More than half of voters think Boris Johnson's private life is relevant to his ability to be prime minister
So responded François Mitterrand, then president of France, when asked about a child from an extra-marital relationship. His curt “So what?” summed up the way in which the private lives of French politicians are generally off-limits to nosy journalists, and of little concern to French voters. Criticism of François Hollande, another president caught having an affair, focused on the fact that he had turned up to his illicit liaisons on an unpresidential scooter.
Mr Johnson is attempting to become Britain’s first French prime minister, with an impregnable barrier between his public and private life. “I do not talk about stuff involving my family, my loved ones,” he garbled this week. “And there’s a very good reason for that. If you do, you drag them into things that, really, is, in a way that is not fair on them.”Unfortunately for Mr Johnson, the British take a keen interest in the personal lives of their politicians.
It made for a chaotic start to the leadership race by Mr Johnson, who nonetheless remains the favourite. While noisily stating that he would not comment on Mr Johnson’s private life, Jeremy Hunt, the foreign secretary, who is running against him, labelled his opponent a coward for ducking out of a head-to-head debate. Mr Johnson’s team had attempted to launch a “submarine” assault on Downing Street, in which their gaffe-prone candidate would surface only occasionally.
Yet the topic may re-emerge in the remaining month of the contest. Basic questions about Mr Johnson, such as how many children he has, are unanswered. Judges have, in general, upheld the right of journalists to stick their beaks in.
Following the latest fireworks, one poll suggested that Mr Johnson had lost his lead to Mr Hunt among the general public. His victory looks a little less certain than a week ago. But Conservative voters still prefer him—and the decision lies with party members, who are particularly enthusiastic backers of his hard line on Brexit. A majority say they would be willing to seriously damage the economy or even lose Scotland in order to leave the).
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