Following a great meeting with constituents and some blogging supremos this lunchtime we, in Boris’s office, are now ready for action and the challenges ahead.
All we can say is that over the last few days the comments we received via email have been 100-1 in favour, so MANY, MANY THANKS for your warm support and encouragement.
We look forward to hearing from you soon.
Olly and Melissa
for BORIS
Keep at it Boris, not even Michael Howard can keep a good man down.
excellent, good to hear it
I loved the running bandana! A genius in our time is hard to live up to but I think you’ll manage.
YOUR TIME WILL COME
Yippee! It’s a sad day when people can get the sack for not telling thier boss who they’ve been sleeping with (or not).
We need some colour in life – keep going!
Keep your head down Boris old chap. Howard won’t last forever, and you’ll be back up before you know it.
Keep your chin up, hope everything works out for you. 100% support here. He only worried you’d do a better job!!!
Keep going, Boris – Howard will be gone within a year, his political career is over, whereas your best years are still ahead of you.
I fail to see why this is all an issue.
If Boris was standing on a ‘back to basics/family values’ platform – or passing law on this issue, then his private life is relevant. Otherwise it is not.
As for Howard’s disingenuous ‘we didn’t sack him for the affair, but for the dishonesty’ – if the affair wasn’t of interest, then why the hell was Howard asking about it?
It’s an own goal for Howard, removing one of the most public and likable people from his front bench.
Of course, there is a potential conflict of interest which has now been resolved between editor and front bencher.
From here, it looks like someone has been twisting the knife. Was Boris too well known for his own good? Rither that or Boris has had a string of unbelievably bad luck.
Get in there Boris.
Again, every best wish, from an office full of admirers just opposite 56 Doughty Street!
I hope Mr Neil will be kind with you.
Good to read that you’re back “ready for action”, and great to know that you’ve been meeting with blogging “supremos”. Whatever Boris does in terms of the front bench, he can still lead the way in e-democracy. We certainly need some leadership in this field from a well-known politician, so your efforts are appreciated.
By the way, there is a new blogging MP to add to your links. Sandra Gidley, Lib Dem for Romsey:
http://romseyredhead.blogspot.com
(And there’s Austin Mitchell too (http://www.austinmitchell.org) but he hasn’t posted for months now.)
Sandra Gidley is using the free Blogger.com service, which is about as easy as it can get to write a blog. It’s so simple and FREE, so there is absolutely no excuse for an MP not to give it a go. It’s not like they need to learn Perl or pay for IT support or even for web hosting.
She has a Lib Dem blogs button which takes you to http://www.libdemblogs.co.uk an aggregator for all Lib Dem blogs. Great concept – though they might want to watch who’s listed. Where the hell are other parties/government on this?
I’ll stick my constituent hat on and say frankly I don’t care what my MP gets up to in his private life, as long as it’s not illegal or affects his effectiveness to represent my viewpoint.
From a purely selfish point of view having an MP who is not in the cabinet or shadow cabinet should mean more time to look at issues affecting his voters. Well, in between writing novels, running a magazine and appearing on television.
Why we expect our representatives to be “holier than thou” is beyond me. Does the bestowing of the MP suffix mean they should rise to sainthood? That’s just silliness and dragging his family through the sordid press isn’t helpful to anyone except editors who get a bonus based on the number of papers sold.
Nope, he’s still welcome to come over for that wine I promised when he was lost outside the town hall. Of course I’ll want to bend his ear over my pet topics.
Lots of support goes out to you from here, Boris. Keep smiling 🙂
You are irrepressible. Stay that way. (Even though I disagree utterly with almost all your politics.)
I am a giant fan of Boris and feel very sorry for him over this whole furore, but the point is that he appears to have lied very publicly. Some of the flak for Howard seems ill-judged.
Keep going though Boris.
Boris you are wasted with the conservatives as they only want to do what labour is already doing and labour is putting most of consevative policies into practice. Please join the LibDems and run directly against Tony Blair in Sedgefield, you can do it.
Please, anything other than Blair or Howard.
Howard has made a silly, silly mistake he will probably come to regret in some months time.
Twit.
Nice bandanna.
Please join the LibDems and run directly against Tony Blair in Sedgefield, you can do it.
Please, anything other than Blair or Howard.
Now that, I’d like to see.
Welcome back Boris. Here’s wishing you all the best over this difficult period, and hoping you will be back to full steam in no time!
I note that you’ve now got “Brillo Pad” Neill as your boss on The Spectator.
We expect a full and detailed report on his lustrous weave.
What a huge mistake…you were great!
If there are any young Asian girls in the office, be sure to warn them about Brillo!
Bandana? What are people talking about? Now I’m picturing Boris running around like Rambo, possibly stitching his own arm, and it scares me.
Sorry this comment is utter fluff!
Keep it up Boris!
Boris Johnson’s son … [Ed: jokes should be family friendly and in good taste]
Boris, hang on in there. I’m not a natural Tory, but the party desperately needs colourful characters like you to appeal to the populus.
I hope you sort things out at home. A fling really isn’t the end of the world, as long as you believe in equal opportunity and allow your wife to have one.
Life’s too short.
Much love to Boris, the now infamous bandana and, of course, the rather fetching floral shorts!
Michael Howard’s made a corker of a mistake. Will hopefully be seeing you scaling the political ladder once more in the near future. Or, if the fancy takes you, fashion design is always an option.
Most men would break under such scrutiny and harassment, but Boris put on his floral bandana and went for a jog.
Boz for PM.
Comiserations, Boris. Such things can and do happen in the big bad worlds of life and Politickery, and the nasty great overlap which exists in the middle.
We’ve all got faith in you and your evidently supportive team – you’re going to be back.
Keep it real sir.
A dark day for politics indeed when a man is sacked for having an affair, especially a man as talented and witty as Boris.
It’s bit late for this – and the splendidly stylish bandanna (or was it a tenugui?) makes it superfluous – but here is my all-purpose politician’s denial for the next person in trouble with his (or her) party leader over a personal matter:
STATEMENT BY THE RT HON FRITZ SMITH MP
I understand that stories about me have been published in the Daily Piffle. I don’t actually read this publication, though I bear it no particular ill will. The Daily Piffle sometimes fulfills a useful role. I recognize that it must be tough to have to sell yesterday’s print news in today’s dynamic world. Doubtless the newspaper will not survive for long, but I would hate to do anything to hasten its departure.
As I have explained before, I never comment on stories about my private life. I neither confirm nor deny claims which appear in the media. Nor do I take legal action against those who make allegations, as that only gives them greater circulation. On this occasion, I have not read the article or articles in question, and have absolutely no comment to make about their veracity.
As Member of Parliament for [Haddock and Sleaze], I am always available at any time to discuss issues that affect my constituents, my party, or questions of major national importance.
Aside from these matters, I am also delighted to talk in public about [stamp-collecting, pot-holing or cats]. I have no special interest in or knowledge of other subjects and regret I have nothing to say about them.
Thank you and good evening.
Very true Simon – spot on.
There’s an aspect to the “it’s not the bonking it’s the lying” stance that has always worried me. It is surely wrong for one of the two parties involved to take a unilateral decision to suddenly blurt out information that is effectively shared property. This makes it inevitable that the party who is asked will not be instantly, totally honest, however much it might be in their individual interest to be so. Unfortunately we are unlikely ever to see the headline “MP takes honourable decision to protect others” in these cases.
Time for that Leadership Bid, and to save the party.
The timewarp “toffs know best” mentality of Michael Howard, and plan to remove members say in leadership presents an interesting opportunity.
Reason why only old people are in party, is because young don’t go along with “toffs know best”. Stand up for members say in leadership election, flood party with younger people, who say they will leave if their say is taken away, take over leadership.
PS Next time just say “none of your business Michael”
May I just say that Simon Holledge is very amusing indeed.
I can’t beleive I did this, but I found it:
http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2004/11/boris_runPA151104_300x450.jpg
Those aren’t flowers, Howie!
And I have a quote to go with it:
“Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the jolly roger, and begin slitting throats.”
– H.L. Mencken (1880-1956)
(of course this quote has been apt for me since the election results in the USA)
Ah Lori, one can almost see Boris climbing the mast and hoisting the flag. 😉
As for the whole affair issue, whether it is true or not is of no importance to me – but surely MP’s are supposed to be representative of the people; are there no extra-marital affairs within the British electorate?
I contacted Michael Howard to voice my dismay and his office sent me this:
“Michael Howard has asked me to thank you for your recent email
concerning Boris Johnson.
He can fully understand how you feel: Boris Johnson has played a useful
role as a member of the conservative Front Bench team.
The issue which has risen is one of being straightforward and honest. We
know that the British public expect this from their politicians and
rightly so.
In the circumstances, Michael Howard felt he had no choice but obviously
the outcome is very disappointing.
Thank you again for writing”
It has made me realise the only sane future British politics has is for Boris to set up his own party where the public tells him what they want, and not the other way round as seems to be happening now. Get rid of the new-labour new-tory dictatorships and let’s have good old democracy back again!
Good one simon, I suppose the short version is “NO COMMENT”
This issue of lying reminds me of a conversation with my big sister:
PL: “well at least he was honest”
Sis: “Look at you you’re devastated. No-one’s perfect [pippy] we all make mistakes but if he really loved you he would have never hurt you like THIS, if he really loved you he would have lied and just quietly learned his lesson.”
Just a thought.
I second Laura — Boris, start a new party! The Tories are spinning in the bowl at a furious pace, and Michael Howard is flushing more furiously now than ever. Time to ‘bog off’!
Oh oh, just checked out Boriswatch – looks like the conservative website is just automatically deleting anything containing the word “Boris” and the BBC is deleting the same. Democracy in action huh?!
Personally I think the honesty issue is an excuse: Howard can’t stand the competition. I also think Boris’ private life is none of our business – it’s not like he stuffed a family pet where he shouldn’t or sent people to thier death on the pretext of a lie now is it?! Howard underestimates the British people.
We’re going on a vampire hunt, we’re going to catch a big one, we’re not scared!
Boris… a Liberal Democrat? I almost choked on my coffee (or I would have done, if I was a coffee drinker). Boris *is* Tory Boy – he shouldn’t be encouraged to join the Wet Blanket Party, he should be quietly considering how best to mount a full scale offensive on Conservative Central Office. Boris for PM!
I admit I am jumping on a bandwagon here, but those in doubt should watch the last episode of Yes Minister (ie. the one before the first episode of Yes Prime Minister) – Boris is perhaps a smarter version of Jim Hacker for the modern age!
Let’s not waste any more time on last week’s events. What are Paul Merton and Ian Hislop really like?
There’s no doubt that The Boris ( with apologies to Donald Trump ) has become something of a national treasure, &
I’d just like to say that, as a lifetime Labour voter & now thoroughly disenchanted with The Blair Experiment, I find
great solace in the fact that politics can still throw up characters like BJ. Long may he contribute to the gaeity
of the nation.
This whole …I’ll avoid the word affair …provides a really interesting perspective on current day UK politicians. If the tabloid stories are true then Boris, as a husband and father, has done something for which he should be ashamed, although not sacked (who would be or has been anything other than “less than frank” in such circumstances? – this and the idiotic “get thee to Liverpool” stunt amount to a crass and obvious knifing). And yet somehow I get the feeling that this will be the making, not the breaking of Boris. When John Major (IMHO a throughly decent man and lost too soon from UK politics) admitted to his affair with Edwina Currie it seemed to provoke more good than ill will towards him, and the same vibe (for want of a better word) is in the air again. There is just something inherently charismatic and likable about Boris, in exactly the same way that there isn’t about Michael Howard. I feel that this, above all else, is what we seek in our 20th century politicans. Perhaps in an age of such media bias this is the only judgement we can truly make for ourselves about our prospective leaders. For this reason I believe that Michael Howard is unelectable, and therefore that there will be a vacancy at the head of the Tory party within the next year or so. There is only one man to fill this position and oust the ideological black hole that is New Labour – like a phoenix from flames that must surely be temporary in nature, Boris, humanised for the UK public and somehow statesmanlike, will emerge!
One thing confuses me though – isn’t this all a bit suspicious? Isn’t Michael Howard being just a little too obviously cretinous and hypocritical? In short, is this a plot whereby Howard nobly sacrifices himself for the long term future of the Tory party by providing the galvanisation of the party’s prodigal son? Hmmm!
Best wishes Boris, you have my vote.
Bring Back Boris! What an utter legend and the only Tory that people really liked! Its a sad day when some people get jealous of your good looks, charm, wit and intellect and get rid of you using petty arguments! But you’ll always have the support of me and the politics group in the 6th form at my school! WE LOVE YOU BOZ!
Keep at it Boris. You are a political legend!
…for goodness sake, take a few days off (or even longer) and wine, dine and pay attention to your wife. The most important thing (more important than your being a front bench spokesman, editor of Private Eye etc) is your family. Give them the time and love they deserve – since they are the innocent ones who are probably suffering the most from what has happened.
….oops, I meant to say “the Spectator” and not “Private Eye” – apologies for the cretinous gaffe
Mount a leadership challenge. The country demands it.
The best revenge is success.
Boris is amazing. Even when under pressure from press outside his house he manages to dish out some of his unique humour. Very fast dangerous car….hehe very funny. Boris is a real person and the comments he makes are the kind of stuff we all this. The UK has gone PC mad and we need more people like Boris in charge.
I have to confess that I’m not a tory but I’ve always appreciated Boris. I don’t feel he should have been sacked but I guess the Tory party are guilty of letting the press dictate their actions. In all honesty I can’t see many other people in the Tory ranks who would appeal to non-tories like me so I fear the leadership may have made a big mistake.
‘I suppose the short version is “NO COMMENT”‘
The non-flatulent version is “no comment”, MY DEAR. :-))
Don’t reckon our Bozzer is the man to leave well alone, though. Twice he’s gone for the lady he cut up on his bike, and twice she’s had the better of it through the letters pages of the DT. Keep peddling, Boris – and, now we know what you’re like, don’t pester that nice Melissa. :-)))
Boris,
Sorry I won’t join the chorus line on this one. I hope you have resolved this situation with the most damaged of all, your family.
But as a politician and leader of the community you ARE a role model and thus held to a higher standard than Joe Average.
Bring you back to what, Arts Minister? How about Rowing Minister?
Better still, Prime Minister!
Go on, you know you want to:
http://www.petitiononline.com/Boris4PM/
I think the news re Boris’s private life was very sad. However we all know that life is not perfect. I am not sure if Boris should have been sacked and am not aware of full the circumstances. Boris is a very talented and amusing journalist and I am glad he has not lost his editorship of the Speccie. I would note that I am far more interested in Boris’s politics and the Speccie’s slant than I am about his or anyone else’s private lives there.
I have been reading the Speccie since university when I think we used to get it free. In that time it has always been electic and brilliant reading but from an essentially conservative base. I have however had some concerns under Boris’s editorship that the eclecticism and latitude has been going too far. I am increrasingly perplexed by some his contributors’ targets and the language used. A drier approach with a little less effervesence may now be in order.
Gwalef you are a li’ bitch. I will slap your face if I c u. Go 2 sleep!!