Posted on 07/31/2019 8:35:02 AM PDT by Ennis85
I will admit up front that I do not follow British politics particularly closely and that most of my friends who do were backing Boris Johnson for the leadership of the United Kingdom’s Tory party. He is, apparently, a conservative of sorts, although when anyone who is actually conservative presses his supporters on his specific credentials, I find they tend to mumble quite a bit. Unsurprisingly, the Mail on Sunday’s Burkean columnist Peter Hitchens is decidedly unimpressed with the new prime minister, who is now safely ensconced at 10 Downing Street.
Regardless of whether or not Johnson is a British-style Trumpian figure (the U.S. president now being the only point of reference the media seem capable of employing these days), his record on social issues is decidedly awful. He has been a staunch advocate of the LGBT movement for years, writing in 2012 that he was in favor of same-sex “marriage” and noting that he simply “can’t see what the fuss is about.” Further to that, he added, “[Marriage] may well be beloved by God, but no religion has ever had a monopoly on marriage.” In his recent role as foreign secretary, he went so far as to lift a ban on British embassies flying the rainbow flag, the banner of a sexually revolutionary movement.
Perhaps Johnson’s lackadaisical approach to the question of how his nation defined marriage was born out of his decidedly relaxed approach to the confines of his own. In 2004, he was fired by Tory leader Michael Howard from his dual roles as Conservative Party vice chairman and shadow arts minister for consistently deceiving pretty much everybody about an affair (one in a string of affairs that led to Johnson’s refusal to state for the record how many children he has). His first marriage, to socialite Allegra Mostyn-Owen, lasted only a year, and his affair with Petronella Wyatt came while he was married to his second wife, with whom he has four children.
The reason this affair is significant is because as it turns out, Johnson allegedly paid for Wyatt to get an abortion after she became pregnant. The child was unplanned and was aborted in October of 2004. The Sunday Times broke the story a month later, with Wyatt’s mother, Lady Verushka Wyatt, disclosing the abortion as well as the fact that Johnson had apparently promised to marry her daughter (who worked for The Spectator, where Johnson served as a columnist). Johnson’s compulsive deceit in the face of these allegations effectively killed his political career at the time. Fifteen years later, he’s made quite the comeback.
Johnson’s history with abortion may end up being politically significant, especially in regard to the case of Northern Ireland, which will be forced to legalize abortion by Westminster later this fall unless its own warring political factions manage to form government. Johnson’s voting record shows that he has thus far stood solidly with the abortion activists: he has abstained from all votes that would restrict abortion (which is legal in the United Kingdom up until 24 weeks). With the fact that one of his own children was aborted (a child who would now be a teenager) and that he most likely paid for it having been such public news, Johnson will probably be reluctant to take an even moderately pro-life position at any point.
Johnson’s supporters will point to the fact that he named the rock-ribbed pro-life conservative Jacob Rees-Mogg as the leader of the House of Commons, and that is certainly a positive development. But those currently expressing their excitement about Johnson’s rise to power should temper their enthusiasm: while Johnson may deliver on Brexit (and who knows?), it appears that he is another one of those Tories who likes to utilize red-meat rhetoric that sounds traditionalist but has worked as hard as any progressive to dismantle the socially conservative institutions and consensus that once made Great Britain great.
Trump’s background was hardly pro life either - he had been a serial womanizer who openly supported abortion and yet his policies as President haven’t been bad.
The only thing that matters is what Boris Johnson will do for US-UK relations, what he does in his country doesn’t matter nearly as much to Americans.
Perhaps he isn’t the ideal for many, but he’s far better than what they’ve had, so I say quit yer bitchin’. Single issue isn’t a winner.
Trump has been settled down for awhile and has good relationship with all his children, whereas Boris is still with a mistress and not divorced from his wife. Trump indicates evolving views on abortion and campaigned in the pro-life mantle. Boris has insulted Trump publicly and repeatedly.
A pro life pol in GB has 0 chance of becoming PM.
It’s not just the original poster who has doubts but Nigel Farage and the true Brexiters also.
Nigel Farage has his doubts about Boris Johnson as well.
Boris has one job. Just one.
British conservatism is to conservatism as British cuisine is to cuisine.
Boris Johnson is perhaps the British imitation of Donald Trump, some similarities do exist, hair for one, but Boris is neither stable nor is he a genius -or anywhere near those two traits
He’s good for brexit. Anything beyond that is dubious. He wants carbon neuteral by 2050 for example.
My apologies as I should have made clear my return post (comment) was not intended to be directed at the O.P. personally. It was to state my belief Johnson is far better than what they’ve had in the past relative to leadership, and the single issue crowd should back off, and let the guy clean up one BIG mess those before him have made.
Mega dittoes. I am shocked at how much he has changed since his first run. Actually loving it. When people change, they change their whole heart.
Saul into Paul.... anyone can be saved and used mightily.
At this point, so what? He will improve US relations and do what the people of Britain elected their government to do for once.
The social policies of the PM in the UK are of no concern to me. The UK could not handle a pro-life PM anyway, so this is not even news.
In the minds of many - he’s been chosen to make Brexit happen and address immigration. End of story.
...no such thing as a perfect candidate.
BoJo has flipped on immigration & is going to let in more hordes of Muslims.
Britain is done. America should not wind up fettered to a corpse.
Doesn’t have much in common with President Trump other than being born in New York City. Otherwise basically a career politician.
Hi lovely lady.
What say your relatives in the foreign ministry?
5.56mm
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