Boris the Barbarian

“A flat and rather dull comedy” which details the antics of a “dullard diplomat”.  Not, actually, a description of May’s appointment of the Loquacious Lout to the Foreign Office and what used to be regarded as one of the Major Offices of State, no, the quotations refer to a black and white film which came to mind when I was first informed of the Bumbling Blond’s accession to political prominence: Carlton Browne of the FO, starring gap-toothed Terry Thomas as the “dullard diplomat”.  The film is a farce, so it is entirely fitting as a reflection on Boris the Barbarian and his laughable role in the new government.

            Thanks to Brexit, any admission of British nationality to those of other nations not afflicted with self-destructive traits provokes bewildered smiles of amused sympathy.  The appointment of Boris to any post in government, let alone that of Foreign Secretary degrades an already farcical situation to the level of unthinking slapstick.

            Surely there is some sort of petition on line (which I would rush to sign did it exist) demanding that May rethink this risible appointment and restrict his antics to his well-paid column in The Telegraph where his words will do less harm than face-to-face insults to heads of state.  What a condition this country has been reduced to when an over-privileged lout can be promoted way beyond his ability to appease the less than savoury narrow minds of hard core Conservatives.

            On a day when the full toll of senseless death from the slaughter in Niece is still being reckoned we need politicians with some degree of gravitas and moral rectitude to act as leaders to bring people together, not egotistical wreckers concerned only with their own well being and status.  How can a person like Boris say anything in a serious situation without trivializing it?  How can he voice heartfelt emotion when he is clearly incapable of seeing beyond the parameters of his own personality?  His appointment is an insult to the office and a clear mark of contempt to the people of Britain.  May used words that show that she has at least heard of the concept of a “One nation” approach.  She has warned that the Conservatives are seen as the “nasty” party.  She has spoken of inclusivity and reaching out to the under-privileged.  The appointment of Boris would indicate that what she has said is mere verbiage, lacking substance.  She is, in fact, taking a leaf out of Boris and Cameron’s own book, and doing something which bolsters her own position in the party at the expense of the country.  Boris is a sop to the right-wing Brexiteers, gives cohesion to the party that engineered the chaos, strengthens May’s hold on power and rubbishes Britain in the eyes of the world.

            Carlton Browne of the FO has a happy ending. I only hope that reality follows fiction, because what is happening in Britain now would be difficult to make up.