I just happened upon the tail end of Michael Crick’s Channel 4 programme about the relationship between Cameron and Boris. I’m looking forward to seeing the rest of it. The programme contains an interview with David Laws in which he says that Cameron and Osborne were always very sensitive to what Boris was doing. Asked if he thought Cameron was frightened of Boris, David said “Yes.”
He also savaged the Prime Minister for putting the country through this referendum, taking such a huge gamble with the nation’s future, purely to try to deal with the age-old split in his party.
Michael Crick wrote about his programme for the Radio Times site:
Some see Johnson’s declaration in favour of Brexit as another calculated move, albeit a huge gamble – one that almost matches Cameron’s big risk in holding the referendum in the first place. The friends and allies of 2005 are now seemingly adversaries to the death, as Cameron increasingly came to fear Johnson as the only man who could really destroy his leadership.
According to Ken Clarke (whom he backed for leader in 2001), Johnson coming out for Brexit may have been a deliberate ploy both to destabilise Cameron, and to reinforce his position as darling of the grassroots when the PM calls it a day. Some say that could be within weeks if Britain votes to leave. Clarke said last month with surprising candour that Cameron “wouldn’t last 30 seconds if he lost the referendum”. Johnson hasn’t enjoyed a great referendum so far. His comments about Barack Obama’s “part-Kenyan ancestry” were widely considered crass. But the ultimate prize may be within his grasp. He may never get a better chance than this. Could Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson be PM by Christmas?
What a horrible thought!
The Liberal Democrats certainly seem more and more to have been the grown-ups of the coalition.
You can watch the whole documentary when it’s available on the Channel 4 website. The last 15 minutes have made me want to watch the rest.
* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings
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6 Comments
As far as I am concerned this whole referendum was totally unwanted, devisive and could lead the country into a n uncertain position that does not help the economy or the people. Cameron and Johnson have played politics as to who will lead the Tory party and the country and its people are the puppets being manipulated for their own selfish careers. The country and the people do not matter only who leads the Tory party.
and Boris was allowed to wear a special waistcoat at school.
Let’s all start calling him de Pfeffel.
Squabbles between public schoolboy toffs – and shouts of “fight, fight” from small fry who hold their coats are of little relevance in the real world.
You could start calling him Kemal, after his paternal
… grandfather.