Issue 151

"Do you mean am I just a bumbling baffoon?"

29th January 2007

"Do you mean am I just a bumbling baffoon? Am I incapacitating myself from performing a political function by my occasional public shuffles? Is that what you're asking?" It is a very crude interpretation of the original question but arguably the point remains the same. Love him or loathe him, Boris Johnson has a strong cult following amongst the student community.

Even if you disagree with his politics, the image of Boris is instantly recognisable. So much so that the Conservatives have taken to using him as the face of their Conservative Future campaign to recruit students.

"Crikey! Was that deeply counterproductive?" replies Boris. Well, students haven't quite taken to replacing their Che Guevara posters with those of Boris as the subject of a Warhol pastiche, but his party are clearly confident in Boris's pulling power to attract younger voters.

"Of course they're going to use any method at their disposal," continues Boris. "Like shoving my mug around in the deluded hope that this is somehow going to inspire some interest in it. They're gonna try any trick that they've got and I salute them."

Many people first came across the genial wit of Boris Johnson when he first appeared on Have I Got News For You back in 1998. After numerous appearances, including four as guest host, the MP for Henley clearly enjoyed it.

"It's a wonderful programme. I'm very lucky to be asked to do it. Very very infrequently I go on and do it, and I enjoy it. I dont think it does any harm you know."

Fans of HIGNFY, and indeed Boris, may be holding out for a fifth stint in the seat of power when the new series returns. But does it get any easier for a now-experienced presenter such as Boris?

"It doesn't get any easier," confesses Boris. "It's quite a tricky thing to do, presenting. I shouldn't say that just because i always make a hash of it but it is quite tricky."

Whether HIGNFY is particularly tricky due to messrs Hislop and Merton wasn't quite established, but after fronting the successful The Dream of Rome series last year, perhaps a career in television journalism is looming for the former Spectator editor.

"We'll have to see," is the reply, so maybe it has crossed his mind after all. "The best thing to do is to hang on in there. I'm full of boundless optimism about life's possibilities."

If Boris's television exploits had failed to capture the public's attention, then his 'explosive' appearance in the England legends match against Germany. Lining up alongside such greats as Ray Wilkins, there was only one name being chanted by the 15,000 strong crowd.

"I had no idea that this thing was gonna be as big as it was," admits England's newest football star. "I thought great, it's gonna be a local thing. I thought I could take the kids along, it'll be a charity match. I had no idea it was going to be on live TV and all of this. It was a complete sort of fantasy."

Like Geoff Hurst's third goal in the 1966 World Cup Final, Boris's crunching tackle on German midfielder, Maurizio Gaudino, has come to be one of the most replayed moments of sporting footage. Naturally, the 'blonde bomber' was deeply repentent.

"We had dinner. There was a big sort of gala thing afterwards. All very glamorous, and were actually lots of people getting quietly sozzled. I made it up to him then."

Away from his public appearances, Boris Johnson is clearly a man who loves his day job as Shadow Minister for Higher Education. If the Conservatives win the next General Election, then there is a very real possibility that Boris Johnson could be a front-bench cabinet minister in charge of Britain's universities. Never one to repress his own personal support for the party he serves, Boris is still cautious about Tory hopes for the next election. But is his party electable if there was to be an election within a year?

"I think it is. I think [David] Cameron will be a great prime minister. But it's just getting that across, it's going to be a big challenge because Gordon Brown, you know, he looks like a great, big, squatting buddha - that's the sort of impression people get, and that may help him."

A squatting buddha?! That will go down as one of the more unusual descriptions of Gordon Brown, but you can't deny the man his verdict on the man many see as Tony Blair's immediate replacement. That, however, is besides the point. A question that never seems to be far from someone's lips is whether Boris would ever consider challenging for the leadership of the Conservatives should the opportunity arise. Sadly, I'm sure for many, Boris seems coy on the issue.

"As my predecessor from Henley, and a great Swansea man - Michael Ray Dibdin Heseltine - used to say, 'I cannot forsee the circumstances in which I would challenge for the leadership.'" But Heseltine did challenge for the Conservative leadership.

"I know," laughs Boris, although he moves to reiterate his stance, claiming that the idea of Boris one day being prime minister was "strictly for the birds." Shame!

With talk of leadership quashed (for now), Boris is incredibly passionate about dealing with higher education issues. One such issue is the rising levels of graduate numbers. Combined with increased immigration, will there ever be a scenario where job prospects become restricted?

"This is basic economics. Look, if I have a baby - I have several... I'm not sure if this is the party line, I have no idea. But classic economic theory tells you that the admission of one immigrant, is no different to one 18 year old [into the labour market]."

Further more, Boris offers some clarity on funding policy, arguing that the Conservatives would "stick with the current settlement on topup fees, and see how it goes. People ask about lifting the cap in 2009. That's a huge issue, and the proof of that particular pudding is the extent to which students from lower income backgrounds go to university, and the extent to which we think people are being deterred."

Reflecting upon his time at Oxford, Boris would argue that students today are plain nice.

"You're a very sharp-elbowed ambitious bunch. It's more relaxed, it's nicer, it's fundamentally a good change. It's a really good change. We were Thatcherites, but that's what we were, and we had to be because it was dog eat dog."

And with that, time had run out. Although there was still time for Boris to admit his love of Razorlight and The Clash.

"The Clash were the ultimate band weren't they!"

In a whirlwind of verbal ping-pong, suddenly Boris asks for rendition of the Manics' A Design For Life. You wonder whether Boris does have secret plans for a television career. Maybe his demands for song could see him as a judge on X-Factor?

Pete Hayman