Just Boris: The Irresistible Rise of a Political Celebrity

669 Pages·2012·2.58 MB·English

by  Sonia Purnell

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To the memory of my father
David Purnell, 1918–2010
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Contents
Title Page
Dedication
Acknowledgements
Introduction
1. ‘Peter Pan and Wendy’: Childhood, 1964–1977
2. ‘Hey, Hey, ABJ’: Eton, 1977–1982
3. Toffs, Tugs and Stains: Oxford, 1983–1987
4. World on Speed Dial: Starting Work, 1987–1989
5. I Fought Delors … and I Won: Brussels, 1989–1994
6. M’learned Wife: Islington Life, 1994–2008
7. Untouchable: Boris the Celebrity, 1994–1999
8. ‘Sack me!’: The Spectator, 1999–2005
9. On Yer Bike!: MP, 2001–2004
10. ‘Busting with spunk’: The Sextator, 1999–2005
11. ‘Cynical self-interest’, 2005–2007
12. Too Funny to be Mayor?, 2007–2008
13. Sense of Wonderment: First Days at City Hall, 2008
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14. The Politics of Power: The Mayoralty, 2008–2011
Epilogue
Sources
Notes
Index
Copyright
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Acknowledgements
To all those listed in the interviewee and contributor
section at the end of this book, I offer my sincere thanks.
To those who prefer to remain anonymous for
understandable reasons, I am also very grateful for your
invaluable contribution. Only with the co-operation of a
multitude of people from all walks of life was this book
possible. So many of you also made it an enjoyable
exercise.
There were others who ensured the book jumped many
hurdles, and without whose assistance, guidance, good
humour, encouragement and support Just Boris would still
be only an idea. The story starts with Francis Elliott,
Robert and Rebecca Bomford, and continues with major
roles played by my superbly determined agent Heather
Holden Brown and wonderfully wise editor at Aurum,
Sam Harrison. Jane Donovan copy-edited with immense
rigour and added greatly to my efforts in the process,
while Mark Swan came up with a striking and smart
concept for the cover. Rob Dinsdale of HHB and Graham
Coster, Barbara Phelan, Liz Somers and Melissa Smith of
Aurum have all also contributed a great deal.
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Thanks must also go to my mother Jean for putting me up
and putting up with me while I did much of the writing;
my niece Charlotte Lang, who helped with research early
on, and Edward Randell, who did the same later (for both
of whom great futures surely beckon); I am indebted to
them both.
Many friends gave me much-needed support and
encouragement, and I am grateful to all of them. Special
mention must go, however,
to Marcus Scriven, Alison Ramsey, Horace McDonald,
Andy Corrigan, Jane Dyball, Ali Walsh, Alison Squire,
Linda Valentine, Sue Purnell, Zeb Dare and Tanya
Hughes. Mira Bar Hillel, Geoff Meade, George Jones,
Mark Law, Gaby Hinsliff and many of the staff, past and
present, of the Evening Standard were also generous with
their time and thoughts. Heartfelt thanks also go to
Michael Crick for his unparalleled feel for the political
universe and the people who travel in it, as well as his
sagacious advice on the art of biography-writing. Tom
Fairbrother of Oxford University is without match in his
infectious enthusiasm for spotting intriguing political
connections and coincidences, and I am flattered by his
unwavering interest and support. Paul Goodman shared
many of his unusually astute observations with me. I was
also the last person to interview the late, great Anthony
Howard before he died – it was a privilege and I feel a
real sadness that there will be no more such conversations.
Many great names from journalism have lent their
knowledge, expertise and insight to this book without
wanting to be named. I am touched by how freely they
gave their time and how figures from both domestic and
EU politics have also been so generous. Many people
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close to the Johnson and Wheeler families too have been
hugely forthcoming while wishing to remain anonymous.
Nor would this book be possible without help of all sorts
from Guto Harri, Boris’s communications chief, Penny
Hatfield, the archivist at Eton, the staff at the Oxford
Union, Edda Tasiemka and her team at the Tasiemka
Library, Charles Grant at the Centre for European
Reform, Catherine Temma, Lesley Smith, Lloyd Evans,
Frances Goodhart and James Hanning. I am also grateful
to Sir John Major for his swift and friendly replies to my
questions and substantial contributions from Nick Boles
MP and Stuart Reid. My thanks too to Lord Howard, who
proved such excellent company, Dan Colson for a very
entertaining lunch and Jasper Griffin for an inspiring one.
There are so many others who helped with leads,
thoughts, messages of encouragement, introductions and
hot meals, not to mention emergency childcare; that very
much includes Lewis.
But I must reserve the biggest thanks for those who have
endured my frequent and sustained absences and my
devotion to the book,
almost always at their expense. They have never once
complained. Book-writing is by nature a selfish business
and I consequently owe more than I can say to my family,
Jon, Laurie and Joey, for their patience, understanding
and love.
London
July 2011
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‘In our private business we are not suspicious of one
another, nor angry with our neighbour if he does what he
likes; we do not put on sour looks at him which, though
harmless, are not pleasant. While we are thus
unconstrained in our private business, a spirit of reverence
pervades our public acts; we are prevented from doing
wrong by respect for the authorities and for the laws,
having a particular regard to those which are ordained for
the protection of the injured as well as those unwritten
laws which bring upon the transgressor of them the
reprobation of the general sentiment.’
Pericles
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Introduction
Just Boris – the only politician known so readily by his
first name. Except, of course, it isn’t his first name (which
is Alexander) and his family, including his wife Marina,
call him Al. Two generations back, the family name was
different, too – not Johnson, but Kemal. Boris, the
archetypal upper-class English eccentric, is actually
descended down the male line from blond-haired Turks.
We may feel we know the public Boris, but so much
about this multi-layered character is not quite as it seems.
Even his trademark hair owes more to nurture then nature.
When presented with the Brylcreem Best Celebrity
Hairstyle prize in 2008, he couldn’t help but boast: ‘It’s
impossible to imitate, as it is a product of random and
competing forces of nature!’ His famous dishevelled look
is actually, however, the product of a brisk, artful
re-arrangement with his fingers (just before the cameras
roll) rather than any naturally occurring disorder.
Call him Boris (his second name) or Al, much is known
but little truly understood about this highly evasive figure.
He is notoriously difficult to read, harder still to predict,
yet beloved by millions and recognised by all. Through
sheer force of personality and sleight of hand, Boris is
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