‘Nations stumble upon establishments, which are indeed the result of human action,
but not the execution of any human design.’
Adam Ferguson, An Essay on the History of Civil Society (1767)

18 June 2019

On the Record | Is BoJo the Man for Brexit?

Please see my latest wire as Brexit diarist for The New York Sun, ‘Is BoJo the Man for Brexit?’:

Barring phenomenal bad luck on his part, Boris Johnson is the Conservative MP most likely to succeed as party leader and British prime minister. He is the favorite MP of declared parliamentary colleagues who will choose two leadership candidates to put before the membership. And among Conservative rank-and-file, BoJo is far and away their favorite Tory in Parliament.

A few short months ago, most Brexiteers would swoon at the prospect. During the 2016 referendum, BoJo was the most colorful proponent for British independence from the European Union. When “Remain” premier David Cameron resigned after the decisive vote to leave, expectations were dashed when Mr. Johnson decided not to “climb the greasy pole” to the top job.

Instead, Britain got Theresa May and the rest is a sad litany of Brexit betrayal, mendacious mandarins, and pitiful parliamentary posturing. Now it is Mrs. May’s time to leave 10 Downing street. Mr. Johnson will not let it pass him by again. As Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen puts it, “The only person who could stop Boris would be Boris.”

Therein lies the rub. Is Mr. Johnson the leader to make Britain’s independence from the European Union a reality, fulfilling the long-term promise of Brexit?

Read more . . .

Remarks are welcome on DMI’s Facebook page.

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My thanks to editor Seth Lipsky of The New York Sun.