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Boris Johnson puts Michael Gove in his place over EU referendum Boris Johnson puts Michael Gove in his place over EU referendum
(4 months later)
Part of the charm of politics is watching ambitious players like Michael Gove move one of their big pieces on the chessboard only to see a better player, in this case Boris Johnson, put him straight back into check. It happened on Monday morning. What fun! Philip Hammond, the John Major of this Tory generation, will be almost as delighted as Ed Miliband.Part of the charm of politics is watching ambitious players like Michael Gove move one of their big pieces on the chessboard only to see a better player, in this case Boris Johnson, put him straight back into check. It happened on Monday morning. What fun! Philip Hammond, the John Major of this Tory generation, will be almost as delighted as Ed Miliband.
What happened was that Gove used a BBC1 interview with James Landale on the Andrew Marr Show to remind everyone he would vote to leave the EU if there was an immediate referendum on our current terms. This was just days after Nigel Lawson and Michaels Portillo and Forsyth had said they would probably vote no after David Cameron's "futile" renegotiation.What happened was that Gove used a BBC1 interview with James Landale on the Andrew Marr Show to remind everyone he would vote to leave the EU if there was an immediate referendum on our current terms. This was just days after Nigel Lawson and Michaels Portillo and Forsyth had said they would probably vote no after David Cameron's "futile" renegotiation.
In fairness to the education secretary, when I re-read the BBC transcript I decided he had not been quite as disloyal to his prime minister as I initially thought. He backed Cameron's renegotiation strategy for a changed relationship with Europe, exactly what most Britons want, he said. So he has an alibi, but he will still be getting one of Dave and Sam Cam's cheaper Christmas cards from now on, the one with Lynton Crosby dressed as Santa. Crosby, so we keep being told, is the man who has united the Tories. Hmm. It's a distraction from Cameron's trip to the White House.In fairness to the education secretary, when I re-read the BBC transcript I decided he had not been quite as disloyal to his prime minister as I initially thought. He backed Cameron's renegotiation strategy for a changed relationship with Europe, exactly what most Britons want, he said. So he has an alibi, but he will still be getting one of Dave and Sam Cam's cheaper Christmas cards from now on, the one with Lynton Crosby dressed as Santa. Crosby, so we keep being told, is the man who has united the Tories. Hmm. It's a distraction from Cameron's trip to the White House.
Hammond was more subtle on the BBC's rival Sunday Politics and less colourful, qualities which may one day appeal to the party when the current phase of over-excitement has left them all exhausted, weakened and divided. As Sir Malcolm Rifkind, Major's last foreign secretary, pointed out on Radio 4's Today, Wednesday's "legislate now" amendment to the Queen's speech debate, tabled by Tory sceps, is a matter of tactics, not principle, and will in any case be defeated by Tories, Lib Dems and Labour. Sheer egotistical self-indulgence, but one which will feed the "betrayal" school of politics.Hammond was more subtle on the BBC's rival Sunday Politics and less colourful, qualities which may one day appeal to the party when the current phase of over-excitement has left them all exhausted, weakened and divided. As Sir Malcolm Rifkind, Major's last foreign secretary, pointed out on Radio 4's Today, Wednesday's "legislate now" amendment to the Queen's speech debate, tabled by Tory sceps, is a matter of tactics, not principle, and will in any case be defeated by Tories, Lib Dems and Labour. Sheer egotistical self-indulgence, but one which will feed the "betrayal" school of politics.
But let's put the defence secretary to one side for a moment, noting in passing that the influential Tory blog ConHome has tipped its cap his way. It's what Hammond would want if, as widely suspected, he fancies rising by stealth. He would probably become chancellor if George Osborne got pushed under a bus.But let's put the defence secretary to one side for a moment, noting in passing that the influential Tory blog ConHome has tipped its cap his way. It's what Hammond would want if, as widely suspected, he fancies rising by stealth. He would probably become chancellor if George Osborne got pushed under a bus.
Stealth is not Boris Johnson's strategy. Sure enough, Boris has responded to Gove's manoeuvre by using his Monday column in the Daily Telegraph – said to be worth £250,000 a year to Mr Mayor – to remind Tory voters and even Ukip voters of the following, cruel facts:Stealth is not Boris Johnson's strategy. Sure enough, Boris has responded to Gove's manoeuvre by using his Monday column in the Daily Telegraph – said to be worth £250,000 a year to Mr Mayor – to remind Tory voters and even Ukip voters of the following, cruel facts:
MOST OF OUR PROBLEMS ARE NOT CAUSED BY "BWUSSELS" BUT BY CHRONIC BRITISH SHORT-TERMISM, INADEQUATE MANAGEMENT, SLOTH, LOW SKILLS, A CULTURE OF EASY GRATIFICATION AND UNDER-INVESTMENT IN HUMAN AND PHYSICAL CAPITAL AND INFRASTRUCTURE.
MOST OF OUR PROBLEMS ARE NOT CAUSED BY "BWUSSELS" BUT BY CHRONIC BRITISH SHORT-TERMISM, INADEQUATE MANAGEMENT, SLOTH, LOW SKILLS, A CULTURE OF EASY GRATIFICATION AND UNDER-INVESTMENT IN HUMAN AND PHYSICAL CAPITAL AND INFRASTRUCTURE.
Forgive the capital letters; using them is a foul, demagogic habit. But it is wholly appropriate to do so to record this fine and succinct rebuttal of one of the chief topics of contemporary demagogic patter: "It's all Europe's fault." I could not have put it better myself, indeed would put it worse – which must be why clever Boris trousers much more journalistic income than I do for a great deal less work.Forgive the capital letters; using them is a foul, demagogic habit. But it is wholly appropriate to do so to record this fine and succinct rebuttal of one of the chief topics of contemporary demagogic patter: "It's all Europe's fault." I could not have put it better myself, indeed would put it worse – which must be why clever Boris trousers much more journalistic income than I do for a great deal less work.
I bear him no grudge but also know Mayor Johnson too well to imagine this is part of a long-term strategy: clever chap that he is, he is accustomed to winging it. Probably BoJo was short of a column because he had promised to take the kids out. He saw that the Gove had been showing a bit of political ankle on Europe – the kind of manoeuvring, incidentally, which Gove accused both Nick Clegg and Vince Cable of doing on the same programme, the cad. So BoJo succumbed to the natural impulse to say something different.I bear him no grudge but also know Mayor Johnson too well to imagine this is part of a long-term strategy: clever chap that he is, he is accustomed to winging it. Probably BoJo was short of a column because he had promised to take the kids out. He saw that the Gove had been showing a bit of political ankle on Europe – the kind of manoeuvring, incidentally, which Gove accused both Nick Clegg and Vince Cable of doing on the same programme, the cad. So BoJo succumbed to the natural impulse to say something different.
How strange that Boris should be the man to write what could become the pro-European camp's stock text for Wednesday's debate and for months to come. Read his £5,000 column here – it must work out at about a fiver a word.How strange that Boris should be the man to write what could become the pro-European camp's stock text for Wednesday's debate and for months to come. Read his £5,000 column here – it must work out at about a fiver a word.
What he does is to warn the Tories against futile, fratricidal wars – like Jonathan Swift's Big Enders fighting the Little Enders – and to praise David Cameron's strategy for redefining our relationship as "free trade and political co-operation". Yeah, right.What he does is to warn the Tories against futile, fratricidal wars – like Jonathan Swift's Big Enders fighting the Little Enders – and to praise David Cameron's strategy for redefining our relationship as "free trade and political co-operation". Yeah, right.
So far so predictable and weasel-ish. But, whether on a zip wire or shinning down a lady's drainpipe, Boris never ceases to surprise. Donning what he calls a "cold towel" for concentrated thinking, Boris then goes through the pros and cons of in/out and yes/no when the great moment comes for us all to vote in 2017 (if it comes – there may be a world war or other catastrophe before then).So far so predictable and weasel-ish. But, whether on a zip wire or shinning down a lady's drainpipe, Boris never ceases to surprise. Donning what he calls a "cold towel" for concentrated thinking, Boris then goes through the pros and cons of in/out and yes/no when the great moment comes for us all to vote in 2017 (if it comes – there may be a world war or other catastrophe before then).
Being out would save us money, regain control of our own borders ("regain our sovereignty" in the Farage-speak which BoJo deploys here), allow us to make our own laws. All familiar stuff about which honest men and women can disagree. I don't think anyone enjoys unfettered sovereignty any more and point to the sad, bad saga of the Iraq war to support both sides of the argument.Being out would save us money, regain control of our own borders ("regain our sovereignty" in the Farage-speak which BoJo deploys here), allow us to make our own laws. All familiar stuff about which honest men and women can disagree. I don't think anyone enjoys unfettered sovereignty any more and point to the sad, bad saga of the Iraq war to support both sides of the argument.
On the plus side for staying in would be the risk to inward foreign investment – a point the sceps tend blithely to ignore – if UK plc did not have guaranteed access to EU markets, a potential risk to widget exports to Europe, the loss of negotiating clout in trade matters and a damaging perception abroad that by voting no Britain may be retreating to insular xenophobia. Quite so.On the plus side for staying in would be the risk to inward foreign investment – a point the sceps tend blithely to ignore – if UK plc did not have guaranteed access to EU markets, a potential risk to widget exports to Europe, the loss of negotiating clout in trade matters and a damaging perception abroad that by voting no Britain may be retreating to insular xenophobia. Quite so.
It's typical of Boris in a hurry ("there may be other good reasons for staying in, but I can't think of them now") that, despite being mayor of one of the world's big three financial centres, he forgets to mention the City in either the in or out camp. The FT's senior economic pundit, Martin Wolf, poured scorn on Lord Lawson's cavalier disregard of the City in his Times article – Berlin and Paris won't let London run EU money markets from outside the EU. The EU's critics argue it is doing its best to stuff the City anyway. As usual both sides have a case worth addressing.It's typical of Boris in a hurry ("there may be other good reasons for staying in, but I can't think of them now") that, despite being mayor of one of the world's big three financial centres, he forgets to mention the City in either the in or out camp. The FT's senior economic pundit, Martin Wolf, poured scorn on Lord Lawson's cavalier disregard of the City in his Times article – Berlin and Paris won't let London run EU money markets from outside the EU. The EU's critics argue it is doing its best to stuff the City anyway. As usual both sides have a case worth addressing.
The "problems not caused by Bwussels" paragraph that I capped up is listed in the arguments for staying out. In other words, Britain would finally have to get down and address root causes of its less-productive-than-Germany economy in order to secure its place in a globalised world. In order to get a pared-down relationship with Brussels the Eurocrats will have to take seriously our threat to leave under article 50 of the Lisbon treaty, says Boris.The "problems not caused by Bwussels" paragraph that I capped up is listed in the arguments for staying out. In other words, Britain would finally have to get down and address root causes of its less-productive-than-Germany economy in order to secure its place in a globalised world. In order to get a pared-down relationship with Brussels the Eurocrats will have to take seriously our threat to leave under article 50 of the Lisbon treaty, says Boris.
So there you have it. A Eurosceptic arguing that there is a real choice for voters to make, that it isn't as simple as "stop the continent we want to get off". Thank you, Boris, we'll get back to you. Let's see what use Labour and the Lib Dems prove capable of making of this gift from City Hall.So there you have it. A Eurosceptic arguing that there is a real choice for voters to make, that it isn't as simple as "stop the continent we want to get off". Thank you, Boris, we'll get back to you. Let's see what use Labour and the Lib Dems prove capable of making of this gift from City Hall.
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