Boris Johnson

Corbyn's reasoning is right.

"That’s why the Brussels deal is incidental to the real issues facing people in the referendum in June. The prime minister has been negotiating for the wrong goals in the wrong way for the wrong reasons.

He should have been talking to other European leaders about action to save our steel industry; about how to stop the spread of low pay and insecure jobs, and end the undercutting of wage rates and industry-wide agreements through the exploitation of migrant workers. He should have been focused on the scandal of the refugee camps in Calais and Dunkirk and how to deal with Europe’s migration crisis in an equitable way.

He could have been using Britain’s leverage to stop the threat to our services and rights in the secretive Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations; to build human rights and environmental protection into future trade treaties; and halt the pressure from Brussels to deregulate and privatise public services. He could have been arguing for an end to self-defeating austerity and for the strengthening of workers’ rights across Europe.

But of course he did none of these things. Instead his main concern in the talks over the rights of non-eurozone states has been to protect his friends in the City of London from financial regulation, including of bankers’ bonuses. Cameron’s Tories want a free-market corporate Europe. We want a social Europe of decent jobs and equality for all."

Those are decent reasons to change his mind.

Nick Cohen ripping into Boz with his usual eviscerating gusto.

It's probably wicked of me but I am finding the whole thing very entertaining.

I like that description of cleverness and intelligence, M0. I agree that there is a great deal of joined up thinking lacking in our politicians.

Re Boris's alleged volte-face, he's not the only one. Jeremy Corbyn has been a eurosceptic throughout his career; now he isn't apparently.

The problem with modern politicians, and I include the leaders of new labour and the conservative party since Mrs Thatcher, is that they are clever but not intelligent, which to me encompasses a far wider understanding than mere cleverness, a high EQ as well as IQ plus that extra something, usually defined as the X factor.

BJ is certainly clever. I am pretty sure he has a First class degree - as has David Cameron, but neither are what I would define as intelligent. William Hague is the most recent politician to be both clever and intelligent and he frightened all the clever nerds of the modern conservative party and never really fitted in.

Very sad, especially as they help deal with pollutants from motor vehicles, as well as keeping streets a touch cooler than without them.

No, but they have cut down all the poplars that used to line the main roads in pre-car days. Their purpose being, as suggested to provide shade for travellers and their steeds.

Once cars became more numerous, the drivers had a habit of hitting them and doing themselves terminal injuries, so over the years almost all have been cut down.

ALL of them, M0? ALL the trees lining the streets?

"Heard he has done a good job in London" well I suppose it depends what you call a good job. He has presided over the biggest social cleansing operation in the city's history- no poor or deprived in Boris's London, no social housing, no affordable properties. As for the London underground- no staff whatsoever. Last time I had to get an oyster card linked to my railcard there was one woman trying to deal with 3 windows 2 of which had queues of people (most of them visitors). Of course he isn't bigoted or xenophobic he'll deal with anyone who has enough money.

I think Boris is getting ever nearer to the windswept door of Number 10( oh!My hair!)?

I believe it is lazy thinking to compare Boris and Trump because they are similar in looks.

Boris,Johnson is bright and I have heard he's done a good job in London. He is not bigotted and xenophobic. Trump is. I just hope the Americans backing him can see a bigger World picture.

Boris does seem to have an eye on number 10 but he isn't the only one. A decision on Europe is indeed a complex one not to be taken lightly.

they have all been cut down.

....except that French roads are no longer lined with trees.

Integrity personified

" But even if you still somehow believe that he will have a massive impact on the referendum result, it seems difficult to believe that impact will be wholly positive.

For a start, it is already abundantly clear that Boris's decision was taken almost exclusively for his own political benefit. Unlike his aspiring successor Zac Goldsmith, whose endorsement for Leave was obviously a principled one which will make it harder for him to win power, Boris's decision is a nakedly obvious attempt to increase his chances of becoming Conservative leader and prime minister.

This fact is so clear it hardly even needs stating. In neither the eight years that Boris has been mayor nor in any of the years preceding it, has he ever publicly declared a desire to leave the EU. Many of those who know him personally say he has always been broadly in favour of remaining in the union. He only told the prime minister of his change of heart within minutes of announcing it on television."

So Boris changed his mind at the last minute.

You like a racist joke, do you?

We did for the last election and I think it re-elected the final result.

Celtic Rose - love your joke!

It would be interesting to hold a referendum for IN or OUT on Gransnet. Reading some of the above posts I'm not sure which would win.

Blair did not use the Royal prerogative, the vote went to parliament

I thought the Lords is made up of cronies these days and have been so since King Tony was in charge. I call him King because he used Royal Prerogative in the Sovereign's name to by-pass Parliament and to take us into the Iraq war. I hope both Houses have since made a law preventing any PM to have this power.

Why are the avenues and roads in France lined with trees? So that the Germans can march in the shade of course.

I think initially the momentum will be with the leavers, as it is a bubble waiting to burst for the past 40 years. However once the dust settles the numbers for and against will become clearer. Cameron has both the majority of the cabinet with him as well as the commons. Interesting to hear from the Lords as they may well get overexcited with an unaccustomed vote

Just one more discussion I heard on RT earlier. Polish people are migrating to UK because they, in turn, have been invaded by migrating Lithuanians who, in turn, fear invasion by Russia. Both populations of these countries apparently also fear German invasion. Don't we all. Ask France.

Listening to Five Live Radio early this morning and reading comments posted on Gransnet and Disqus. I wonder if there is a conspiracy in the making. BoJo and Dave (both of whom I like, by the way) have been the best of friends since early youth. The super deal for UK within the EU recently agreed by 26 other countries is, in my opinion, pathetic. We still don't have sovereignty. We still have extremely limited trade with EU partners; eg, Sweden, Denmark, et al. Smirking Merkel and Jolly Holly-ande still have the veto card. What if the In/Out campaign is to force Brussels back to the table to get them to give UK back what it once had.

Boris Johnson,Domald Trump. Can you tell them apart? I can't.

Same hair, same bombast, both prone to daft ideas and outrageous statements. Imagine Trump in the White pouse and Boris in Downng Street. It will be Bush and Blair all over again, only more so!