Boris Johnson is a ‘tour de force’ if not a model citizen

Boris Johnson is headed out as British prime minister and for now nobody knows who’s coming in (“Bloodied Boris finally breaks”, 8/7). That there is no obvious successor suggests there is a dearth of talent in the ranks; that Johnson is a bon vivant among meat and spuds, a tour de force amid a pack of drones.

It wasn’t enough for them that he breached the Labour “red wall” in 2019, that he has seen the country through the greatest crisis since World War II or that he kept his promise to deliver Britain from the EU. They wanted a model citizen as well and Johnson is not that person.

But when the dust settles he will form part of a triumvirate of post-war Conservative prime ministers who, by the force of their personalities, have left an indelible stamp on Britain. Churchill delivered it from the threat of tyranny, Thatcher from the yoke of socialism and Johnson from the bureaucratic morass of the EU.

Kim Keogh, East Fremantle, WA

I’ve lost track of time, but I think I’ve been watching the ABC’s non-stop coverage of Boris’s resignation for about three hours now and I’ve yet to see anyone say anything kind about Boris. There must surely be some people who think kind things about him, as I do.

Also, one frequently repeated news package on the ABC contains the line: “Boris Johnson’s eight-year run as Lord Mayor of London afforded him global notoriety.” Notoriety? As in “famous for some bad quality or deed”? I think not.

Two things I’m not clear on:

First, whether most of the people who objected to Partygate objected 1, because they think Downing Street should have resisted pressure from epidemiologists, virologists and others and let Britain party in similar situations (i.e. parties of young and healthy people, in which case Covid was unlikely to kill participants, and parties of Covid-free people who were disciplined when coming into contact with people outside the bubble), or 2, because they think the strict lockdown should have operated for everyone, absolutely everywhere, including for lone walkers on the Derbyshire moors irrespective of the cost to the economy and to people’s mental health.

I’m also not clear how serious Chris Pincher’s drunken gropes were and whether the criticisms of Boris shrugging Pincher’s misbehaviour off with “Pincher by name, Pincher by nature” come mostly from homophobes and Labour supporters.

Chris Oliver, Paddington, Qld

What a splendid word, petard, you use in describing a modern-day Shakespearean tragedy, Boris Johnson’s fall from prime ministerial grace (“Boris hoisted by petard of spin”, 8/7). Its definitional origin as a detonator used to breach impregnable fortifications aptly describes Johnson’s impact on British politics. Faced with an apparently impregnable establishment embrace of EU membership, he succeeded in the herculean task of “getting Brexit done”. Yet, as you say, behind a facade of brilliance lurked a hinterland of chaos in Johnson’s personal life.

John Kidd, Auchenflower, Qld

Michael Sexton provides food for thought on the real reasons for Boris Johnson’s demise as prime minister (“Boris Johnson's true crime: he delivered on Brexit”, 8/7). Johnson suffered the same fate as two other conservative leaders in the Western world in recent years.

Johnson delivered on Brexit, Donald Trump delivered on his promise to make the US energy-independent, and Scott Morrison steered Australia capably through the Covid pandemic.

Therein lies an effective strategy that left-wing leaders who thrive on populist appeal now know works well. The best way to bring down a conservative leader is to accuse him or her of being a garrulous populist and feed it to the media.

John Bell, Heidelberg Heights, Vic

Boris Johnson’s stewardship has ended in a circus but he should also be lauded for his achievements in politics; particularly his vision of the bigger picture for liberal democracies. I was in the UK during the 2019 election; UK Labour presented domestic and foreign policy scenarios from another planet.

Johnson barnstormed historically Labour constituencies in the north of England (where he was genuinely liked), won a massive majority for the Conservatives, delivered Brexit, led the Europeans in defending Ukraine and understood the Asia-Pacific challenges with his support for AUKUS.

Greg Sheridan’s assessment of Johnson that “his rise was as spectacular as his fall” (8/7) sums up his time in politics. Thank goodness for Boris though; the policies of the Marxist Corbynistas would have torched Western achievements and values on an unprecedented scale across the UK (and beyond). He helped to reset UK Labour to a more sensible middle ground through his achievements.

Glenn Marchant, Pascoe Vale, Vic

The UK prime minister did not lose his party’s support because of any establishment or media resentment over his campaign to leave the EU. His demise came about because the Conservatives could no longer endure the sight of his pants catching fire every time their leader opened his mouth.

David Salter, Hunters Hill, NSW