Boris’s mystery blonde more relevant to Irish affairs than may be apparent
TEMPTATIONS of the flesh have torpedoed the career of many a Tory politician. In contrast, Labour MPs who fall by the wayside are much more likely to be lured by money matters that are a bit murky.
This is one of the folksy asides about British politics. Now the sexual antics of wannabe prime minister Boris Johnson are the latest in a long line of Conservative MPs whose private lives make headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Johnson was linked to a ‘mystery blonde’ as he and his wife of 25 years announced their divorce. According to the gossip columns, he has had various dalliances over the years.
But such personal matters aside, his efforts to unseat Theresa May to become the UK’s next leader continue apace. Critics say his divorce is linked to increasingly blatant political ambition. It is suggested that Johnson (below) is determined to ‘tidy up’ his private affairs as he prepares the ground for an expected heave against May. Supporters also believe the finality of his marriage break-up will take the edge off some of the more lurid commentary on his personal life.
Meanwhile, Johnson’s determination to tap into the kind of populism which swept Donald Trump to power has been all too obvious in recent weeks.
A key tactic is to say or do whatever is necessary to ensure he is being talked about.
A broadside charging
May with “wrapping a suicide vest around the UK constitution” was the kind of deliberate language designed to provoke offence and outrage. Once again it worked, and the Tory maverick dominated the TV news as Brexit talks remained on a knife edge. From an Irish perspective, there can only be growing concern that Johnson – and particularly the motley group of extremist MPs who support him – should get into power. It would be the most confrontational government as regards Irish affairs since the more obdurate intervals in the Thatcher era. His hardcore supporters were out in force this week proclaiming the May government should ‘face down’ the EU. One by one, they airily dismissed concerns over the Northern Ireland Border. What was most disconcerting is that they obviously care so little about this island. They are prepared to ignore risks to the peace process as they pursue a dream of Britain ‘going it alone’. They almost visibly ache to be unshackled from the ‘heavy hand’ of Brussels; Jacob Rees Mogg and his acolytes do not shirk from the sobriquet ‘Little Englander’.
But should they ever make it to Downing Street, it will, from an Irish perspective, signal a step back in time. Old misunderstandings, which dogged Anglo-Irish relations for so long, will make an ominous return.
Thankfully, given the febrile state of UK politics, there is no guarantee Johnson’s manoeuvres will land him the top job. His faction is still a minority in the Tory party; most middle-ground MPs see their destiny with a less contentious candidate.
But their problem is the same as for all those who hope somebody will emerge and defeat Donald Trump at the ballot box. No particular name comes to mind.
If the UK crashes out of the EU, British public life will undergo a cataclysm. Sweden, for so long a bastion
of the centre ground, is the latest country where populist politics is becoming an increasing force. Hardline Brexiteers are an all too close manifestation of this trend.
In Ireland, we rightly brace ourselves for the effects on jobs and trade should the UK depart without a deal. But a Trump-style prime minister in Downing Street – and a cohort of like-minded ministers – might be a greater challenge. Such a regime would be dangerously intolerant of concerns on this island.
And so we can only wait on the sidelines. Who will succeed May should she fall?
The relationship between Johnson and the mystery blonde, now identified as a respected PR executive, may have a strange kind of relevance on this side of the Irish Sea. Will a high-profile private life – coupled with a suspiciously timely divorce – help or hinder his battle to become prime minister?