Boris Johnson sacked. See: BBC NEWS | Politics | Analysis: Johnson’s fate was sealed.
So, Boris Johnson is gone from the Tory front benches. The wheel of misfortune has turned, and the Conservatives have relapsed back into greyness.
The Editor of the Spectator’s career as a front bencher has been brilliant, brief and brusque. His talent for controversy made him easily the most popular Tory acquisition of the 2001 General Election. Not so long ago he was being tipped for leader. Two scandals later – one a Mellorite saga of private misconduct, and the other a major diplomatic incident between sub-urban and urban Britain – and he has become too great a risk.
Michael Howard was probably right to get rid of him. No politician can really survive a private and a public scandal in such a short period of time. But, as far as his party is concerned, this is a PR disaster. It brings back to mind Jeffrey Archer, Jonathan Aitken, and all the sorry stories of sleaze and misdemeanour of the last Tory government. Not to mention the then secret affair between John Major and Edwina Currie. Worse, it sharpens the question of why Howard did not either sack him or vindicate him for the Spectator article which attacked the entire city of Liverpool. Instead, Howard (to mix a metaphor) threw him to the lions to see if he would float.
Well, he did float, for a bit. Now, thoroughly waterlogged, he is being allowed to sink less he take the whole Tory boat down with him.
Just another episode in the British political saga of the eccentric who couldn’t hack it on the front benches, or the candle that burned too bright, too fast?
Not quite. It leaves the Tory party with a very substantial problem. Iain Duncan Smith was ditched (on the false allegation of sleeze) essentially because he was too boring. Boris Johnson was too flamboyant. Michael Howard is hardly a colourful figure. Oliver Letwin is so personally anonymous that (at this moment) I can’t remember what he looks like or the sound of his voice.
This was all illustrated a little more than a year ago when Mori asked people to identify who the members of the shadow cabinet were. The results were as follows (September 2003)
Base: 952 British adults 18
%
Michael Ancram 26
Charles Clarke 10
Kenneth Clarke 21
Michael Heseltine 11
Michael Howard 26
Oliver Letwin 19
Theresa May 24
John Redwood 15
Ann Widdecombe 24
None 2
Don’t know 38
Of course, John Redwood is back ‘in’ now, in a vague attempt to up the glamour factor. But the ultimate conclusion is that the Tories have nobody – except the rejected Heseltine and Clarke – who are able to command the public’s respect. And now, with the departure of Johnson, they no longer have anyone who can capture the public imagination.
Copyright 2004 martinturner.org.uk
