This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2019/jun/12/tory-leadership-boris-johnson-facing-fierce-criticism-because-of-his-huge-appeal-says-leading-supporter--live-news
The article has changed 17 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 6 | Version 7 |
|---|---|
| Tory leadership: Boris Johnson launches campaign to be next prime minister – live news | Tory leadership: Boris Johnson launches campaign to be next prime minister – live news |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Here are the main points from the Boris Johnson launch. | |
| Johnson, the former foreign secretary and clear favourite in the Tory leadership contest, reaffirmed his desire to take the UK out of the EU by 31 October with or without a deal - while refusing to say he would resign if the UK missed this deadline. Asked if he would make this a resigning issue, he said MPs would accept they had to implement Brexit. He explained: | |
| I think maturity and a sense of duty will prevail. I think it will be very difficult for friends in parliament to obstruct the will of the people and simply to block Brexit. | |
| I think if we now block it, collectively as parliamentarians we will reap the whirlwind and we will face mortal retribution from the electorate. | |
| Johnson said that he did not want to leave without a deal, but it said it was essential to prepare for no-deal to increase the chances of getting an agreement. He said he would appoint a new Brext negotiating team that would “hit the ground running” and engage with the EU in the “friendliest possible way”. And he said it would be fatal for both main parties if they failed to deliver Brexit. | |
| The real existential threat that I now think faces both parties if we fail to get this thing done. And I think that in the end maturity and a sense of duty will prevail. | |
| Sky’s Lewis Goodall was not impressed. | |
| Extraordinary. Asked by @GuardianHeather what his plan is if MPs block no deal Johnson’s reply is “you know I think it’s going to be very difficult for colleagues to block Brexit because it is, after all, the will of the people.”Perhaps he’s been asleep for the last 6 months. | |
| Johnson brushed aside a complaint about offensive language he has used in the past, saying he thought it was important for politicians to speak directly. He was asked about a column he wrote saying women in burqas looked liked letter boxes, but in his reply he made a general point. He said: | |
| I want to make a general point about the way I do things and the language I use. | |
| Occasionally some plaster comes off the ceiling as a result of a phrase I may have used, or the way that phrase has been wrenched out of context by those who wish for reasons of their own to caricature. | |
| But I think it’s vital for us as politicians to remember that one of the reasons that the public feels alienated now from us all as a breed, is because too often they feel that we are muffling and veiling our language, not speaking as we find - covering everything up in bureaucratic platitudes, when what they want to hear is what we genuinely think. | |
| He refused to confirm a previous admission that he took cocaine as a student. Asked if an account he gave to GQ about this was true, he replied: | |
| I think the account of this event when I was 19 has appeared many, many times. | |
| I think what most people in this country want us to really focus on in this campaign, if I may say so, is what we can do for them and what our plans are for this great country of ours. | |
| Asked by another journalist if he had ever broken the law, he said he could not “swear that I have always observed a top speed limit, in this country, of 70mph”. | |
| Sky’s Tamara Cohen has the GQ quote. | |
| Boris Johnson does not dispute the GQ interview on drugs read out to him by @JasonGroves1 . Here it is. He says the public are more interested in what he’d do for them. pic.twitter.com/j16ztBOcxr | |
| Johnson claimed that his record as London mayor showed that he could provide a “sizzling synergy” - promoting growth, thus providing revenue for public services. He explained: | |
| We can fight for the teachers, and the nurses and the firemen, and the armed service personnel, and the police, precisely because we are willing to encourage the tech wizards and the shopkeepers and the taxi drivers and, yes, the bankers as well. | |
| We enable the extraordinary success of our private sector with a strong, committed, passionate, well-funded public sector. | |
| It is that synergy, that symbiosis, that sizzling synergy, that is so fertile in generating further economic growth, that is the formula, that is the way we will bridge the opportunity gap and bring the country together, responding to the mighty plea of the majority of our people for fundamental change. | |
| He claimed that he had successfully cut crime in London by promoting stop and search. Talking about his time as mayor, he said: | |
| We had kids losing their lives in our city at a rate of 28-30 a year, teenagers were being stabbed to death in London. We had to take some very tough decisions. | |
| I believe, frankly, there is nothing kinder or more loving that you can do if you see a young kid coming down the street who may be carrying a knife, than to ask him to turn out, or her, almost invariably him, to turn out his pockets and produce that knife. | |
| That is not discriminatory, that is a kind, compassionate, loving thing to do. And it worked. | |
| We ended up, as I said just now, we ended up cutting serious youth violence by I think 32%. Knife crime went down, the murder rate went down. | |
| My colleague Peter Walker says this claim has been debunked. | |
| Boris Johnson truth alert - he claims Operation Blunt 2, an increase in police stop-and-search, "saved lives" and reduced knife crime. BUT: official Home Office study in 2016 said there was "no discernible crime-reducing effects" from the operation.https://t.co/VtfXhdIXwN pic.twitter.com/KtZubdBoEV | |
| He said he had done more than anyone else in the Conservative party to defend business. Asked about the time he once declared “fuck business” at a Foreign Office reception, he said this was not his stance. He went on: | |
| I don’t think there is anybody in the modern Conservative Party who can honestly be said to have done more to stick up for business, even in the toughest of times. | |
| I will stick up for them. | |
| This is from the Tory Brexiter Nadine Dorries. | This is from the Tory Brexiter Nadine Dorries. |
| At the #BackBoris launch. No tears this time. He gave long, full, substantive and serious answers to every question. He’s going all the way! pic.twitter.com/rcuzjMiCIw | At the #BackBoris launch. No tears this time. He gave long, full, substantive and serious answers to every question. He’s going all the way! pic.twitter.com/rcuzjMiCIw |
| My colleague John Crace says this tweet says more about Dorries than it does about Boris Johnson. | My colleague John Crace says this tweet says more about Dorries than it does about Boris Johnson. |
| Given that Boris Johnson failed to answer any questions, this probably tells you all you need to know about Nad's critical faculties https://t.co/2BJac74gq0 | Given that Boris Johnson failed to answer any questions, this probably tells you all you need to know about Nad's critical faculties https://t.co/2BJac74gq0 |
| This is what some political journalists and commentators are saying about the Boris Johnson launch. | This is what some political journalists and commentators are saying about the Boris Johnson launch. |
| From ITV’s Robert Peston | From ITV’s Robert Peston |
| .@BorisJohnson has been spectacularly dull. Uncharacteristically dull. His supporters will be thrilled. The bandwagon rolls on | .@BorisJohnson has been spectacularly dull. Uncharacteristically dull. His supporters will be thrilled. The bandwagon rolls on |
| From the Mirror’s Pippa Crerar | From the Mirror’s Pippa Crerar |
| If it’s any consolation for Team Boris, I can 100% confidently say that it went better for him than last time. pic.twitter.com/0cGMJih7zn | If it’s any consolation for Team Boris, I can 100% confidently say that it went better for him than last time. pic.twitter.com/0cGMJih7zn |
| From BuzzFeed’s Stuart Millar | From BuzzFeed’s Stuart Millar |
| Boris Johnson's campaign launch speech was all about being serious and businesslike. But he's completely undermining that with his answers to the very good and legitimate questions: dismissive, evasive, flippant, blustering, rambling... | Boris Johnson's campaign launch speech was all about being serious and businesslike. But he's completely undermining that with his answers to the very good and legitimate questions: dismissive, evasive, flippant, blustering, rambling... |
| From my colleague Peter Walker | From my colleague Peter Walker |
| This first media scrutiny of Boris Johnson in the campaign is simultaneously showing him to be slippery, avoidant and unwilling to answer difficult questions, and highly unlikely to stop his trajectory towards No 10. This is where we seemingly are today. | This first media scrutiny of Boris Johnson in the campaign is simultaneously showing him to be slippery, avoidant and unwilling to answer difficult questions, and highly unlikely to stop his trajectory towards No 10. This is where we seemingly are today. |
| From the Financial Times’ Sebastian Payne | From the Financial Times’ Sebastian Payne |
| The biggest enemy to Johnson’s victory has always been himself. His professionalised, even slightly dull, performance will have pleased his supporters and campaign team.So the Boris bandwagon rolls on - read more on the @FinancialTimes live bloghttps://t.co/pqL4cq0w8n | The biggest enemy to Johnson’s victory has always been himself. His professionalised, even slightly dull, performance will have pleased his supporters and campaign team.So the Boris bandwagon rolls on - read more on the @FinancialTimes live bloghttps://t.co/pqL4cq0w8n |
| From the Daily Mirror’s Kevin Maguire | From the Daily Mirror’s Kevin Maguire |
| Cowardice may be added to the list of reasons slippery serial liar Boris Johnson's unfit to be Prime Minister when he took only six questions and dodged answers | Cowardice may be added to the list of reasons slippery serial liar Boris Johnson's unfit to be Prime Minister when he took only six questions and dodged answers |
| From the Sun’s Steve Hawkes | From the Sun’s Steve Hawkes |
| Boris didn't screw up and great language as normal.. but precious little detail - not least on Brexit - and he's hardly shed the accusation he has something to hide. Just six questions from the press and his supporters heckled @BethRigby .. Could do better | Boris didn't screw up and great language as normal.. but precious little detail - not least on Brexit - and he's hardly shed the accusation he has something to hide. Just six questions from the press and his supporters heckled @BethRigby .. Could do better |
| From the Observer’s Michael Savage | From the Observer’s Michael Savage |
| Was the Boris Johnson launch a success?The test is a low bar - did he give any MPs backing/considering backing him reason to back away? No. So his team will leave happy. | Was the Boris Johnson launch a success?The test is a low bar - did he give any MPs backing/considering backing him reason to back away? No. So his team will leave happy. |
| From my colleague Jessica Elgot | From my colleague Jessica Elgot |
| The most depressing thing this morning was actual sitting Members of Parliament *booed* a journalist for asking a question about something a candidate wrote in a newspaper column. Hope some of them have pause when they watch it back. | The most depressing thing this morning was actual sitting Members of Parliament *booed* a journalist for asking a question about something a candidate wrote in a newspaper column. Hope some of them have pause when they watch it back. |
| HuffPost has more on that booing here. | HuffPost has more on that booing here. |
| Here is my colleague Jessica Elgot’s news story about the Boris Johnson campaign launch. | Here is my colleague Jessica Elgot’s news story about the Boris Johnson campaign launch. |
| 'Brexit delay means defeat': Boris Johnson launches campaign | 'Brexit delay means defeat': Boris Johnson launches campaign |
| To anyone familiar with Boris Johnson, and in particular the performances he has given at Conservative party conference fringe meetings in recent years, that was a predictable Johnson stump speech – perhaps a bit shorter on jokes than usual, but generally heavy on sunshine and optimism, short on policy, and focused entirely on how his record as London mayor shows he is a mainstream politician who can deliver prosperity while raising standards for everyone. A colleague will be looking at the truth of this proposition shortly (and it was striking how Johnson had almost nothing to say about his record as foreign secretary), but this fitted in quite well with what now seems to be the Johnson campaign USP: the claim that he is the unity candidate, acceptable to all wings of the party. Tory MPs and members will not have been particularly surprised by any of this, but it probably did the job, and his passage about how beating Ken Livingstone taught him how to beat Jeremy Corbyn may have struck a chord. Overall, the most impressive thing about the event was probably the large and diverse crowd of Tory MPs who turned up. | To anyone familiar with Boris Johnson, and in particular the performances he has given at Conservative party conference fringe meetings in recent years, that was a predictable Johnson stump speech – perhaps a bit shorter on jokes than usual, but generally heavy on sunshine and optimism, short on policy, and focused entirely on how his record as London mayor shows he is a mainstream politician who can deliver prosperity while raising standards for everyone. A colleague will be looking at the truth of this proposition shortly (and it was striking how Johnson had almost nothing to say about his record as foreign secretary), but this fitted in quite well with what now seems to be the Johnson campaign USP: the claim that he is the unity candidate, acceptable to all wings of the party. Tory MPs and members will not have been particularly surprised by any of this, but it probably did the job, and his passage about how beating Ken Livingstone taught him how to beat Jeremy Corbyn may have struck a chord. Overall, the most impressive thing about the event was probably the large and diverse crowd of Tory MPs who turned up. |
| On policy, he has almost nothing to say at all. In fact, even Rory Stewart’s new age sermon last night probably contained more in in the way of specific commitments. Johnson seems quite happy to make policy through the pages of the Daily Telegraph, but curiously reluctant to discuss it in public. It remains to be seen whether or not this will change as the campaign goes on. Many observers will see this as a weakness, although arguably micro-policy is overrated in a leadership election, which is a test of character. (I remember thinking Yvette Cooper’s campaign was doomed in 2015 when I heard her mulling over whether to accept some minor benefit policy proposal, or whether just to “offer a review”, at an event where what was needed was big picture vision.) | On policy, he has almost nothing to say at all. In fact, even Rory Stewart’s new age sermon last night probably contained more in in the way of specific commitments. Johnson seems quite happy to make policy through the pages of the Daily Telegraph, but curiously reluctant to discuss it in public. It remains to be seen whether or not this will change as the campaign goes on. Many observers will see this as a weakness, although arguably micro-policy is overrated in a leadership election, which is a test of character. (I remember thinking Yvette Cooper’s campaign was doomed in 2015 when I heard her mulling over whether to accept some minor benefit policy proposal, or whether just to “offer a review”, at an event where what was needed was big picture vision.) |
| Johnson got through the questions without major mishap, although at times his evasiveness was particularly transparent. Faced with a question about his cocaine use (and there are legitimate questions about why this issue is damaging Michael Gove more than Johnson), he just waffled. And he got even more circumlocutory when my colleague Heather Stewart asked if he would resign if he could not deliver Brexit by 31 October. His newfound friends in the ERG will have noted he did not say yes. | Johnson got through the questions without major mishap, although at times his evasiveness was particularly transparent. Faced with a question about his cocaine use (and there are legitimate questions about why this issue is damaging Michael Gove more than Johnson), he just waffled. And he got even more circumlocutory when my colleague Heather Stewart asked if he would resign if he could not deliver Brexit by 31 October. His newfound friends in the ERG will have noted he did not say yes. |
| Johnson was no better than any of the other candidates have been (with the exceptions of Stewart and Mark Harper, who have been a bit more candid) when it came to explaining how he would deliver Brexit. His account of how the vote to leave was partly a protest vote from people who felt ignored by Westminster sounded just like Theresa May circa autumn 2016. At one point, in his waffly answer to Heather, Johnson even started sounding like a pro-European. But the most revealing thing was when he said he was looking forward to the moment when Brexit was no longer a headline issue. (See 11.18am.) Given how badly it has all gone, it is no surprise that one of the key architects of this crisis is keen to talk about something else. | Johnson was no better than any of the other candidates have been (with the exceptions of Stewart and Mark Harper, who have been a bit more candid) when it came to explaining how he would deliver Brexit. His account of how the vote to leave was partly a protest vote from people who felt ignored by Westminster sounded just like Theresa May circa autumn 2016. At one point, in his waffly answer to Heather, Johnson even started sounding like a pro-European. But the most revealing thing was when he said he was looking forward to the moment when Brexit was no longer a headline issue. (See 11.18am.) Given how badly it has all gone, it is no surprise that one of the key architects of this crisis is keen to talk about something else. |
| The press conference is now over. There were plenty of other journalists wanting to answer questions, but Boris Johnson would not take them. | The press conference is now over. There were plenty of other journalists wanting to answer questions, but Boris Johnson would not take them. |
| PMQs starts in 10 minutes. I almost always cover PMQs live, but for the next half an hour or so I will focus instead on unpacking the Johnson launch, with a summary, analysis and reaction. | PMQs starts in 10 minutes. I almost always cover PMQs live, but for the next half an hour or so I will focus instead on unpacking the Johnson launch, with a summary, analysis and reaction. |
| I will pick up highlights from PMQs later. | I will pick up highlights from PMQs later. |
| Q: [From my colleague Heather Stewart] You have promised to leave the EU on 31 October with or without a deal. Will you commit to resign if you fail to meet that deadline? | Q: [From my colleague Heather Stewart] You have promised to leave the EU on 31 October with or without a deal. Will you commit to resign if you fail to meet that deadline? |
| Johnson says he understands why MPs are trying today to block a no-deal Brexit. | Johnson says he understands why MPs are trying today to block a no-deal Brexit. |
| But there is a real existential threat to the government if it does not get this done. | But there is a real existential threat to the government if it does not get this done. |
| It will be very difficult for MPs if they fail to deliver Brexit. | It will be very difficult for MPs if they fail to deliver Brexit. |
| It was right to have a referendum. The people delivered a clear answer. | It was right to have a referendum. The people delivered a clear answer. |
| If MPs block it, they will “reap the whirlwind’. | If MPs block it, they will “reap the whirlwind’. |
| He says he is just saying to colleagues, let’s get this done. | He says he is just saying to colleagues, let’s get this done. |
| He says he is not going to pretend it will be “plain sailing”. | He says he is not going to pretend it will be “plain sailing”. |
| His team will work flat out. He thinks he will get the result he needs. | His team will work flat out. He thinks he will get the result he needs. |
| If there has been one failing, it is that the UK has not made enough of the future partnership with the EU. | If there has been one failing, it is that the UK has not made enough of the future partnership with the EU. |
| Not enough has been done to promote “a new Europeanism, and a new Conservative sense of Europeanism”. | Not enough has been done to promote “a new Europeanism, and a new Conservative sense of Europeanism”. |
| He says some bilateral relationships have declined. Language teaching has declined. | He says some bilateral relationships have declined. Language teaching has declined. |
| It is time to intensify those partnerships, he says. | It is time to intensify those partnerships, he says. |
| Johnson refuses to commit to resigning if UK still in EU after October. | Johnson refuses to commit to resigning if UK still in EU after October. |
| Q: [From the Financial Times’ George Parker] You famously said “f- business”. What do you say to FT readers worried about this? And why did you say it? | Q: [From the Financial Times’ George Parker] You famously said “f- business”. What do you say to FT readers worried about this? And why did you say it? |
| Johnson says he loves the FT. He has the app, and reads it every day. He says he thought the anti-banking stance taken by some after the crash was “disastrous”. And not everyone in financial services is wealthy. | Johnson says he loves the FT. He has the app, and reads it every day. He says he thought the anti-banking stance taken by some after the crash was “disastrous”. And not everyone in financial services is wealthy. |
| As mayor, he had to sell the UK abroad. | As mayor, he had to sell the UK abroad. |
| If he is PM, there will be no more committed salesperson for the UK. | If he is PM, there will be no more committed salesperson for the UK. |
| Q: Can we sort out this drugs question. You told GQ you had taken cocaine as a student. Were you telling the truth? | Q: Can we sort out this drugs question. You told GQ you had taken cocaine as a student. Were you telling the truth? |
| Johnson says he was 19 at the time. The “canonical account” of this has appeared many times. He says he is focusing on his vision for the future. | Johnson says he was 19 at the time. The “canonical account” of this has appeared many times. He says he is focusing on his vision for the future. |
| He says he does not want to be blown off track. Let’s focus on what Conservatism is, and what it can do. | He says he does not want to be blown off track. Let’s focus on what Conservatism is, and what it can do. |
| And they also want a leader who can fight off Jeremy Corbyn, and the Brexit party. | And they also want a leader who can fight off Jeremy Corbyn, and the Brexit party. |
| Johnson refuses to confirm whether he took cocaine as a student. | Johnson refuses to confirm whether he took cocaine as a student. |
| Q: Have you done anything illegal? And do you regret any of the mistakes that you have made? Would you change as PM? | Q: Have you done anything illegal? And do you regret any of the mistakes that you have made? Would you change as PM? |
| Johnson says he cannot swear that he has always observed the 70mph speed limit. | Johnson says he cannot swear that he has always observed the 70mph speed limit. |
| But is he someone who does what he promises to do as a politician? And the answer is yes. | But is he someone who does what he promises to do as a politician? And the answer is yes. |
| We said we would do X. And we did X plus 10. | We said we would do X. And we did X plus 10. |
| He says knife crime was a big problem when he became mayor. He had to take tough decisions. He says Kit Malthouse and James Cleverly, two MPs now backing him who worked for him as mayor, took tough decisions. | He says knife crime was a big problem when he became mayor. He had to take tough decisions. He says Kit Malthouse and James Cleverly, two MPs now backing him who worked for him as mayor, took tough decisions. |
| He says stop and search was successful. There is nothing kinder you can do than take a knife off a young person, he says. | He says stop and search was successful. There is nothing kinder you can do than take a knife off a young person, he says. |
| He says there was a 32% reduction in serious youth violence when he was mayor. | He says there was a 32% reduction in serious youth violence when he was mayor. |
| He says politicians should get behind the police, and support them properly. | He says politicians should get behind the police, and support them properly. |
| Q: Many of you colleagues worry about your character .. | Q: Many of you colleagues worry about your character .. |
| My parrot | My parrot |
| Q: Your character. Alistair Burt said you brought shame on this country when you described Muslim women as pillar boxes. People who have worked with you do not think you are fit to be PM. | Q: Your character. Alistair Burt said you brought shame on this country when you described Muslim women as pillar boxes. People who have worked with you do not think you are fit to be PM. |
| Johnson says some of his colleagues do back him. | Johnson says some of his colleagues do back him. |
| But he wants to address the point. Sometimes “plaster comes off the ceiling” when he says things. But people feel alienated from politicians because they think they are “muffling and veiling” their language. | But he wants to address the point. Sometimes “plaster comes off the ceiling” when he says things. But people feel alienated from politicians because they think they are “muffling and veiling” their language. |
| If he causes offence, he is sorry for that. But he will continue to speak as directly as he can. | If he causes offence, he is sorry for that. But he will continue to speak as directly as he can. |
| Johnson says he will take six questions. | Johnson says he will take six questions. |
| Q: You said Brexit would be easy, and it wasn’t. You have a reputation for making mistakes. You are telling leavers one thing and remainers another. Can the country trust you? | Q: You said Brexit would be easy, and it wasn’t. You have a reputation for making mistakes. You are telling leavers one thing and remainers another. Can the country trust you? |
| Yes, says Johnson. | Yes, says Johnson. |
| He rejects the claim that he is inconsistent on Brexit. | He rejects the claim that he is inconsistent on Brexit. |
| He does not want no-deal, but he wants to prepare for no-deal. The best way to avoid no-deal is to make the preparations now for it, he say. | He does not want no-deal, but he wants to prepare for no-deal. The best way to avoid no-deal is to make the preparations now for it, he say. |
| He says this is the way to get a deal. | He says this is the way to get a deal. |
| He says the team he is building will “hit the ground running”. | He says the team he is building will “hit the ground running”. |
| They will engage with the EU in the “friendliest possible way”. And he says he thinks they will respond in a symmetric way. | They will engage with the EU in the “friendliest possible way”. And he says he thinks they will respond in a symmetric way. |
| Johnson says he knows the Labour London left. | Johnson says he knows the Labour London left. |
| He knows their obsessions. | He knows their obsessions. |
| Jeremy Corbyn is far to the left of Ken Livingstone (who Johnson beat twice in London mayoral elections), Johnson says. | Jeremy Corbyn is far to the left of Ken Livingstone (who Johnson beat twice in London mayoral elections), Johnson says. |
| He says Corbyn is a fundamental threat to our values and our way of life. | He says Corbyn is a fundamental threat to our values and our way of life. |
| Johnson claims he has campaigned in almost every seat in the country. | Johnson claims he has campaigned in almost every seat in the country. |
| He will do anything he can to stop the government of the UK passing into the hands of Labour, who have disdain for wealth creation and who would compromise the government’s ability to fund the NHS. | He will do anything he can to stop the government of the UK passing into the hands of Labour, who have disdain for wealth creation and who would compromise the government’s ability to fund the NHS. |
| He says he last defeated this sort of leftwinger when the Tories were 17-points behind in London. | He says he last defeated this sort of leftwinger when the Tories were 17-points behind in London. |
| This is the opening salvo in a battle to protect the country, he says. | This is the opening salvo in a battle to protect the country, he says. |
| Johnson says he has seen the UK’s partners want it to recover its self-belief. | Johnson says he has seen the UK’s partners want it to recover its self-belief. |
| He says he does not underestimate the challenges lying ahead. | He says he does not underestimate the challenges lying ahead. |
| But he has real experience managing short-term difficulties on the road to long-term success. | But he has real experience managing short-term difficulties on the road to long-term success. |
| He took London through riots and strikes, and he oversaw the Olympics. | He took London through riots and strikes, and he oversaw the Olympics. |
| He shrank the opportunity gap. | He shrank the opportunity gap. |
| And he wants to do for the whole country what he did for London. | And he wants to do for the whole country what he did for London. |
| In everything he does he will seek to strengthen the union - this “awesome foursome” that makes the UK a “softpower superpower”, Johnson says. | In everything he does he will seek to strengthen the union - this “awesome foursome” that makes the UK a “softpower superpower”, Johnson says. |
| Johnson says he cut crime. That helped the poorest families, because they suffer disproportionately from crime, he says. | Johnson says he cut crime. That helped the poorest families, because they suffer disproportionately from crime, he says. |
| And he was able to do this while championing wealth creators. At one point he was the only person in the country speaking up for the financial sector, he says. | And he was able to do this while championing wealth creators. At one point he was the only person in the country speaking up for the financial sector, he says. |
| He says he wants a “sizzling synergy” that can promote growth. | He says he wants a “sizzling synergy” that can promote growth. |
| He says he wants no town, no community, and no person left behind. | He says he wants no town, no community, and no person left behind. |