Boris can silence his critics – by echoing Reagan

BORIS Johnson says he seeks a third term. At first sight this sounds like an amazing piece of nerve. But in fact it is a welcome bucket of cold water, deliberately thrown by the Prime Minister over the small, foolish figures who seem to have nothing better to do than to sabotage their own movement.

Do these Tory critics actually want a Starmer government? The question needs to be asked, as they do not seem to be aware of the danger they are courting, or to care about the damage they are doing.

The Conservative defeats in two important by-elections last week are of course being blamed entirely on the Prime Minister by his wholly negative opponents in his own party. No doubt his troubles damaged Tory chances in both seats. But does it not also occur to them that their incessant futile sniping at their own leader has been worth thousands of votes to Sir Keir? And if they had not realised it before, it could not be more obvious that Sir Ed Davey’s Liberal Democrats, hoping that everyone has forgotten their coalition with David Cameron in 2010, are now in an undeclared Devil’s Alliance with Labour.

But Sir Keir would have no chance of office at all if Tory MPs would only call off their suicidal anti-Johnson campaign.

One of America’s most successful politicians, Ronald Reagan, formulated an Eleventh Commandment for everyone in his party: ‘Thou shalt not speak ill of another Republican.’ By enforcing that rule, Reagan reached the White House and stayed there for a full eight years. Boris Johnson might do well to copy the Reagan method.