Others with this weird
disposition have it in plumper fleshier faces. They’ve still got those eyes
though! Not quite as bunged up with
venomous intent for their main objects of hate, such as union leaders or student
demonstrators, this species of Tory is far more into populist bluster and
malevolent carping about human rights ‘indulgencies’ and ‘old leftie’ radicalism,
all of which is hidden away under a good natured bonhomie.
Boris Johnson is an
excellent specimen of this kind of Tory pond life. A hearty good-natured fellow
full of witty good natured banter packed with spontaneous effervescence. As
irrepressible as a pumped up schoolboy. All of it waiting to be launched at the
right place and the right time for the right occasion. One that will catch the
fundamentalist mood and deliver the most telling swipes at the right people for
the right purpose. That said he’s a natural star at any annual conference of
the faithful.
Politicians of this
kind generally come with physical attributes to wrap their sentiment around.
Iconic populist bluster is founded on iconic appearance. A little black moustache
and piercing eyes… a tendency to stick out your chin and bang your chest, or a
calculated suave condescension. Thus Hitler, Mussolini and Margaret Thatcher!
Boris Johnson, indeed, has some of his own. A splendid head of white-blond hair
and strange roaming eyes in an insouciant face that seems ready to smile or
have a good chuckle at just about any moment he pleases. It’s quite undeniable,
almost like he’s really enjoying himself. That said you’ve only got to watch a
performance to find yourself being struck with the idea, at the deepest
psychological level, that he’s actually quietly laughing at everything he’s
saying. Almost as though he finds it all ludicrous.
This can only mean one
of two things. Either he’s totally on top of his subject matter and in complete
control of its delivery to an already receptive audience, or that his
personality is such that he simply can’t take any of it seriously, i.e. in the
serious manner required by those looking for a hard-nosed leader. And yet there
he is, throwing out wild spontaneous asides and swiping at favourite bogeymen
that in seconds have the faithful rapturously eating out of his hand.
Currently he’s a
one-off. Full of seemingly disparate incoherence, he makes it all come together
as a blustering performance that is uniquely himself. Simply Boris!
“I’m not here to
defend privilege, I’m here to spread it,” David Cameron said in his Tory
Conference speech, knowing only too well that 98% of the British people simply
never get close enough to have a sniff and never will, unlike he and his
ultra-privileged comrade in arms Boris Johnson who both drew it in deep at
Eton, one becoming a Prime Minister the other Lord Mayor of London.
The topic of this post
is the second, a man with an easily identifiable persona and perfectly matching
style as a combative blusterer. Nothing is unidirectional with him. His
speeches come in bits, asides that are rarely connected with everything going
off at a tangent. If fact, each bit is at a tangent to everything else except
the one central component, an engaging effusive delivery reeking of bluster.
This effusive quality is the central core of his personality. One he’s
carefully crafted over the years into a formidable political weapon, endearing
itself to voters and turning him into a unique political species of being.
His ‘public’
especially like him for his seeming bumbling incoherence, his political
disjointedness. The fact that with his permanently insouciant smile he never
appears to take anything seriously. They particularly like him for that because
they themselves are no longer inclined to take politicians or politics
seriously, especially after revelations concerning the horrendous shortcomings
of Members of Parliament in the Expenses Scandal and the recent broken promises
of Nick Clegg. However as endearing as his blustering political incoherence may
be, it also masks a populist right wing agenda and serious resolve. As an old
Etonian he has no time for organised labour and why should he? He can understand nothing of the making ends
meet, daily struggles of the poor except from his distant elevated position of
privilege. Yet none of this detracts from his popularity. Perhaps it’s
because he’s made politics fun and maybe most people simply don’t care anymore.
The electorate of
London who only a few years ago voted him mayor did so over a candidate with
far greater political experience and an altogether more sympathetic manner
towards working people and the poor. Ken Livingston’s demeanour had always been
more serious than that of his rival yet voters rejected him despite his many
achievements. He was made to look grey, humourless and lefty by a London media
and business campaign against which the irascible blond blusterer was
altogether more fun. Indeed, the personality of the challenger became more
important than the politics of the incumbent and won the day.
Later, the high spring
tide of Toryism that followed Labour’s ignominious ebb brought blustering Boris
in on the flood and it didn’t take him long to become muscular joy-boy to the
constituency faithful in every dark corner of Essex. Yes he was the populist
spur ready to lay into the otherwise beloved leader should he ever go over
indulgent with Clegg. Meanwhile both will keep firing epithets of admiration at
one another across party lines. One has the constituencies and the Daily Mail
on his side, the other Cabinet loyalty and possibly Murdoch. The two old public
school chums detest one another despite the smiles but keep it well under
wraps. Someone’s got to pay for the Crisis and there’s still much dirty work to
be done. Besides, a ship can only have one Captain!
Either way, with
either one at the helm the voyage ahead will be hell! That’s because neither of
them are very nice people. But then, neither are any of the Liberal Democrats
and likewise the creatures of One Nation Labour who’ve glibly thrown out
everything decent the Labour Party ever stood for… help and welfare for those
who need it most in our society. That’s the way things have become. You don’t
know who anyone is these days when everyone in each party is beginning to sound
like everyone else over a fence and all of them waving the flag, banging the
patriotic drum like the scoundrels they are and making no promises to anyone
desperately struggling to make ends meet.
Yes, they’re all in it together. They all look the
same and sound the same with the Tories trying to strike bluer than Labour and
the Liberal Democrats yellow all over. Everyone that is except blustering
Boris. He just blusters away busily saying nothing. That’s why he’s loved! If
you try to think of anything important he’s said than you’ll try a long time.
That’s why the party faithful love him. He keeps them busy. Keeps them on their
toes thinking about whether anything he said actually means anything. In that
sense he’s discovered the real secret at the heart of British politics. That
nobody cares what you say because whatever it is nobody really believes you. No
point wasting your words then. Just smile insouciantly and say whatever comes
into your head!
No comments:
Post a Comment