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It’s Boris, and Brexit, or Bust!
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson, New York born British politician, will take on his new role of Prime Minister tomorrow afternoon.
But first, he became (I’m pretty sure), the first member of the British Conservative Party to work the honorific, “dude,” into a political speech.
May we live in interesting times.
Published in Politics
I did. I hope they can work together without a Highlander vibe.
Fantastic! That is just super, and very nice speech. A polished Donald Trump. I like it. Now for Brexit. Do it finally.
“And which Pitt would this be? Pitt the Toddler? Pitt the Embryo? Pitt the Glint in the Milkman’s Eye?”
Lord Melbourne, 1830s. Although he was a widower.
Can’t recall when Disraeli’s wife died, but he probably spent some time during his second administration alone too.
Pitt the Younger of course.
Very few are clued in enough. Boris has been playing his cards as close to his chest as possible and I would be surprised if the speculation in the media is correct. Always happy to play ‘fantasy Cabinet building’ though:
The key post is Chancellor. My preference would be John Redwood, Lady Thatcher’s old lieutenant, who would come in to get the Treasury in line. One of the original Brexiteers. An older statesmen like him backed up with some of the younger free marketeers in Team Boris like Liz Truss and Steve Baker. Kwasi Kwartang too, if he doesn’t get his own Cabinet level job.
Priti Patel is tipped for Home Secretary. I’d keep the current occupant, Sajid Javid, there and make her Foreign Secretary. Priti is a true Thatcherite, pro-Western and pro-Israel. British backing for all that anti-Semitic rubbish at the UN would end under her watch. Be seen as ‘one of their own’ in India too.
Jacob Rees-Mogg should become Northern Ireland Secretary. He has no ministerial experience but is brilliant enough for that not to be a problem. As Boris’ key lieutenant he would have the PM’s ear and is close with the DUP too. However, as a Catholic he would be the perfect Nixon-to-China man to speak to Sinn Fein and Dublin.
James Cleverly would be a popular Party Chairman. He should be mandated to get a behind-closed-doors deal with the Brexit Party ready if an election is forced before October 31 st. Jacob would be the other obvious candidate for this.
Andrea Leadsom to Business and Dominic Raab back as Brexit Secretary. Boris’ talented brother Jo would be a great fit at Education.
For the rest I would try and keep most where they are, Michael Gove and Amber Rudd etc. There have been enough resignations already and other over promoted Mayites yet to be cleared out that have created vacancies galore. Some grandees might return and others, such as the Attorney General Geoffrey Cox, are in the right place already. New Trade Secretary could be a former Remainer but open-to-a-free-trade-Brexit MP such as my local one, Greg Hands, who was Jeremy Hunt’s campaign manager. Otherwise it will be a largely Leave dominated Cabinet. Probably two thirds to one Leavers and reconciled Remainers. Expect lots of well spoken British accents but a more Commonwealth reflecting set of faces.
What about Sir Robert Peel? Wasn’t he a bachelor too?
No, I looked him up. He married Julia Floyd and they had seven children, one of whom married Shelley’s niece (not particularly earth-shattering; I just thought it was interesting). Most of his children seem to have had large families; his descendants must be legion!
Thanks. We’ll see how it pans out. I just hope it does. The virtue-signaling continues today from people like Philip Hammond. (I always get him mixed up with Richard Hammond, the Top Gear guy.)
Yes, silly me. Now I think about it he had a son who was also a politician, though it could have been his nephew… Time to move Norman Gash’s Politics in the Age of Peel to the top of the reading list.
So far so good, as in the back room staff are largely Vote Leave people. We’ll know later this evening with the main Cabinet posts announced at least, probably by 17:00 EST.
Thanks, @mrnick! I am happy to say I recognized about 50% of the names mentioned in your post. I love everything I’ve ever heard from JRM – so smart and unflappable.
Hmm. Have you ever seen them in the same car together?
That was epic.
Hmph. Took a while, but someone pinched my title. Did they think I wouldn’t notice? https://moneyweek.com/511887/boris-johnson-brexit-or-bust/
More on Boris.
Toby Young also notices it’s a Shakespearean question: Have the British got themselves a Hal or a Henry V?
… or a Falstaff?
Touche!
Nah. “The better part of valor is discretion” doesn’t sound like BoJo to me.