Enjoyable article by John Crace on Johnson and lying
"Even Dominic Cummings had to admit that the Tory election campaign hadn’t got off to the best of starts. The Art of War was all very well, but you could take “doing what your opponents least expect” too far. Jacob Rees-Mogg saying the Grenfell residents lacked the common sense to save their own lives had been a masterstroke. As had Sajid Javid being prevented from publishing costings of Labour promises on the grounds the Tories hadn’t a clue how to cost their own.Classic Dom could also just about live with James “Amateur Hour” Cleverly failing the nominative determinism test by crashing and burning during a series of media interviews about the misleadingly edited Keir Starmer video. But even he had had to concede that Welsh secretary, Alun Cairns, who had been lined up as point man for the Tory campaign in Wales, having to resign over allegations that he had known a former aide had deliberately sabotaged a rape trial, was not a great look. At the current rate of ministerial attrition, the Conservatives would have to wheel out Chris Grayling by the end of the week. Or possibly even Priti Patel.“We need to get back on the front foot,” Dom Tzu barked, angrily drumming his fingers on the prime minister’s desk.“What shall we do?” asked Boris Johnson, looking on helplessly.“There’s only one thing for it. I know we’ve been trying to keep you under wraps because no one much likes you, but it’s now shit or bust. We’re going to have to wheel you out and try and play to your strengths. What’s the one thing everyone can rely on you to be?”“Completely untrustworthy?” Boris offered tentatively.“Precisely!” Dom snapped. “So after a quick warm-up lying to the Queen again at Buckingham Palace – just do your prorogation shtick again – you’re going to give a five-minute TV clip in which your one goal is to tell as many lies as possible. The punters will go mad for it. There’s nothing they like more than being taken for fools.”https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/nov/06/dom-tzu-can-relax-as-johnson-redeploys-the-art-of-lying
David Ainsworth ● 2561d3 Comments