“Johnson is … the most accomplished liar in public life – perhaps the best liar ever to serve as prime minister,” he said. “He has mastered the use of error, omission, exaggeration, diminution, equ

So, you weren’t prepared to vote for Corbyn or Johnson...in that case you were part of either the election of Corbyn or Johnson.
Being saintly about it ? doesn’t butter any parsnips.

I know why you and many others voted for Johnson lemongrove, but only time will tell on that. I was not prepared to elect Corbyn into No10, but that didn't mean that i completely abandoned my moral code and chose a serial liar. Your comment about Rees-Mogg is petty, he is a as bad, if not worse than Johnson to my mind. Johnson is what he is, a moral vacuum with no loyalty to partners or the truth, always has been. Whereas Rees-Mogg is very devout, very religious, and as such is obviously prepared to ignore his personal beliefs for the sake of his political career, hypocrite of the highest order. How anyone can be happy with this is beyond me

Because GillT what was on offer at the last GE was so much worse ( the Chuckle Brothers in Number Ten) and yes, getting Brexit across the threshold.

I admire his use of the English language too, but read it and then imagine Rees Mogg writing it ( he uses similar sort of language at times) would many on here ( apart from Monica) have read it with such pleasure I wonder?

My impression of him is that his values are "old-fashioned" - he's a conviction politician - a bit like David Gauke, Dominic Grieve or Ken Clarke. I don't agree with all their political views, but I do think they thought they were doing the best for their country, which I don't believe of Johnson or most in the current government.

I agree and like many on here, I admire the eloquence of his language as he points out what everyone should be able to see, assuming they want to; Johnson is a charlatan and a self serving liar. He must be panicking now as covid19 is no longer covering up the mess of everything else and his bluster of 'but vaccines' cannot be used as the answer for everything anymore. I have said this many times, but my hatred of him is beyond politics; I find his moral code, his casual cheating and lying totally unacceptable in public office. He is a disgrace, brings shame upon this country and says an awful lot about the people who seem willing to forgive him his unacceptable behaviour as long as they are getting what they want ie Brexit.

I agree with MaizieD on her last post, with one caveat...we could have hit a worse patch if Comrade Corbyn had managed to get into Number Ten.

grannypiper

That headline could well be used for Nicola Sturgeon, a woman that is a passing acquaintance of the truth.

The headline could cover many Leaders and PM’s.....but shsssh, we aren’t allowed to mention them apparently.?

vegansrock

This thread is about Johnson. If you wish to give examples of some other leader’s lies, then start a thread about it.

You mean like you did on the previous page?

I think the much deeper question that needs to be asked is why since the turn of the century the quality of those at the top of the various political hierarchies has so deteriorated.

Which century are you referring to, MOnica?

Are you harking back to the glory days of Gladstone and Disraeli?

Because, there has never been a continuous stream of high calibre leadership talent running the country. The 20th C was no better and no worse than the preceding century and we have no idea what the next 80 years will bring in the 21st C.

Though I agree that we seem to have hit a bit of a bad patch with the tories...

We can wield very little influence individually M0nica. I would agree we should use what we have but we also need the Lords, the Commons and the Media to play their part.

I think the much deeper question that needs to be asked is why since the turn of the century the quality of those at the top of the various political hierarchies has so deteriorated.

Good government depends on having an effective opposition and we haven't had that for a long time. Those at the top of both major parties are almost exclusively second rate and mediocre.

Political parties and their membership and leadership evolve and develop from their rank and file, who are the ordinary people in the country, it follows that it is people like us who are responsible for this deterioration and in whose hands any improvement must lie.

grannypiper

That headline could well be used for Nicola Sturgeon, a woman that is a passing acquaintance of the truth.

Maybe we can conclude with your comparison that to be a leader of a country one needs to be a liar Grannypiper!

This thread is about Johnson. If you wish to give examples of some other leader’s lies, then start a thread about it.

That headline could well be used for Nicola Sturgeon, a woman that is a passing acquaintance of the truth.

I read this article last year when it was first published and thought it was a well written analysis. And to think how many more lies - let the bodies pile up - he has got away with since yet his popularity with the electorate is still high.
I don't see how the tories will get away with lynching and replacing him in their usual style. And who with.

vegansrock

Johnson is compared to similar populist leaders who frequently lie and rely on
their simple messages to appeal to the mass of voters who don’t read political analyses, but rely on slogans and soundbites. He is in the same league as Trump, Orban, Bolsonaro, Erdogan- all relied on their popularity with a certain anti intellectual, conservative, nationalist demographic. Pointing out his lies and character flaws to those who “like” his dishevelled clownish persona will have little effect. It’s the emperor’s new clothes phenomena, they will continue to believe he is “ doing his best”, despite all the evidence to the contrary.

Odd phenomena though.

Johnson is compared to similar populist leaders who frequently lie and rely on
their simple messages to appeal to the mass of voters who don’t read political analyses, but rely on slogans and soundbites. He is in the same league as Trump, Orban, Bolsonaro, Erdogan- all relied on their popularity with a certain anti intellectual, conservative, nationalist demographic. Pointing out his lies and character flaws to those who “like” his dishevelled clownish persona will have little effect. It’s the emperor’s new clothes phenomena, they will continue to believe he is “ doing his best”, despite all the evidence to the contrary.

Johnson is second only to Trump in the Lying Olympics.

Give him a silver medal.

It staggers me how many people know just what Johnson is and yet they still support him. He is getting to the point where more and more people ridicule him. He really won't last long once his backers see he has lost the promise of winning elections by fair means or foul.

M0nica

lemongrove You can admire someones writing, especially if they are having a go at someone you dislike, but that doesn't make the writer 'popular'.

I know little or nothing about Rory Stewart. he isn't popular with me but I think his writing in this review is superb.

Yes, you can admire anyone’s writing, that goes without saying, without admiring the person who wrote it.
I couldn't access the actual video, just the short piece written under it.

This might interest some of you:

www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jul/21/boris-johnson-route-to-number-10

It's interesting looking at the figures for the ballot of the Tory Party leadership. McVey, Leadsom and Harper were eliminated after the first ballot. Hancock withdrew before the second and Raab was eliminated. I watched the Q & A I suppose it was before the third ballot. Stewart was the most impressive I think and Hunt wasn't too bad. Gove was smarmy and Johnson was his usual waffly self. At the fifth ballot Johnson was voted for by 92,000+ and Hunt 46,000+ of the Tory membership.

The reason Johnson won was his desire for a hard Brexit. I think that is the reason why Stewart was knocked out after round 3, despite him being personable, articulate and hard working. He was a diplomat and is an academic an author whereas Johnson, despite his jobs in journalism and as Lord Mayor comes over as a dilettante.

I blame the producers of HIGNFY for hiring him. Without that he would not have come to the public's attention.

rosie1959

I have been a true blue Tory all of my life and tend to go by gut instinct and certainly not as well read or intellectual as many on here. Is Johnson Billy bullshit most probably does he stretch the truth again most probably
Sometimes when he makes a decision I think whatever are you doing but accept that I don’t know the full picture
But at this moment in time is he the best person to get the country moving again the answer is most definitely yes. He has an energy and a charisma which may not be orthodox but will get things done
Not popular on here but hey ho

Will that be before or after he sorts out the NIreland problem that he created? The one that a lot of people knew about but he didn’t?

What I don't understand is why the Tories are still ahead of Labour in polls. I believe in some they have a 4% lead. This article is from the 23rd July.

www.politico.eu/europe-poll-of-polls/united-kingdom/

This can't be down to the vaccine bounce any more. Don't believe it's due to so called Freedom day either.

I don't understand it myself. Often mid-term polling puts opposition in the lead.

With all that's happening at present you'd have thought they would have been trailing.

But that's veering from the discussion in hand. As I've said earlier I rather like Rory and agree with what he so eloquently says.

But none of that is the subject of the article. I agree with MOnica that it's a very good piece of writing, but to honest, Goebbel's speeches were superb rhetoric and are studied alongside Martin Luther King's speeches.

Is it a good piece of writing? Yes. Is Stewart correct? Yes - and I haven't seen any convincing argument against the claim.

Rosie's responses are classic examples which explain why Johnson is still PM. However, my gut feeling is that people generally really aren't so gullible and the smokescreen is clearing. I don't think Johnson does have energy or charisma beyond a superficial show. He certainly lacks the ability to see things through or to consider minor inconveniences (such as Northern Ireland - ahem!)

Rory Stewart has an Eton/Oxford background. I'm sure that if he had really set his mind on power that he would have the connections and could have played the system to get what he wanted. My impression of him is that his values are "old-fashioned" - he's a conviction politician - a bit like David Gauke, Dominic Grieve or Ken Clarke. I don't agree with all their political views, but I do think they thought they were doing the best for their country, which I don't believe of Johnson or most in the current government.