Jim Duffy rates three recent premiers as either an eight or a nine, but Boris Johnson is flunking the test

There is hope on the horizon! Nothing lasts forever and the world keeps on turning. At least, that is what I tell myself every time I hear Boris Johnson scoff, splutter, pause, guffaw, shout and preach. I keep telling myself that one day, he will go away and make millions from his postprime-ministerial stint. Another Tony Blair. Yes, there is hope that one day the UK and of course Scotland can be led again by a leader of substance. A leader who is authentic, smart, polished and almost honest. Too much? Unfair on our most honourable friend the Prime Minister?

His handling of this current pandemic is woeful. His attempts to look like Winston Churchill make me squeamish. His lack of a attention to detail causes me angst. And his protection of Dominic Cummings nailed the lid on his political coffin for me. I simply cannot take the man seriously and it stresses me that he has such a large majority. But I will give him some slither of kindness and benchmark his popularity and see where he sits against the last four of his predecessors. It’s marks-out-of-ten time.

First up and still fresh in many of our minds is Theresa May. The minister’s daughter done good. Honestly, the day she was put forward and was successful I was gobsmacked. As a Home Secretary, she seemed okay. Average. She was cutting about the Cabinet for a good while and seemed to be a survivor, albeit she did not play the Westminster games too well or too often.

Nevertheless, Theresa made it to Number 10. She rode into Downing Street looking and sounding a bit like the late Margaret Thatcher. But, her time there was jaded by Brexit. And it made her time miserable. She could not get a vote through the House and she looked weak and vulnerable all the time. But, all that aside, I did kind of feel that she had some honesty about her.

I’d better define honesty a bit more clearly here. As politicians are economical with the truth or as some would say – liars – we need to be clear that there is a baseline and the job requires a level of “honesty”. For me, Theresa felt that bit more honest than most.

Perhaps that was part of the problem as a leader sitting in Number 10 with a barrelful of snakes. Being too forthright and honest can be perceived as weak. The role maybe requires more slippery characteristics to succeed. Theresa was ineffectual as a leader for me, but scores a big eight out of ten for being as honest as she could be. I wish her well on the back benches.

Next up the man with a plan. A plan to save us all from that horrible Brexit thingy. He even brought in the big guns – President Barack Obama, no less.

Prime Minister David Cameron was as good as the Conservatives will get for a long time. I was actually sad to see him go. He had flair, panache and was an excellent communicator. He roasted Jeremy Corbyn at the dispatch box relentlessly giving him a bloody nose that never healed up. He looked the part too. Dashing and almost fresh out of public school.

But, where does the boy Dave sit on the authenticity and believability scale? Well, I’m going to score high again. I know, I’m ridiculous aren’t I? I think he worked hard to stop Brexit and while he got a slap every time he went to see his European counterparts, he held his head high.

He had charisma and could hold a room. I never sensed that he was scheming and conniving behind the scenes like Bojo. So, Prime Minis