(no subject)

[tree_and_leaf]

Credit where it's due: Boris Johnson says something genuinely brave and maverick about immigration (as opposed to what most politicians of whatever party say when they say they're being maverick, i.e. "My dog whistle, let me show you it.")

Well done Boris. I'm impressed.

Comments

[overconvergent.livejournal.com]

It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.

I would agree with you and think that it is genuinely brave for him to say that.

[tree_and_leaf]

Yes, he just went up an awful lot in my estimation.

[overconvergent.livejournal.com]

I guess the corollary would be that it wouldn't be especially brave for you or I to say that; bravery for us would be to say that all immigrants should be rounded up and sent back (courage is not always a virtue).

[tree_and_leaf]

Ish. It would be still quite brave if you were, say, a Labour front bencher, and had to be worried about what the Sun and the Daily Mail are liable to say.

But certainly it was also his willingness to consider what is a very off beat view in his circles which impressed me.

[snorkackcatcher]

It was a very positive thing from him, yes. Good show, Boris old chap. On the other hand, it's hard not to be depressed by the behaviour of Phil Woolas as described in that article. I remember that name -- as I recall, he was a National Union of Students President back in the Thatcherite era, when being strongly left-wing was pretty much a precondition to be NUS President. If the young Woolas had seen his modern counterpart he'd probably have thrown rotten eggs at him.

[tree_and_leaf]

Yes, I don't know what's happened to some of the current crop of Labour people (I've read similar things about Woolas elsewhere, and it is indeed very depressing.)