Jan Higgins wrote:I doubt Tony Blair and his style of politics would be at all happy to be compared to Boris's.
Well, I wasn't referring to Blair's 'style' so much as his substance (if that's not too inappropriate a word for that most transparent of men). I'll explain what I meant.
Blair moved Labour rightwards on economic policy (globalist, neoliberal capitalism) and foreign policy (neocon); Johnson will complete the Cameron project of moving the Conservatives leftwards on social policy (e.g. multiculturalism, PC). They meet in the 'centre'.
(I'm not fooled by Johnson's use of the odd provocative non-PC epithet or trope: he knows how to keep the Right onside, and these are tactical deployments. Johnson's nothing if not flexible. Hence his 2016 EU
volte face; he knew which way the wind was blowing and hoist up his sails to catch it. Power's the objective; political yes, but on behalf of corporate.)
Lastly, crucially, Blair's Campbell's soup of spin, mendacity, news management, briefings, client journalists and playing the media so it dances to your tune. But Campbell was a novice compared to contemporary political strategists. And with social media they have inexhaustible artillery. The dirty way didn't always work out for Crosby, but Levido's victories here and in Australia prove that it's easier to box an election if you rig the ring.