will ask the next Conservative Party Leader if he has that confidence, he says yes, and she appoints him her Prime Minister.
However, the current arithmetic has the Conservative Party with only a three-seat majority, and a by-election later this week is predicted to diminish that to two seats. If the Labour leader submits a motion of no confidence, essentially saying that the PM does not command the confidence of the house, it's touch-and-go whether Johnson would survive. We have to wait and see if various people who said they'd never serve under Johnson actually resign from the party.
What happens if Johnson loses a no-confidence motion? I think - because legislation changed after the 2010 elections - there is a 2- or 3-week period during which any Member of Parliament who manages to command majority support can go to the Queen to be declared Prime Minister, but if that fails, then it's a general election.
3
The UK like the US will get what they deserve. The Founding Father’s were right the voters can’t be trusted. First we gave non-property owners the right to vote, then we directly elected Senators, then gave women the right to vote and then we have given children the right to vote. We won’t let children drink but they can vote. Then we passed the Motor Voter bill where everyone is registered. It should be attached to the Draft, when you sign up for the draft you are registered. And that should be at age 21. And maybe everyone should have to take the Naturalization test before they can register.
3
I have been told about his charm, but along with many I have never been aware of it. What have seen is a smirking, sneering self-interest, accompanied certainly by the assumption that everyone surely must love him. But that is very different to charm. Do Americans succumb to the charm of President Trump, or s there another word to describe what happens?
50
@ETL on America, more people despise Trump than like him. The problem is our electoral college which gives way too much power to the racist and misogynistic states than it does the truly patriotic states. Plus, our citizens prefer rock stars over substance, honesty and ability.
28
When I became the CEO of my organisation, I placed a sign above the desk in my office to remind me about my responsibilities.
“Nothing is impossible for people who don’t have to do it themselves.”
I think of that every time I hear Boris. For the future of our country, I hope he appoints some ministers of state who are more focussed and competent than himself.
41
@Scottie If he is like trump, he will appoint the most unenlightened and unqualified people as ministers. However, they will be most adept at saying "Yes, oh mighty one" to whatever he says or does.
3
Opportunities for fresh disasters indeed.
27
If Trump can be elected president then anything is possible
13
There is no question about Johnson's competency. He is totally lacking. Accompanied by his dishonesty, it is probably why Trump favors him. Birds of a feather . . .
36
Cycling in London is most certainly not a success. The number of deaths since January 2019 is alarming. London is not like Amsterdam and it’s cycling infrastructure leaves a lot to be desired.
33