Educationally sound, and definitely not bland…

For morbid personal reasons that don’t need airing in this delightful haunt, Boriswatch has dragged its hind quarters in the last couple of weeks. So without further ado, let us fill you in.
The news that Boris is eagerly gunning for the rector post at the University of Edinburgh has picked up steam in the media this week. Boriswatch notes that the news handily complements his new Higher Educational role in the Tory ranks (see the new Education forum on his official site). In fact, several Boriswatch readers (presumably scottish ones?!) emailed in with news, so thank you “Anon”, “JamesP” and “The Saxmachine”! Predictably, Boris has already secured more than 275 signatures on his nomination paper – and, as the Guardian notes, “just 40 are needed in order to stand.”
In an article on boring MPs, “The bland leading the blind” (Ed note: Shouldn’t that be “the blond leading the bland”?), Libby Purves mourns the lack of personality in parliament nowadays. “Take Boris Johnson,” she says – an idea which many female Boriswatchers would gladly take up – “He is incomparably the most intelligent, well-read and energetic of younger Conservative MPs; his columns breathe great humanity and good sense; he is courageous and has a decent integrity… but could never have been leader of his party.” A statement that goes against the grain of Boriswatch, let me tell you. But Libby goes on to explain, “[The] secret is to stay bland. The thing which really sinks a serious British political career is rampant, undisguised character.”
And that’s the problem – the Big Brother paradox, as we like to call it. The most interesting, likeable characters rarely win the day. But we at Boriswatch are never defeatist. If anyone can buck the trend, let it be Boris!