Boris Talks to Kirsty

Boris really is back on form. Late last night, when I’d finally found BBC4 on NTL’s highly illogical channel numbering system, I happened on Boris in full flow to the anodine Kirsty Wark. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen Boris interviewed like this before – where the only input is solely by him, and where the focus of the programme is solely about him. But there’s no doubt that Brand Boris is evolving – from the entertaining character we know and love to the more serious politician and social commentator with his own views to convey. He promoted the Tory cause to the hilt, but when pressed it was clear he wasn’t going to toe the party line if he disagreed with it. Either it’s a show of defiance, or an inkling of what we would get if Boris was in charge.
After several hardhitting questions, fended off in typically rambunctious fashion, the last few minutes were devoted to the question of Boris’s ascension to leader of the party. He must have been expecting the question, but he pondered awhile, saying that he’s “never had a plan”, before coming out with his most obscure but ingenious response to date. “It’s a bit like building an Early Learning Centre climbing frame. Have you ever built an Early Learning Centre climbing frame, Kirsty?” You could imagine the blank look of Kirsty’s face. “If you ever build one, you’ll find that if you think about it too much, it all goes wrong. When you call the Early Learning Centre climbing frame suicide line, they tell you to just keeping going and not think about it too much. I found that advice very useful.”