Boris Johnson 'a clown' with no diplomacy skills, says ex-deputy in diaries

[Emrys]

Ex-Foreign Office deputy Sir Alan Duncan says PM mistakes regular headlines for political power

...
Sir Alan Duncan, the MP for Rutland and Melton from 1992 until the last election, said the prime minister was “a clown, a self-centred ego, an embarrassing buffoon, with an untidy mind and sub-zero diplomatic judgment”.

“He is an international stain on our reputation,” Duncan added, in diaries that have been serialised in the Daily Mail.

The diaries, made into a book titled The Thick of It, cover his final four years in parliament during Brexit and Johnson’s move to Downing Street. Duncan served on the Conservative frontbenches for 18 years and was a former minister for international development.
...
Duncan also claimed he had had a row with Johnson over a press report about diplomats treating him as an “international joke”.

Johnson is said to have asked: “Why don’t they take me seriously?” Duncan claims he replied: “Look in the f***ing mirror!”

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/apr/03/boris-johnson-a-clown-with-no-diplomacy-skills-says-ex-deputy-in-diaries

With this appearing in the likes of the Mail, I can't help wondering whether the Tory grandees and backers are growing rather tired of Johnson now he's more or less served their purposes.

[Bristlecone]

1. Just one look at that clown tells us that

[NotANeocon]

2. This Guardian piece on Johnson created a deja vu experience.

Made me think you could change the name to the clown with the tie tripping him up as part of his costume.

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2021/mar/18/all-hail-the-clown-king-how-boris-johnson-made-it-by-playing-the-fool