In an impassioned recounting of her brother Boris’ tenure as prime minister, Rachel Johnson defended him and praised his “drive, brilliance, and enthusiasm” as he set out to fulfil his “childhood aim” of becoming “global king.”
The LBC host discussed how the PM ultimately admitted he had run out of alternatives last Thursday after ministers and MPs compelled Mr. Johnson to announce his departure.
However, not everyone was moved by her passionate defense of his performance in Number 10, with one tweeter suggesting that the “delusional” presenter “should continue to do her grieving at home.”
After Russia invaded Ukraine, she praised her brother for “defining the west’s direction” and “guiding the country through the Covid epidemic” while “conveying his own belief of what it is to be British.”
Her passionate response comes this week as the race to succeed Mr. Johnson as Tory leader — and ultimately as prime minister — begins in earnest.
Following the declaration of 11 candidates, including the former chancellor Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid, and Priti Patel’s serious consideration of joining them to make it a dozen, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss entered the fray today.
Mrs Johnson, 56, described the ‘rise and fall’ of her brother who ‘almost achieved’ the ambition he has kept since he was two: to be ‘world king’.
She said: ‘I haven’t deliberately been listening to much of the vindictiveness, the dancing on the grave, the spitting on the grave and I’m not listening to those who have made a good listening out of Boris bashing. I’m not here to praise him and I’m not here to bury him – just to say a few simple things from the heart like his sister.
‘Let me tell you a story as Rishi’s slick promotional video started, lets say the rise and fall of Boris in a way that a small child might understand.
‘Once upon a time there was a little boy who dreamt of becoming world king, he first said that when he was two, and actually almost achieved his ambition.
‘He wasn’t rich in wealth, his privilege was in his education, his intelligence, his drive, his energy, and he set about achieving his childhood ambitions, including writing a number one bestseller, which he did with his book: The Churchill Factor: How One Man Made History.
She made reference to Partygate and how Mr. Johnson will celebrate his 56th birthday in June 2020 in the cabinet room with a modest gathering and cake.
Many of his friends and foes disagreed with the journalist’s assertion that he shouldn’t have celebrated his birthday with cake at home, where he also worked.
Many of his critics didn’t think he should say goodbye to his devoted coworkers there because it was also his home.
On LBC, Mrs. Johnson continued, “He had a large family and liked ladies very much. He gave the Conservatives a huge 80-seat majority and a fourth general election triumph.
‘Like it or not, many of those 14 million votes were cast as he was captain of the ship, he was Prime Minister during both COP26 last year in Glasgow and the G7 summit in Cornwall.
‘He steered the country through the pandemic and set the west’s course on the war in Ukraine and he also conveyed his own belief that to be born British or become British as we Johnson’s did in the early part of the last century, was to win first prize in the lottery of life.
‘Many of his frenemies and many others think he shouldn’t have given a bad boy called Chris Pincher a second chance in the whips office or even any chance – and they are entitled to those views as I am to mine.’
Mr Johnson resigned after more than 50 members of Parliament resigned from his government including several of his most loyal Cabinet ministers, and the newly appointed Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi who publicly called on Mr Johnson to go.
Who knew we had so many ministers and trade envoys on staff, the host joked? How on earth did they all find employment, and what did they all do?
They believed he was too big for his boots and that Boris was the center of attention, and once again, they are free to hold that opinion.
The last several years have been all about one person, therefore I don’t blame some former press secretaries and cabinet ministers for having Boris derangement syndrome.
‘They weren’t angry about the necessary bankrupting of economy during Covid, money our children and grandchildren will pay for until they die. They weren’t angry about Covid restrictions. But they were angry about the alleged groping of Mr Pincher at a private club in London and the Rwanda asylum policy.
‘But whether that’s a fairytale or not – isn’t that how you’d explain it to your children?