Andrew Marr: 'If speeches could move wind turbines we'd be leaders in green energy'
9 June 2022, 18:14 | Updated: 9 June 2022, 18:39
Andrew Marr dissects Boris Johnson's 'rather long' speech
If Boris Johnson's optimism in political speeches could move wind turbines, "we really would be a world leader in green energy", Andrew Marr has said.
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Opening LBC's Tonight with Andrew Marr, the presenter spoke of Mr Johnson's optimistic speech while in Blackpool on Thursday.
He said "being of good cheer" had become a "Johnson speciality", labelling him "Mr Chirpy" .
"Be of good cheer, said Boris Johnson to a journalist who'd asked him about the OECD report this week giving Britain a zero growth forecast for next year, and suggesting we'll be the worst-performing economy in the developed world," Andrew said.
"Being of good cheer is something of a Johnson speciality. I don't mean the knees-ups in No10. Not just, anyway.
"I mean his wider understanding of the turbo-charging political power of optimism.
"People just prefer to be cheered up.
"And trying to relaunch himself in Blackpool this afternoon after the revolt by four in every ten Tory MPs, Mr Chirpy's glass definitely wasn't half-empty."
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He continued: "Much of the rest of the speech covered the things all Tory leaders say when they're in a pickle - cut waste, cut taxes, build houses. At times he sounded a bit Thatchery.
"Often it seemed that he'd only been in office since elevenses and was starting an entirely new government, utterly unconnected to that disgraceful bounder, can't remember his name, who'd been hanging around Downing Street in recent months.
"On housing, though, there were bold ideas, mainly aimed at selling housing association properties off to tenants and helping poorer people buy their own homes."
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Andrew went on to say: "If political speechifying could move wind turbines then, under him, we really would be a world leader in green energy.
"But my job is to listen - whatever you did you probably had a more enjoyable afternoon than me - and then to take seriously what should be taken seriously."
