Bombastic Boris must curb his enthusiasm for an early election

CRASH, bang, wallop! No-one expected Boris Johnson to make a soft landing when he arrived at 10 Downing Street last week. But even his most ardent supporters (and critics) were surprised at the ferocity with which the new Prime Minister touched down.

Even by his boisterous standards, Johnson’s arrival was startling in that it was so bombastic and optimistic in his early words, both to the crowds outside Downing Street and MPs in the House of Commons.

That language all pointed to suggestions that he is planning an early general election, although he has denied that.

Theresa May discovered to her cost the folly of holding an unnecessary general election, which made a bad situation for the Tories in the Commons even worse, and resulted in her having to seek the support of the Democratic Unionists.

That is the last thing Johnson wants to happen. The sooner he can shrug off the support he is receiving from the DUP the better for him – but it is too risky a procedure to try to hold a premature election.

He could finish off even worse than Theresa May did in her unfortunate lapse of judgement in going to the country.

As was expected, Johnson has proved no slouch in dealing with his opponents in the House of Commons, and his performance is a stark contrast to

Theresa May’s in her unnecessary election.

With that lesson learned, Johnson is now inclined to hold his horses and be grateful for the nevertheless tricky situation he occupies in the Commons.

Needless to say, Jeremy Corbyn is raring to go to the polls.

Might he be believing his unexpected relative success at the last general election would be repeated – and even improved on – if Johnson was so foolish as to call an election?

Johnson’s optimism makes a healthy change from the gloom and doom which figured largely in the dreary years Theresa May was in power.

I suspect the nation may have to wait a while before he decides to take the plunge with an election, unless he has a political brainstorm which would urge him to go earlier, but he will face serious opposition from many of his colleagues in the parliamentary party if he chooses to hold one too early.

Can he curb his enthusiasm for a few months at least?

There are no signs of a Scottish Tory rebellion in the offing, but Ruth Davidson, the Scottish Tory leader, has made it plain that she could not support a no-deal Brexit, which is the direction in which the Government seems to be moving.

Michael Gove, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, the effective Brexit minister, has admitted there is little or no chance the EU grandees in Brussels will open up to the idea of striking a new deal.

So Gove has had to reluctantly assume there is no other way forward for the Government than to go ahead without a deal, although that is not necessarily what the Government really wants.

But since it said Britain will leave the EU on October 31, come what may, there is little prospect of anything else happening.