Johnson energises the Tories

A week ago, Boris Johnson’s former deputy in the Foreign Office Alan Duncan said that Tory MPs will never allow Johnson to lead the party: “It ain’t gonna fly. We don’t buy those sorts of phenomenon. He had enormous electoral appeal but sadly he’s spent it.”

Boris’ popularity among MPs may very well be in question, but judging by the 1,500 strong crowd at his speech this afternoon, he’s not as unpopular as Duncan may have us think. He was given a hero’s welcome of sorts.

This was a fringe event hosted by the website Conservative Home, but garnering crowds far greater than the official keynote speakers have over the past few days. The claim that Boris is finished looks increasingly dubious.

The speech was fine. Not unlike Corbyn’s last week, it had its moments and flashes of Boris’ statesmanlike potential came through. But he got bogged down in odd anecdotes and confusing examples creating a performance patchy in quality. There were two main points: housing and Chequers. The rest was bluster.

Looking typically dishevelled Boris kicked off with characteristic self-deprecating humour. He congratulated Chancellor Philip Hammond for his comments on Boris never becoming Prime Minister: “The first Treasury forecast in a long time to have a distinct ring of truth.” It got a deservedly big laugh, but no-one should be convinced Boris meant it.

Then for the theme of the speech. His biggest concerns are not the threat of terrorism, Putin, Juncker or global warming. Not even the “economic and political catastrophe” that would befall the UK under Corbyn. His biggest concern, he emphasised, is that after 200 years The Conservative party would “somehow lose confidence in its basic belief in freedom.” Freedom, he said, is what the Conservative party is all about. And, he added, the government should not then submit its institutions to foreign rule. Cue an almighty cheer from the hordes of fervent supporters.

On housing policy he shone. The Tories need to attract young voters to Conservatism. A successful housing policy is nothing short of “an open goal” for the party, he claimed. That is sure to have resonated with the young Tories populating the hall, but beyond that? It remains to be seen.

The speech hit a little bump in the road at this point, as Boris rattled through some of his achievements as London mayor, before embarking on a confusing anecdote about bus shelters in Las Vegas (does anyone know what that was about?). He engaged in some quick fire policy – bring back stop and search, more funding for the NHS – too.

I’m sure the irony was not lost on many when Boris “f*** business” Johnson then extolled the virtues of business, saying “instead of treating companies as they’re morally dubious, we should celebrate their success.” Nevertheless, it went down well.

Lastly, we come to the former foreign secretary’s sustained attack on the Chequers proposal, when he reached repeatedly for the charmingly alliterative soundbite “Chuck Chequers.”

His main thrust was that going with Chequers would embolden those calling for a second referendum. It is crucial, he roared, that we leave the EU on the right terms first time round: “If we get it right it can be win win for both sides of the channel… if we get it wrong people of this country will find it hard to forgive.” He added that a second referendum would be unspeakably damaging to “trust” in this country, says the man who championed the “£350m to the NHS” campaign bus in 2016, only to admit later that the number was a touch inaccurate, which it was.

After tearing Chequers to shreds with unsurprising rhetorical grace Boris jarringly rounded off with a call to support Theresa May and her Lancaster House vision.

“If we get it right this government will be remembered for having done something brave and right and remarkable and in accordance with the wishes of the people.”

Applause and a standing ovation followed. So we know Boris can win over a room full of Conservative Party members – but if this was a launch of a leadership bid there are many more in the country he needs to impress. It all felt more like an exercise in preaching to the choir than winning over the country.

There was a coherency to his vision, and he sure knows how to hold an audience. But Boris’ fatal flaw shined through once again. In the words of Alan Duncan just last week: “He doesn’t know if he’s a journalist or a politician — but he does know it’s all about him.”