James O'Brien: Boris Johnson is the Shaggy of British politics
6 August 2021, 14:03
James O'Brien: Boris Johnson is the Shaggy of British politics
This is the moment James O'Brien called Boris Johnson the "Shaggy of British politics".
James made the remark while reacting to Boris Johnson claiming Margaret Thatcher had given the UK a "big early start" in the fight against climate change when she axed coal mines across the country during her time as Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister said: "Look at what we've done already. We've transitioned away from coal in my lifetime.
"Thanks to Margaret Thatcher, who closed so many coal mines across the country, we had a big early start and we're now moving rapidly away from coal altogether."
James called Mr Johnson's remarks "factually nonsensical" and said he doesn't think there's a retrospective environmental justification for the closure of the coal mines.
Reflecting on the Prime Minister's comments, James also said: "What it reminds me of is this astonishing ability [Boris] Johnson has demonstrated to disassociate himself from his own party in government.
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"So...despite obviously being a huge part of the machine and being Mayor of London throughout the austerity years, he doesn't get tarred with the brush of the David Cameron government.
"More incredibly, he has managed to waltz into Downing Street somehow utterly independent of the Theresa May government in which he was for a while Foreign Secretary."
He also said: "But I hadn't really realised that the Red Wall story demonstrates he has also managed to unhitch himself Margaret Thatcher and John Major.
"He's the Shaggy of British politics, isn't he? 'It wasn't me' at every turn."
