Boris Johnson's career as Bojo the Clown is far from over, it would appear – Scotsman comment

With ‘Boris Johnson’ lending itself to the portmanteau nickname Bojo, many critics have delighted in comparing the Prime Minister to a clown.

Boris Johnson is 'not a complete clown' (Picture: Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

However, after a clear-out of Downing Street aides, one of the first acts of his new director of communications, Guto Harri, was to stress that he would be part of a “capable, grown-up, professional and pragmatic” team.

In other words, not one remotely in need of a children's entertainer. If Bojo had been the life and soul of the lockdown-breaking Downing Street parties, those days were over.

One imagines a sad, recently chastised clown, large comedy feet thwacking noisily as he shuffles down the corridors of power on the way to a changing room and a sombre, grey suit, chosen especially by the stern Harri to symbolise the all-new, business-like ethos at the heart of government.

It was, therefore, a bit of a surprise to discover that Harri, speaking to Welsh-language website Golwg.360, had revealed how they had sung the Gloria Gaynor anthem “I Will Survive” to each other when they first met after his appointment.

“I asked 'Are you going to survive Boris?' He said, in his deep voice, slowly and purposefully, starting to sing a little while finishing the sentence, ‘I Will Survive'. Inevitably he invited me to say 'You've got all your life to live' and he replied, 'I've got all my love to give,’” Harri said, adding that there was a “lot of laughing” before they got down to the “serious” business.

“He’s not a complete clown,” Harri stressed. Oh, okay then, so just a bit of one? Seems like Bojo is still in business after all.

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