JUST BORIS: A Tale of Blond Ambition (67 page)

In times of bewilderingly rapid change we Brits seem to turn back to the ruling classes of old for reassurance and leadership, and Boris has been a beneficiary of that insecurity. Deference, though not the bended-knee variety, is back in vogue and royalty once again the height of fashion. Boris’s calculation appears to be that we want to look up to our leaders as some superior version of ourselves – wealthier, more erudite and undoubtedly better educated. Or perhaps we are convinced that someone who can conjugate Latin verbs or dash off verse in the style of Hilaire Belloc is perfectly suited to preside over a metropolis, though probably not a nation. Boris believes fervently, however, that an Etonian education prepares future rulers for ruling and he can be intensely dismissive of others not similarly steeped in the public school ethos of superiority. As can Cameron, who – according to one Tory insider – treats senior colleagues from similar upmarket backgrounds as ‘family’, the rest as mere ‘staff.’

Both he and David Cameron appear to share the same sense of entitlement to power, a feeling they were born to rule, and with that education and sentiment comes an apparent ease of governing not present in politicians from humbler backgrounds. It works because, despite their social elevation, they also have that modern skill of communication. But it may also make them more vulnerable if they are seen in any way to have abused the trust invested in them. Boris and Cameron have very different styles – with the Mayor more comfortable with his educational CV than the Prime Minister
(attending Etonian reunions, for instance, when Cameron declines). Arguably Boris’s highly successful stage toff act of the 1990s made it possible for Cameron to thrive in the Noughties in a party that since Thatcher’s time has seen poshness as a liability.

The fact that Boris ultimately wants Cameron’s job is not in dispute, though, and his chance might come sooner than expected if Livingstone recovers his form and, perhaps aided by external events, lands a mortal blow on his adversary. Of course, whether or not Boris wins in 2012, the political road-map from City Hall to Downing Street is far from clear; whatever his own sense of destiny, he may never make it there. He is dependent on the success – or rather failure – of others to achieve his aim. Arguably, Cameron losing to a resurgent Labour party in 2015 – however unlikely a prospect that might seem – could provide Boris’s best chance of leading his party and even his country. What is certain is that if presented with an opportunity, Boris has been endowed with the brains, the emotional intelligence, self-belief and perhaps most of all the good luck to make it. He is blessed with immense charisma, wit, sex appeal and celebrity gold dust; he is also recognised and loved by millions – although less so by many who have had to work closely with him (let alone depend on him). Resourceful, cunning and strategic, he can pull off serious political coups when the greater good happens to coincide with his personal advantage.

Boris inspires sympathy and loyalty but rarely repays it; he’s friendly though not often a friend. He cheers people up, is physically brave and apparently tireless but also prone to indulgent attention-seeking and so often seems to favour the frivolous over the serious, the rich and powerful over the humble, the quick-fix publicity stunt over a longer-lasting genuine achievement, a monologue to genuine conversation, a convenient evasion over an awkward truth. He is never boring but still seems to lack vision or moral convictions, although he bears grudges aplenty. Complicated, original, surprising and inspiring, however, he is without doubt the most interesting public figure in Britain today. In short, he has the gifts and the artistry to be the ‘break-the-mould leader’ that the country so desperately needs but he is capable of much, much more than he gives – indeed, he disappoints far more than he offends.

For all his opportunities and abilities, his chief substantive achievement so far has been merely the accumulation of enormous fame. As he approaches 50, it’s high time that his formidable energy and talents were put to better use for the benefit of the many voters who adore him, as well as those who don’t. Until he shows that he has a real purpose for power beyond power itself, the suspicion will remain that he is in it for only one cause and for only one person: Just Boris.

Boris Johnson is without doubt one of the most fascinating figures in British public life and few people lack an opinion on him. Nonetheless during the process of researching and writing this book I have been astonished by the number of former and current friends, colleagues, opponents and observers of Boris and his family who have agreed to interviews and to do so on the record. Without their contributions the foregoing text would be considerably shorter and my understanding of this enigmatic and entertaining man all the poorer. Wherever a quote in the book has been included without a note number the material in question has been taken from an original interview. A list of the interviews conducted can be found below, excluding, of course, those individuals who wished to remain anonymous.

Face-to-Face Interviews

Andrew, Jill: 18 June 2010, plus later calls.

Berry, Don: 24 November 2010.

Bienkov, Adam: 10 January 2010.

Binyon, Michael: 23 April 2009.

Black, Guy: 15 June 2010.

Blezard, Paul: 20 April 2011.

Boles, Nick: 1 December 2010 and 4

February 2011, plus calls.

Colman, Dan: 3 December 2010.

Comfort, Nick: 30 June 2010.

Cook, Chris: 13 September 2010.

Crawshay-Williams, Melissa: 16 July 2010.

Crick, Michael: 16 March 2010, plus others.

Crosby, Lynton: 2 July 2009, plus emails.

Elliott, Francis: 13 May 2009.

Evans, Lloyd: 27 May 2010, plus subsequent emails/calls.

Fairbrother, Tom: 24 March 2010 and others.

Field, MP, Mark: 30 March 2010, plus later calls.

Frieze, Anthony: 23 June 2010.

Gardiner, Nigel: 24 April 2009.

Gardner, David: 24 August 2010.

Gilligan, Andrew: 19 May 2010, plus later emails.

Gimson, Andrew: 8 March 2010.

Goodhart, David: 10 March 2010.

Goodman, Anthony: 2 June 2010.

Goodman, Paul: 18 June 2010, plus calls.

Grant, Charles: 20 May 2009.

Griffin, Jasper: 21 May 2010, plus later calls.

Guilford, Peter: 27 March 2009.

Harri, Guto: 6 April 2009, 24 November 2010 and emails.

Helm, Sarah: 24 March 2009.

Helm, Toby: 22 April 2009.

Hillier, Lorraine: 7 May 2010.

Hinsliff, Gaby: 12 March 2009.

Hoscik, Martin: 10 January 2011.

Howard, Anthony: 13 December 2010.

Howard, Lord Michael: 8 September 2010.

Howell, MP, John: 23 June 2010.

Hurd, Lord Douglas: 29 June 2010.

Jenks, Emma: 23 March 2010, plus later calls.

Johnson, Brian: 9 November 2010.

Jones, George: 6 May 2009 and calls.

Jones, Jenny: 15 December 2010.

Kirkbride, Julie: 26 February 2010.

Landale, James: 27 July 2010.

Law, Mark: 2 November 2010.

Lawson, Dominic: 13 October 2010.

Le Fanu, James: 9 November 2010.

Leith, Sam: 20 May 2010.

Letts, Quentin: 18 October 2010.

Livingstone, Ken: 16 March 2011.

Macdonald Milner, Tommy: 16 September 2010.

Mackay, Andrew: 16 March 2010, plus later phone calls.

Marland, Lord Jonathan: 13 April 2011.

Mayer, Anthony: 24 January 2011.

McElvoy, Anne: 17 February 2011.

McLoughlin, Chris: 29 April 2009.

McSmith, Andy: 11 October 2010.

Meade, Geoff: 24 April 2009.

Mitchell, MP, Rt. Hon. Andrew: 14 June 2010, plus later calls.

Mount, Harry: 20 May 2010.

O’Leary, John: 23 March 2010.

Paddick, Brian: 10 January 2011.

Palmer, John: 23 March 2009.

Parris, Matthew: 26 May 2010.

Patrick, Aaron: 13 May 2009.

Pope, Steve: 20 May 2009.

Pullen, Maggie and Richard: 5 June 2010.

Quick, Robert: 11 January 2010, 16

February 2011, plus later calls.

Raphael, Adam: 6 July 2010.

Raynsford, Nick: 20 January 2011.

Reed, Richard: 30 April 2010.

Reid, Stuart: 9 April 2010, plus later calls.

Reissmann, Ian: 6 May 2010.

Robinson, Nick: 13 July 2010.

Robinson, Stephen: 18 November 2010.

Rolin, Pierre: 25 March 2011.

Royce, Rachel: 27 April 2010.

Rudd, Roland: 30 March 2010.

Sands, Sarah: 7 December 2010.

Sapsted, David: 19 November 2010.

Scriven, Marcus: 18 March 2010 and calls, etc.

Shakespeare, Sebastian: 4 May 2010, plus later calls.

Sharman, Tim: 5 February 2011.

Sherlock, Neil: 17 March 2010, 22

March 2010, plus later calls.

Stanway, Mark: 10 July 2009.

Sutherland, Peter: 7 May 2010.

Taylor, Frank: 19 November 2010.

Travers, Tony: 25 November 2010.

Vaz, MP, Keith: 23 November 2010.

Wadley, Veronica: 14 January 2011.

Young, Toby: 19 May 2010.

Interviews by phone, post or email

Anderson, Sir Eric

Baldry, Don

Barnes, Jonathan

Bell, Steve

Black, Conrad

Brand, Charles

Burns, MP, Simon

Carnegie, Mark

Connor, Tim

Davison, Bernice

Delingpole, James

Forbes, Patrick

Fowler, Lord Norman

Guilford, David

Hendy, Peter

Lewis, Roger

Lonsdale, Revd. Andrew

Luntz, Frank

Macmillan Scott, Edward

Minogue, Noonie

Murray, Oswyn

Parker, Tim

Reynolds, Ian

Robinson, Stephen

Robinson, Tony

Seabrook, QC, Robert

Servadio, Gaia

Stagg, Sir Richard

Teodurczuk, Tom

Tickell, Sir Crispin

Tickell, Oliver

Tiptree, Brian

Turner, Derek

Wade, Nigel

Warren, Marcus

Winnick, MP, David

I
NTRODUCTION

  
1.
  Johnson, Rachel (ed).
The Oxford Myth
, Weidenfeld and Nicolson, London, 1988, p. 71.

  
2.
  
Evening Standard
, 9 April 2010.

  
3.
  
Tatler
, May 2008.

  
4.
  
Telegraph
, 15 October 2006.

C
HAPTER
O
NE
: ‘P
ETER
P
AN AND
W
ENDY
’

  
1.
  Johnson, Stanley.
Stanley I Presume
, Fourth Estate, London, 2009, p. 186.

  
2.
  
Ibid
.

  
3.
  Gimson, Andrew.
Boris: The Rise of Boris Johnson
, Simon & Schuster, London, 2006, p. 3.

  
4.
  
Independent on Sunday
, 22 March 2009.

  
5.
  Johnson, Stanley.
Stanley I Presume
, Fourth Estate, London, 2009, p. 93.

  
6.
  
Ibid.
, p. 183.

  
7.
  
Ibid.
, p. 172.

  
8.
  Gimson, Andrew.
Boris: The Rise of Boris Johnson
, Simon & Schuster, London, 2006, p. 16.

  
9.
  Johnson, Stanley.
Stanley I Presume
, Fourth Estate, London, 2009, p. 189.

10.
  Gimson, Andrew.
Boris: The Rise of Boris Johnson
, Simon & Schuster, London, 2006, p. 11.

11.
  
Desert Island Discs
, BBC Radio 4, 30 October 2005.

12.
  Johnson, Stanley.
Stanley I Presume
, Fourth Estate, London, 2009, p. 192.

13.
  
Daily Telegraph
, 17 May 2008.

14.
  Johnson, Stanley.
Stanley I Presume
, Fourth Estate, London, 2009, p. 219.

15.
  
Ibid.
, p. 286.

16.
  Johnson, Boris.
Lend Me Your Ears
, Harper Perennial, London, 2004, p. 414.

17.
  
Spectator
, 23 April 2008.

18.
  Johnson, Stanley.
Stanley I Presume
, Fourth Estate, London, 2009, p. 75.

19.
  
Who Do You Think You Are?
Wall to Wall productions, 20 August 2008.

20.
  Johnson, Stanley.
Stanley I Presume
, Fourth Estate, London, 2009, pp. 38–39.

21.
  
Ibid.
, p. 45.

22.
  
Ibid.
, p. 41.

23.
  
Daily Telegraph
, 31 January 2004.

24.
  Johnson, Stanley.
Stanley I Presume
, Fourth Estate, London, 2009, p. 57.

25.
  Sunday Times, 11 May 2008.

26.
  Johnson, Stanley.
Stanley I Presume
, Fourth Estate, London, 2009, p. 112.

27.
  
Ibid.
, p. 62.

28.
  
Ibid.
, p. 150.

29.
  
ES Magazine
, 29 February 2008.

30.
  Gimson, Andrew.
Boris: The Rise of Boris Johnson
, Simon & Schuster, London, 2006, p. 19.

31.
  
Tatler
, May 2008.

32.
  Gimson, Andrew.
Boris: The Rise of Boris Johnson
, Simon & Schuster, London, 2006, p. 17.

33.
  
Daily Mail
, 10 May 2008.

34.
  
Ibid.
, 4 May 2008.